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

Chicken and Vegetable Sheet Pan

 Ingredients:

3 chicken breast cut into bite sized chunks

1 lb petite yellow potatoes halved and sliced.

1 1/2  C grape tomatoes, halved

3/4 C feta cheese

1/4 C olive oil

3 T fresh lemon juice

1/2 tsp salt 

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp basil

1/3 C fresh parsley chopped

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425.

Lay the chicken, tomatoes and potatoes on a greased cookie sheet. Season everything really well with salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste.

In a small bowl, mix together the feta, olive oil, lemon juice, basil and parsley.

Spread the feta mixture all over the chicken and tomatoes.

Drizzle the veggies with olive oil.

Roast for 25-30 minutes or until the chicken has reached 165 degrees with a thermometer.

CHIPOTLE CHICKEN SKEWERS WITH CREAMY DIPPING SAUCE

YIELD:  6-8 SERVINGS

 

PREP TIME:  25 MINUTES

 

COOK TIME:  8 MINUTES

 

ADDITIONAL TIME:  27 MINUTES

TOTAL TIME:  1 HOUR

INGREDIENTS

CHICKEN SKEWERS:

•  2 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (4-5 medium chicken breasts)
•  1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
•  2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, minced
•  1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, minced (scrape out the seeds before mincing to reduce spiciness)
•  2 teaspoons adobo sauce
•  1 1/2 teaspoons salt
•  1/2 teaspoon chili powder
•  1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
•  1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
•  12 bamboo or metal skewers

CREAMY DIPPING SAUCE:

•  3/4 cup lowfat sour cream
•  1/4 cup lowfat mayonnaise or Greek yogurt
•  1/4 cup lime juice, from 2-3 limes
•  1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
•  2 tablespoons cilantro leaves, minced
•  2 green onions, finely chopped
•  1/2 teaspoon salt
•  1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Slice the chicken breasts into long, thin strips, about 1/2-inch thick. You should have right around 30 strips. In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar, cilantro, chipotle chile, adobo sauce, salt, chili powder, garlic powder, and pepper. Toss the chicken with the brown sugar mixture coating all the pieces evenly. Cover the chicken (or place in a ziploc bag) and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours.
2. For the dipping sauce, in a bowl, stir all the ingredients together. Cover the mixture and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes until the flavors combine. Alternately, you can make the dipping sauce in advance and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Be sure to season the dipping sauce with additional lime juice, salt and pepper to taste before serving.
3. 30 minutes before grilling, cover the bamboo skewers with water and soak. Skip this step if using metal skewers.
4. Preheat an oven broiler or gas/charcoal grill. Weave two strips of chicken onto each skewer. Broil or grill the chicken for 5-8 minutes until cooked through, using nonstick cooking spray on a foil-lined pan if you are broiling. Serve immediately (if you broil, you may need to cook in batches) with the dipping sauce.

NOTES

Reduced Fat Ingredients: you could definitely use full-fat sour cream or mayo/yogurt, but I'll attest that the sauce was divinely yummy made with reduced fat ingredients. 

Spiciness: chipotle chiles in adobo sauce can be quite spicy so if you want to knock the spice down a bit, scrape the seeds out of the chile and discard before mincing the chile for the marinade/dry rub.

HTTPS://WWW.MELSKITCHENCAFE.COM/CHIPOTLE-CHICKEN-SKEWERS-WITH-CREAMY-DIPPING-SAUCE/

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.)

Lemon Garlic Grilled Chicken

INGREDIENTS

•  Juice of 1 lemon, approximately 3 tablespoons 
•  2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil 
•  1 teaspoon minced garlic, about 2 medium cloves 
•  1 teaspoon salt (I use coarse, kosher salt) 
•  1/4 teaspoon pepper 
•  1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 
•  1 to 2 pounds chicken breasts (see note) 

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Whisk together all the marinade ingredients. 
2. Place chicken in a ziploc bag or shallow dish and pour the marinade over chicken, tossing to coat the chicken evenly with the marinade. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours but up to 18 hours. 
3. Preheat grill to medium- or medium-high (I use about 375 degrees on my pellet grill) and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side until an instant read thermometer registers 165 degrees at the thickest part of the chicken. (The chicken can also be cooked in a skillet on the stove or broiled in the oven.) 

From Mel's Kitchen Cafe

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.

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

Southwest Chicken Wraps

From: Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Note: This is one of the most adaptable recipes on here (reading through the comments will prove that – your variations sound amazing!). Feel free to up the cilantro, add in a different meat of your choice, eliminate the pepper, add green chilies – seriously, the options are endless.

Maria's note:  I did eliminate the pepper and added 1 can green chilies.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup cooked rice, warm or at room temperature
• 1 cup cooked, shredded chicken (or other leftover meat, like shredded pork or beef)
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 green onion, finely sliced (white and green parts)
• 1/2 red or green pepper, diced
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• juice of 1 lime
• 1/2 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 2 cups shredded cheese (I use a combination of Monterey jack and sharp cheddar)
• Sour cream (optional)
• 6 burrito-sized flour tortillas

DIRECTIONS

1. Mix rice together with chili powder, cumin and garlic salt. Add remaining ingredients except for cheese and sour cream. Sprinkle cheese over tortillas, leaving 1/2-inch border around edges, then arrange chicken and rice mixture down the center of each tortilla. (Optional: I like to dollop little bits of sour cream over the cheese before arranging chicken and rice mixture down the center – it makes the wraps delightfully creamy.) Roll stuffed tortillas, leaving edges open and slightly flatten the wraps with the palm of your hand. Spray seam-side of the wrap lightly with cooking spray.
2. Heat a large non-stick skillet (or griddle) over medium heat for 1 minute. Arrange wraps, seam-side down, in pan or griddle and cook until golden brown and crisp, about 2-3 minutes per side. Cooking them seam-side down first helps seal the long edge so they don’t fall apart. Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining wraps. Serve warm.

Curried Coconut Chicken

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 50 minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients:

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1 teaspoon salt and pepper, or to taste
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons curry powder
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 (14 oz) can coconut milk
1 (14.5 oz) can stewed, diced tomatoes
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
3 tablespoons sugar

Directions:
1.  Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper.
2.  Heat oil and curry powder in a large skillet over medium-high heat for two minutes.  Stir in onions and garlic, and cook 1 minute more.  Add chicken, tossing lightly to coat with curry oil.  Reduce heat to medium, and cook for 7-10 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink in center and juices run clear.
3.  Pour coconut milk, tomatoes, tomato sauce, and sugar into the pan, and stir to combine.  Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, approximately 30-40 minutes.

Source:  Allrecipes.com

*Note:  I cooked the chicken in the crockpot while I was at work and then cooked everything in the skillet on the stove in the evening.  I think if I had cooked the chicken on the stove instead, the ingredients might have soaked into the chicken more.  I've eaten this leftover for lunch all week, and it tasted better and better each day.  I just prefer my chicken cooked in the crockpot; I don't think it would have been so yummy and tender for leftovers otherwise.  I wasn't sure how I'd like the curry with tomatoes, but it's really good.  I ate it with brown rice and the sesame green bean recipe I'll post next.

Chicken Curry Gravy

Finally, here is the recipe from Lois's baptism. We like to use this on Hawaiian Haystacks. I think I octuppled it for the baptism and the pot was still scraped clean.

Ingredients:
3 Tbsp. butter
1/4 c. finely diced onion
1 1/2 tsp. yellow curry powder
3 Tbsp. flour
3/4 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. sugar
1/8 tsp. ground ginger
1 c. chicken broth (I use water and a bullion cube)
1 c. milk
2 c. cooked chicken, chopped or shredded up
1/2 tsp. lemon juice

Directions: 
Saute onion in butter until translucent.  Blend in remaining spices.  Cook over low heat until smooth and bubbly.  Stir in milk and chicken broth.  Bring to boil and cook until thickened.  Add cooked chicken and lemon juice.  Serve over rice and top with toppings of your choice.

Crock pot chicken for tacos

1 1/2 C brown sugar
1 1/2 C medium salsa
4 boneless/skinless chicken breasts

Put chicken in bottom of crock pot. Pour sugar and salsa mixture over the chicken. Cook on low 6-8 hours until chicken shreds easily. Serve in soft tortillas with all the fixings for a taco. Really good with the Copy Cat Tomatillo Dressing.

California Chicken Marinade

1 C soy sauce
1 C brown sugar
1/2 C melted butter
1 tsp dry mustard
1/4 C water

Combine ingredients, and add 2 to 4 boneless chicken breasts, marinade and grill.

*I got this from Maria.

Honey-Lime Chicken

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• juice of one lime (or 1Tbs. lime juice)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• red pepper flakes, to taste
• 2 tablespoon cilantro
• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, combine your ingredients, through the cilantro. Mix thoroughly.
2. Pour marinade over chicken breasts and turn to coat. Cover and allow to marinate for at least 1 hour.
3. Grill on medium high heat for 6 to 8 minutes per side, until juices run clear.
4. Or cook for 30 min on broiler pan at 400.