Chicken Tikka Masala

I took a stab at Chicken Tikka Masala tonight (Justin says I ROCKED it).  It's such an iconic dish, made by so many restaurants and recreated by so many home chefs.  I had a few ideas that didn't mesh with what I was reading so I just combined what I thought with what I was reading and came up with this.  Apparently, it makes a world of difference to marinate the chicken and roast it separately.  Now I know.  May I never forget.

It may look complicated, but for me it was a home run.  Homemade Tikka Masala that my husband and I love just as much as Bombay House's.  I have all of these items in my kitchen regularly, so I can make it any time....I have 3 hours....ha...

Chicken Tikka Masala

• 1 cup yogurt [I used my homemade plain, unsweetened yogurt]
• 1 TB lemon juice
• 2 tsps cumin
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp cayenne
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 TB minced ginger [I used a scant tsp powdered ginger, but it would be better with fresh]
• 2 tsps salt
• 2 tsps garam masala
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 3 chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces

Combine ingredients and marinate 1-3 hours.  Grease baking sheet and bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes.  [I stirred and drained the meat after each 5 minutes]  Set aside.

• 1 lb tomatoes, quartered
• 1/2 medium onion, roughly chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, peeled and halved
• 1 jalapeño, seeded and chopped
• 2 TB olive oil
• 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp paprika

[I did this while the chicken was marinating] Combine ingredients in a baking dish and roast at 375 for 1 hour.  Let cool slightly and puree in blender.

• 1/2 medium onion, diced
• 3 TB vegetable oil
• dash of powdered ginger
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 small can tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

Saute onion in vegetable oil until soft.  Add roasted tomato mixture and spices.  Simmer for 5-10 minutes and add chicken, tomato sauce and cream.  Adjust salt and pepper.  Serve with cooked rice.

Popcorn crazy

So we have started a new tradition of popcorn every Sunday evening (or possibly rekindled from my youth in Colorado?).  So what you say?  We do not do ordinary popcorn.  I thought I would share our first few with you.  We have enjoyed them all.  For those of you who shared New Year's with us, this is the kettle corn I brought.

Kettle Corn
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp water
1/2 cup popcorn air popped

Combine all ingredients but popcorn and cook for 4-6 minutes until sugar has dissolved.  I cooked mine on medium high.

Pour over popcorn and stir well.  Allow to cool.

Poppy Chow
I recipe chocolate peanut butter stuff for puppy chow from the family cookbook.  Pour over 2 batches air popped popcorn.  Can add powdered sugar or leave off.  I left it off and thought it was wonderful, but a bit messy.  Refrigerate before attempting to eat.

Carmel Marshmallow Popcorn
2 batches air popped popcorn
1 batch caramel from family cookbook recipe for caramel popcorn
mini marshmallows

Make caramel according to recipe.  After removing from heat, add a few handfuls of marshmallows.  Stir until melted.  Pour over popcorn and stir.  Sticky and yummy.

Jello Popcorn
8 cups popped popcorn
1 cup peanuts (optional)
1/4 cup butter or margarine
3 Tb corn syrup
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar or granulated sugar (I used turbinado)
1 small pkg jello (I used raspberry)

Preheat oven to 300.  Line cookie sheet with foil or parchment.  Toss popcorn and peanuts in large bowl. 

Place butter and syrup in small saucepan; cook on low until butter is melted.   Add sugar and gelatin; stir until gelatin is completely dissolved.  Bring to boil on medium heat.  Reduce heat to low; simmer for 5 minutes.  Pour over popcorn and toss to coat well.  Spread in pan.

Bake 10 minutes.  Cool.  Eat. Yum!

Johnny Appleseed Cake

For all you healthy food fanatics out there.  Here is a delicious cake recipe, that can be made with whole wheat flour, no eggs. no sugar and no oil.  Enjoy!

2 c. applesauce
2 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 c. honey
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1 cup raisins (optional)
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Blend all ingredients (I did it with a spoon in a bowl--no mixer mess involved).  If cake seems a little dry, add up to another 1/2 cup applesauce.  Pour into a pan greased on the bottom only.  Bake in 9 x 13 pan for 30 to 35 minutes.

I had this cake for breakfast this morning.  Why not?  Well, not the whole cake.  Anyway, ENJOY!

Sesame Flax Chicken

Now before you go thinking this is some bland, too-healthy recipe for dry, not-fun chicken, STOP. You have to understand that I am writing this post. I don't write food posts. So you have to know this is worthwhile.

Jodi was out and about doing some shopping with the kids, and I was home from work with the opportunity to come up with something for dinner. When I opened the fridge, all I saw was a grand void of random assortments, and no leftovers to choose from. Not in the mood to explore too much, I went to our trusted Blendtec Blender recipe book. There it was. Something with meat. Done.

To my happy surprise, the recipe was simple, and we had everything for it. That = happy me. And to my even greater surprise, it was simply and wonderfully delicious. Not to mention it was the juiciest chicken I have ever tasted, let alone made! 

So here you have it:

Sesame Flax Chicken

• 1 slice whole wheat bread, toasted
• 1/4 C flaxseeds
• 3 Tbsp sesame seeds
• 2 Tbsp wheat germ
• 2 Tbsp dried parsley
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
• 4 (4oz) chicken breast halves

Preheat oven to 400º F. Add ingredients except chicken to blender jar and secure lid. Blend on low-medium for 35 seconds or until mixture is crumby. Set an oven-safe cooling rack on a large baking sheet or jelly roll pan. Dip marinated or seasoned chicken breast halves [I seasoned the chicken with Montreal Chicken Seasoning] in crumb mixture. Set breaded chicken on rack [spray the rack first] and spray with cooking oil [the more you spray, the crispier it will be]. Bake for 15-20 minutes [I baked it for 25 minutes] until done and juices run clear when chicken is pierced.

And there you have it. Simply delicious. We served it with some buttered brown rice. The prep time on this was less than 10 minutes. And that is for me, so if you are actually someone who cooks more than once a month, it should take you half that.

Squash Cinnamon Rolls

Hello family!  Happy holidays to ya!

With advice from Mom, I recently adapted my old Squash Rolls recipe to be cinnamon rolls.  This New Years Eve, I utilized Heather's expertise to make them vegan.  I will include both ways in this post.  The pictures are of a double batch (as it was for the New Years Eve party for the Packards, Petersons, Waltons and us), so one batch makes half of what you see here.  For a small family like mine, you could half the recipe or make dinner rolls and cinnamon rolls at once.  I've made these twice now and they are delicious!!

Squash Rolls

• 1/2 cup warm water
• 2 TB yeast
• 6 cups flour (half whole wheat, half white)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 cup milk, scalded (coconut milk is fine)
• 1/2 cup oil or butter (shortening, butter, and canola oil are all fine)
• 1 1/2 cups cubed winter squash
• Butter, melted (or coconut oil)
• Brown sugar
• Cinnamon
• Pumpkin pie spice (or others like nutmeg, cloves, allspice)

Boil and mash winter squash, set aside.  Dissolve yeast in warm water, set aside. In bowl or mixer, combine 5 cups flour, sugar and salt.  Add yeast mixture, butter, squash and milk.  Mix well.  Add remaining flour until correct consistency.  Knead.  Place in oiled bowl, cover and let rise until doubled in volume (30-60 minutes).  Roll dough out into a long rectangle.  Pour butter over dough and rub to the edges.  Sprinkle heftily with brown sugar, and lightly with spices.  Rub to make smooth.  Roll dough into log and cut with knife or floss.  Place in greased baking pans and let rise for about 30 minutes.  Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes until slightly browned.  Push down any centers that have risen too high.  Cool and spread frosting.

Cinnamon Roll Frosting

• 1/4 cup butter, softened (or coconut oil, melted)
• 4oz cream cheese (omit for vegan)
• Vanilla
• Almond extract
• Powdered sugar

Blend with hand mixer until ratio tastes right to you.  Frost.

Eat and enjoy!

Great Grandma Hutchings' Steamed Carrot Pudding

Dad and I have been cleaning out our three file cabinets this week and I came across this recipe I thought would be fun to share.

Great Grandma Hutchings' Steamed Carrot Pudding

1 3/4 cup flour
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1 1/2 cup finely grated raw carrots
1 1/2 cup finely grated raw potatoes
1/4 cup melted butter
1 cup coarsely chopped nuts (I think she used walnuts)
1 cup diced mixed candied fruits

Sift flour with sugar, soda, salt and spices.  Add grated carrots, potatoes and melted butter.  Mix well until all of the flour is moistened.  Stir in nuts and candied fruits.  Bake in a well greased and lightly floured pan, cover with foil if mold does not have lids.  Set in a deep kettle with boiling water to half the depth of the mold.

Cover kettle and steam in constantly boiling water for two hours until toothpicks inserted in pudding come out clean, add water as needed (to kettle for boiling).  Remove from kettle and let stand 15 min.  Serve hot with sauce.  Makes 10 - 12 servings

Creamy Sauce

1 cup sugar
1 cup whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla

That is all the instructions.  I have never made this, but remember tasting it.

Grandma Workman made one like this once that I remember and served it with a lemon sauce, I think.   Let me know if you try it and how it turns out!

Coconut-Cashew Rice

I really love this rice recipe.  I first tasted it at an international night in Relief Society.  After figuring out who made it I requested the recipe.  She posted it on our neighborhood Facebook page because so many people wanted the recipe, but I procrastinated getting it off there and then couldn't find it.  Fast forward a few months and she brought a double batch to our Relief Society rice night.  I again requested the recipe and finally made it for myself.  I don't know what took me so long.  It is FANTASTIC.  I made this for my Dad and Justin and they loved it.  Even the kids loved it.  Then I made it for Michelle and her kids and they liked it to.  It is worth a try!  I went to Winco to buy the specialty items I didn't have on hand: jasmine rice, golden raisins and cashews.  I forgot the cardamom which is probably a huge mistake, but it worked well with cinnamon and nutmeg. Really well.

Coconut-Cashew Rice

• 1 3/4 cups water
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp turmeric [my friend uses curry powder instead]
• 1 cup basmati or jasmine rice
• 2 TB butter
• 1/4 cup diced onion
• 1/4 cup raisins [okay, I heap my 1/4 cup]
• 1/4 cashews [heap this too]
• 1 tsp cardamom [1/2 tsp cinnamon + 1/2 tsp nutmeg is a good replacement]
• 1/3 cup coconut milk

Combine water, salt and turmeric in medium saucepan and bring to rapid boil.  Add rice, reduce heat to low and simmer 15-20 minutes, until water is absorbed.  Meanwhile, melt butter in sauté pan and sauté onion 2-3 minutes until translucent.  Add raisins, cashews and cardamom and sauté 2 more minutes.  Stir in coconut milk and cook 2 more minutes.  When rice is ready, remove from heat and fluff with fork.  Stir in onion-raisin mixture.  Moisten with a few TB of coconut milk before serving, if desired.