Chicken Tikka Masala

I found this recipe on RasaMalaysia. Honestly, I've never really had much experience with Indian food. The recipe looked like it could be made with things I had readily available. which never seems to be the case when I find an Indian recipe that looks interesting. I also live with a VERY picky eater that avoids spicy foods at all costs, so Indian food is always a bit of a challenge...

I've made this recipe twice now. The first time I followed the recipe exactly, and the second time I made a few changes. Either way, it's delicious!

Here is the recipe as found on the RasaMalaysia site. My changes are in red.

Ingredients 

Marinating the Chicken

3-4 boneless chicken breasts, skins removed and cut into bite-sized pieces 
250g thick natural yogurt 
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced 
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper 
Salt

Skewers, If using wooden skewers completely submerge them in water for approx. 30 minutes. This will hinder them from catching fire while grilling.

Tomato Gravy

250g canned cocktail tomatoes (I used two fresh medium-sized tomatoes, which I put into my food processor)
250g heavy cream 
2 garlic cloves, minced (I also added a medium red onion)
2 red chilies, finely chopped (I used a can of jalapenos)
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons paprika powder 
1 tablespoon ghee or clarified butter 
Handful of coriander leaves/cilantro, chopped 
Salt and pepper 

Method

Mix all of the ingredients for the marination in a large bowl. Thoroughly mix until the chicken is nicely coated. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

On the next day, either prepare your charcoal grill or heat up the grill function of your oven to high. *I put all of the chicken on a parchment lined baking sheet. I baked the chicken at 375F for 25 minutes.

Thread the chicken pieces onto the skewers, discarding the marinade. Grill the chicken evenly on all sides, until juices run clear - approx. 5-6 minutes.

To prepare the gravy, heat a large skillet to medium and melt the ghee/clarified butter. Sauté the garlic and chopped chilies until fragrant. Sprinkle the ground cumin, paprika powder and a pinch of salt. Sauté for a further minute or two until the mixture turns into a paste-like texture.

Pour in the canned tomatoes, scraping the bottom of the skillet to deglaze it and to release any bits stuck to the pan. Simmer uncovered for approx. 10-15 minutes on low heat until the sauces begins to thicken, then add the grilled chicken pieces and cream. Simmer for a further 10 minutes, thickening the sauce further and to heat the chicken and cream through. 

Serve sprinkled with fresh chopped coriander leaves and with steamed Basmati rice, fresh naans and pickles. 

Make sure to visit RasaMasala for other great recipes.

Guten Appetit!

Rigatoni with Sausage and Parmigiano

This is one of the best pastas I've had in a while. It was very easily put together. I had everything on hand, except for the Italian sausage. It was very flavorful and I can't think of anything that the dish is missing.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion sliced (I diced)

1 clove garlic,  crushed (I minced)

500 g (1 lb) Italian pork sausage, cut into chunks

60 g (2 oz) mushrooms, sliced

1/2 cup (124ml/4 fl oz) dry white wine

500 g (1 lb) rigatoni

1 cup (250ml/8 fl oz) cream

2 eggs

1/2 cup (50g) freshly grated parmesan (I used Parmigiano Reggiano)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Add the nion and garlic and stir over low heat until the onion is tender. Add the sausage and mushroom and cook until the sausage is cooked through. Stir in the wine and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the liquid is reduced by half.

2. While the sauce is cooking, cook the rigatoni in a large pan of rapidly boiling salted water until al dente. Drain and return to the pan.

3. In a large jug, whisk together the cream, eggs, half the parmesan, the parsley, and salt and pepper, to taste. Add to the rigatoni with the sausage mixture and toss. Serve sprinkled with the remaining parmesan.

Guten Appetit! Let me know how it works out for you!

Geschnetzeltes

Geschnetzeltes is a dish that is extremely popular in Zurich, the place where it originated, but is also popular throughout southern Germany. Traditionally, it is just veal, mushrooms, white wine, cream, and lemon. This is a variation on the traditional recipe.

Ingredients:

1 lb boneless pork chops

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup white wine

1 cup beef broth

2 cups sliced mushrooms

3 tablespoons ground paprika

1 large onion (chopped)

3 cloves garlic (chopped)

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Slice the pork chops into thin strips and sauté in a pan with olive oil. Once the pork is done, remove it and set it aside in a bowl. Add the chopped onions, garlic, and mushrooms and sauté them until soft. 

Add the broth and the wine. Simmer the sauce until it has reduced halfway. (10-15 minutes)

Add the pork back to the pan. Add the heavy cream and 3 tablespoons of paprika. Heat for 5 minutes until warm. Serve over pasta of your choice.

Guten Appetit!

The Best Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

I'm a huge fan of chocolate chip cookies, and I think I've finally found the very best recipe I have EVER made. This recipe was originally from America's Test Kitchen and was adapted by Katie over at Good Things Catered. I adapted it a little more in order to make it a bit more festive for the holidays.

Ingredients:

2 cups plus 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
12 Tbsp (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted & cooled until warm
1 c brown sugar, packed
1/2 c granulated sugar
1 large egg plus 1 yolk
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (I added holiday M&M's)

Directions:
-Adjust oven racks to upper & lower -middle positions & heat oven to 325. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
-Whisk dry ingredients together; set aside.
-With electric mixer, or by hand, mix butter and sugars until thoroughly combined. 
-Beat in egg, yolk, and vanilla until combined. 
-Add dry ingredients and beat at a low speed just until combined. Stir in chips. (Or M&Ms!)
-Roll scant 1/2 cup dough into ball. Holding dough ball in fingertips of both hands, pull into 2 equal halves. Rotate halves 90 degrees and, with jagged surfaces facing up, place formed dough onto cookie sheet, leaving ample room between each ball.
-Bake, reversing position of cookie sheets halfway through baking, until cookies are light golden brown and outer edges start to harden yet centers are still soft & puffy (about 17 minutes in my oven). *
-Cool cookies on sheets until able to lift without breaking and place on wire rack to cool.

** I was actually lazy and just put two cookie sheets on top of each other. They both turned out fine. When I made smaller cookies, they took about 12 minutes, larger cookies took about 16. Make sure you take the cookies out when they still look a little undercooked in the center to make sure that they stay soft!

Guten Appetit!