Chicken Tikka Masala

 

Curry Stand Chicken Tikka Masala Sauce

A tikka masala sauce from a classic curry-stand recipe. This is not haute cuisine; it's the kind of nuclear-orange tikka masala you crave when you stumble out of a pub at 2 a.m. I make vast quantities of this sauce at one time as it freezes well. I also use more cayenne pepper than 1 teaspoon, but I give out the recipe like this for people who don't like heat.

Submitted by Chris Bellers

 Tested by Allrecipes Test Kitchen

Prep Time:

 

15 mins

Cook Time:

 

1 hr 5 mins

Total Time:

 

1 hr 20 mins

Servings:

 

6

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter)

• 1 onion, finely chopped

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 tablespoon ground cumin

• 1 teaspoon salt, or more to taste (Optional)

• 1 teaspoon ground ginger

• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

• ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric

• 1 (14 ounce) can tomato sauce

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream

• 1 tablespoon white sugar, or more to taste (Optional)

• 2 teaspoons paprika

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into bite-size pieces

• ½ teaspoon curry powder

Directions

1. Gather all ingredients.

2. Heat ghee in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion; cook and stir until translucent, about 5 minutes.

3. Stir in garlic; cook and stir just until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir cumin, 1 teaspoon salt, ginger, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, and turmeric into onion mixture; fry until fragrant, about 2 minutes.

4. Stir tomato sauce into onion and spice mixture; bring to a boil and reduce heat to low.

5. Simmer sauce for 10 minutes, then mix in cream, 1 tablespoon sugar, and paprika. Bring sauce back to a simmer and cook, stirring often, until sauce is thickened, 10 to 15 minutes.

6. Heat vegetable oil in a separate skillet over medium heat. Stir chicken into hot oil; add curry powder. Sear chicken until lightly browned but still pink inside, about 3 minutes; stir often.

7. Transfer chicken and any pan juices into sauce. Simmer chicken in sauce until no longer pink, about 30 minutes; adjust sugar and salt to taste.

Nutrition Facts

             

calories328
total fat 23g
saturated fat 13g
cholesterol 106mg
sodium 981mg
total carbohydrate 13g
dietary fiber 2g
total sugars 7g
protein 18g
vitamin c 9mg
calcium 68mg
iron 2mg
potassium 462mg

One pot Ground Beef and Noodles

 Ingredients

1 lb ground beef

cooking spray

2 1/2 C milk

1 1/2 C hot water

2 C elbow macaroni

1 T cornstarch

1 T chili powder

2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp sugar

3/4 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

pinch red pepper flakes

2 C shredded cheddar cheese 

Instructions

1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.

2. Spray with cooking spray and add the ground beef. Brown until cooked through and no longer pink. Discard any fat.

3. Add the pasta, milk, water and spices and stir to combine.

4. Bring to a boil and turn the heat down to simmer.

5. Cover and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the pasta is al dente. 

6. Add the cheese and stir to combine. Serve immediately.

Orecchiette With Peas, Pancetta & Cream

 Ingredients

1 lb. Orecchiette Pasta

1 Tb. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

1/4 lb. Pancetta, cut 1/4 inch thick and then cubed into small pieces

4 Tb. butter

1 small white onion finely diced

2 Tb. chicken stock

1 C heavy cream

1 C frozen peas, thawed

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 C Parmesan cheese

Cooking Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of water salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions.
2. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, heat the olive oil and garlic on a medium setting. Add the pancetta to the pan and cook until golden brown. Transfer pancetta to a dish and set aside.
3. In the same pan, melt butter. Add onions and cook until soft and translucent. Add chicken stock and season with salt and pepper. Stir in pancetta and cook for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add cream. Simmer for 5 minutes until slightly thickened.
4. Add the hot cooked pasta to the pan. Mix well to coat. Stir in the peas and cheese.
5. Serve Immediately.

SLOW COOKER BUTTERNUT SQUASH TORTELLINI

 

YIELD:  6-8 SERVINGS

 

PREP TIME:  15 MINUTES

 

COOK TIME:  5 HOURS

 

TOTAL TIME:  5 HOURS 15 MINUTES

INGREDIENTS

•  2 teaspoons olive oil
•  1/2 cup chopped onion
•  3 cloves garlic, finely minced
•  1/4 teaspoon minced dried rosemary
•  1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
•  1/4 teaspoon dried sage
•  1/2 teaspoon salt
•  1/4 teaspoon pepper
•  2 pounds peeled and cubed butternut squash (about 4 cups or so)
•  3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
•  4 to 8 ounces cream cheese, light or regular (depending on how creamy you want it), cubed
•  1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus more for serving, if desired
•  1 1/2 pound refrigerated tortellini (see note)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is starting to soften, 3-4 minutes. Stir in the rosemary, thyme, sage, salt and pepper.
2. Place the butternut squash in a 5- or 6-quart slow cooker. Add the sautéed onion and garlic and then pour in the chicken broth. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4-5 hours.
3. Add the cubes of cream cheese and the Parmesan cheese to the slow cooker. Stir until mostly melted. Using an immersion blender (or using a blender or food processor in batches), blend the mixture until smooth (and return it to the slow cooker if needed). Stir in the tortellini. Cover and cook on high for 30 minutes or until the tortellini are tender.
4. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with additional Parmesan cheese, if desired.

NOTES

Tortellini: all tortellini are not created equal, I'm afraid. Based on past experience and recipes, I don't think the dry tortellini in the pasta aisle will work out very well (but that's just an untested opinion). I highly recommend using refrigerated tortellini (I usually get mine from Costco but have seen it at my grocery store, too).

Maria's notes:  I used 8 oz of cream cheese but next time I will use 4 oz--it was VERY creamy.

HTTPS://WWW.MELSKITCHENCAFE.COM/SLOW-COOKER-BUTTERNUT-SQUASH-TORTELLINI/

Caesar Angel Hair Pasta

Caesar Angel Hair Pasta from Delish.com

Yields: 4 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Total time: 35 minutes

Ingredients
12 oz angel hair pasta
1 T extra-virgin olive oil
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
6 slices bacon, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 c low-sodium chicken broth
1 pt cream Caesar dressing
1/2 c freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 T juice of 1 lemon
1/4 c freshly chopped parsley

Directions
1. In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook angel hair until al dente.  Drain and reserve 1 cup pasta water.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil.  Season both sides of chicken with salt and pepper and then add to skillet.  Cook until chicken is golden and cooked through, 8 minutes per side.  Let rest 10 minutes, then slice into strips.  Wipe skillet clean.
3. Return skillet to medium heat.  Add bacon and cook until crispy.  Drain on a paper towel-lined plate.  Reserve about two tablespoons of back fat in skillet.
4. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute.  Pour in broth to deglaze pan. Stir in Caesar dressing and bring mixture to a low simmer.  Add angel hair, Parmesan cheese, lemon juice, and parsley, and then toss until combined.  (If sauce is too thick, gradually add pasta water, about 1/4 cup at a time until you reach your desired consistency.)

Southwest Cornbread Casserole

Total Time: 30 minutes

Yield: 7-8 servings 

Ingredients

CORNBREAD LAYER:

1/2 C melted butter

1/2 C sugar

2 eggs

1 C buttermilk

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 C flour

1 C cornmeal

1/2 tsp salt

MEAT MIXTURE:

1 pound ground beef (I used 9% fat 91% lean)

2 cloves minced garlic

1/2 onion, chopped

5-6 mini bell peppers, chopped

salt and pepper

3 Tb taco seasoning

1 (10 ounce) can red enchilada sauce

1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, un-drained

1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained

1 C salsa 

2 C Mexican blend cheese

cilantro (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and move the rack to the center of the oven. 

2. In a medium sized mixing bowl beat together 1/2 C melted butter and 1/2 C sugar. Add 2 eggs and beat to combine. 

3. Pour 1 C buttermilk into a glass measuring cup. Add 1/2 tsp baking soda and stir to combine. Add this to the butter and sugar mixture and stir to combine. 

4. In a separate bowl toss together 1 C flour, 1 C cornmeal, and 1/2 tsp salt. Fold it into the wet ingredients. Don't over mix. 

5. Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray and spread the cornbread batter out evenly into the pan. 

6. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the top is set and slightly firm. It should be almost baked completely. It's going to go in the oven for another 5 minutes or so with the meat mixture on top, but make sure it's just about done before you move to that stage. 

7. While the cornbread is baking, grab a deep skillet and heat it up over medium high heat. 

8. Add 1 pound ground beef, 2 cloves of chopped garlic, 1/2 chopped onion and 5-6 chopped mini bell peppers (I used orange and yellow). Sprinkle with salt, pepper and 3 Tb of taco seasoning. Stir and cook until the beef is cooked through and no longer pink. 

9. To the ground beef mixture add 1 (10 ounce) can red enchilada sauce, 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes (un-drained), 1 (15 ounce) can black beans (drained) and 1 C salsa (I used Pace). 

Give it a nice stir, allow it to come to a simmer and let it cook on low for 5 minutes. 

10. Carefully pour the meat mixture over the top of the corn bread. 

11. Sprinkle with 2 C Mexican blend cheese. 

12. Pop it in the oven for 5-8 minutes, or just until the cheese melts. 

13. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro (optional).

from:  Jamie Cooks It Up

Avocado Chicken Salad

INGREDIENTS

DRESSING:

•  3 tablespoons fresh lime or lemon juice (or a combination of both) 
•  2 tablespoons olive oil 
•  1/2 teaspoon salt (I use coarse, kosher salt) 
•  Pinch black pepper (I use coarsely ground pepper) 

SALAD:

•  2 cups chopped, cooked chicken (see note) 
•  1 cup corn kernels, fresh (cooked) or frozen and thawed 
•  2 medium/large ripe avocados, peeled and diced 
•  1/4 cup finely chopped red onion 
•  1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro or parsley 

OPTIONAL ADD-INS:

•  Halved cherry tomatoes 
•  Cooked, crumbled bacon 
•  Feta cheese 

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, combine all the dressing ingredients and mix well. 
2. Add all the salad ingredients to a large bowl. Drizzle with the dressing and toss to combine. Add optional add-ins if desired. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper, if needed. 
3. Serve immediately.

From Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Note:  I used all of the optional add-ins.  We LOVED it!  For the chicken, I used Mel's Lemon Garlic Grilled Chicken which I will post.

PF Chang's Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients:

1 T olive oil
1 lb ground chicken
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, diced
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
2 T soy sauce
1 T rice wine vinegar
1 T freshly grated ginger
1 T Sriracha, optional
1 (8-oz) can whole water chestnuts, drained and diced
2 green onions, thinly sliced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 head butter lettuce

Directions:

1.  Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium high heat.  Add ground chicken and cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the chicken as it cooks; drain excess fat.
2.  Stir in garlic, onion, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ginger, and Sriracha until onions have become translucent, about 1-2 minutes.
3.  Stir in chestnuts and green onions until tender, about 1-2 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
4.  To serve, spoon several tablespoons of the chicken mixture into the center of a lettuce leaf, taco-styler.

yield: 4 servings     prep time:  10 minutes .    cook time:  10 minutes .    total time:  20 minutes

Karen's Note:  I couldn't find hoisin sauce at the two grocery stores I looked at, so I used Panda Express teriyaki sauce, and it turned out delicious.  I used one tablespoon of Sriracha sauce, and it added a nice, spicy kick, but it wasn't too spicy.

Cherise's Bean Soup (Taco Soup)

from: Cherise

1 lb chopped chicken, roast, hamburger
1 onion, chopped
1 16 oz kidney beans, with liquid
1 16 oz white beans, with liquid
1 16 oz pinto beans, with liquid
1 16 oz corn, with liquid
2 14.5 oz mexican stewed tomatoes
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 pkg ranch dressing

Saute gord beef and onion, drain.  Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil nd swimmer 20 minutes.  Top with sour cream, tortillas chips and grated cheese.

Maria's notes:  I like to use one pint of canned chicken for the meat.  I also like the tomatoes blended up pretty smooth instead of just diced.

The Best Ground Beef Tacos

author mel's kitchen cafe

yield 4-6 servings

Note:  I made these tonight and loved them!  Maria

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef or ground turkey
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup chopped white or yellow onion
• 1 to 3 garlic cloves, finely minced, or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 8-ounce can tomato sauce
• 1 jalapeño, seeded and finely minced (optional)
• Taco shells
• Taco toppings of choice

Instructions

1. In a large skillet over medium heat, add the ground beef or turkey, onion, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often and breaking the meat into small pieces, until the meat is cooked through, 5-7 minutes.
2. Off the heat, drain any excess grease, if needed.
3. Return the skillet to the heat and stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin, coriander, salt and pepper. Cook for about 30 seconds until the mixture smells fragrant.
4. Add the tomato sauce and minced jalapeños, if using. Simmer the mixture for about 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper, if needed.
5. Serve in taco shells with your choice of toppings (makes great taco salad, too!)  

Macaroni and Cheese

1 to 1 1/2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni, rigatoni or spinach egg noodles (about 6 oz)
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup flour
1 3/4 cups milk
8 oz sharp cheddar cheese, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

Cook macaroni as directed.  Cook and stir butter, onion, salt and pepper over medium heat until onion is slightly tender.  Blend in flour.  Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth and bubbly; remove from heat.  Stir in milk.  Heat to boiling, stirring constantly.  Boil and stir 1 minute; remove from heat. Stir in cheese until melted.

Place macaroni in ungreased 1 1/2 quart casserole dish.  Stir cheese sauce into macaroni.  Cook uncovered in 375 degree oven for 30 minutes.  5 servings.

Note:  I got this recipe from Cherise :-).

Chicken Noodle Stew

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup chopped yellow or white onion (about 1 medium onion)
• 1 cup chopped carrots (about 2-3 peeled carrots)
• 1 cup chopped celery (about 2-3 stalks)
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 16 ounces frozen egg noodles (like Reames brand)
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 3-4 cups cooked, chopped chicken 
• DIRECTIONS

1. In a 5- or 6-quart pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat until hot and rippling. Add the onions, carrots, celery and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are slightly tender, 5-6 minutes. Stir in the salt, pepper and chicken broth and bring to a boil. 
2. Add the frozen noodles and simmer for 18 minutes (or according to package directions), until they are mostly tender (they'll cook a few more minutes in the next step). 
3. In a liquid measuring cup or blender, whisk or blend the milk and flour together until smooth (no lumps!). Whisk the mixture quickly into the soup and simmer for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
4. Stir in the frozen peas and cooked chicken and heat through. Add additional salt and pepper to taste before serving. The soup will thicken as it sits (and if there are leftovers, they'll definitely thicken up even more in the refrigerator).

From:  Mel's Kitchen Cafe