Recipes

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cups chicken broth
12 ounces egg noodles
¹⁄₂ tablespoon cornstarch
3 tablespoons cold water
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons milk
¹⁄₂ cup shredded cheese, such as Mexican cheese blend or any cheese you prefer
2-3 strips bacon, cooked until crisp and crumbled

Instructions
1. Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add chicken and cook, about 10 minutes per side, until cooked through.  (Exact time will depend on thickness of breasts.)  Remove and cool enough to handle.  Cut chicken into small pieces or shred. 

2. Reduce temperature in skillet to medium and add garlic.  Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add chicken broth and scrape up any chicken bits with wooden spoon.  Bring to simmer, add noodles and cook 8 to 10 minutes, until noodles are barely done. 

3. Mix cornstarch and water in small bowl then pour mixture into skillet with boiling noodles.  Boil 1 minute and remove from heat.  Add chicken and stir to combine. 

4. Allow noodle mixture to stand and thicken 5 minutes.  Return skillet to low heat and add butter, milk, and cheese.  Stir until cheese is melted then sprinkle with bacon before serving. 

Comments
This recipe is from Pinch of Yum.  Lance and I enjoyed it and Art even got some leftovers to try when he got home which he enjoyed as well.  I used Mexi cheese blend, but many types of cheese would work well in this.  I’m thinking Swiss would be nice to try.  I’d also experiment with adding some green stuff, but then I’d tweak the recipe into something completely different.  As written, it’s a very mild and basic sort of dish.  Good comfort food.

Internet - Pinch of Yum

Ingredients
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons olive oil
4 (6 ounces each) tilapia filets
Salt and pepper, to taste
4 tablespoons capers, drained
2 tablespoons cream
1 teaspoon Wondra flour
Juice of 2 lemons

Instructions
1. Heat butter and oil together in large skillet over medium heat.  Season both sides of fish with salt and pepper.  Place fish in skillet and cook 3 minutes per side.  Remove fish to plate. 

2. Add capers and lemon juice to skillet and scrape up any fish bits with wooden spoon.  Simmer until reduced slightly then add Wondra and cream.  Cook until thickened then pour sauce over fish. 

Comments
This recipe is from Yum in Tum and, according to the date on the post, I’ve had it in my files of recipes to make for 2 years.  Oops.  I get distracted!  I must say that I really love tilapia.  It’s got a very mild taste so it can be paired with so many other flavors.  It’s a very moist and quick to cook up fish, less than 10 minutes in the skillet!  While I certainly don’t love it more than salmon for home cooking, it’s a close second. 

This preparation is very easy and quick.  It’s also tasty which is really what matters most!  I served ours with rice.

Internet - Yum in Tum

Ingredients
1 tablespoon ginger, minced
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
6-8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
¹⁄₂ teaspoon salt, or to taste
¹⁄₃ cup nonfat plain yogurt
2 tablespoons half and half
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground paprika
¹⁄₄ teaspoon cayenne pepper
¹⁄₈ teaspoon ground turmeric

Instructions
1. Cut chicken into cubes and place in an oven safe container. 

2. In a small bowl, mix together the lemon juice and salt and pour it over the chicken, stirring well. Cover with plastic wrap or lid and marinate in the refrigerator about 2 hours.

3. After the chicken has marinated, in another small bowl, mix together the yogurt, half-and-half, ginger, garlic, garam masala, and cumin.  I use the Braun spice grinder for this because I use whole cumin and it makes everything easier. 

4. Heat the oil in a small nonstick saucepan over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Remove from the heat and add the paprika, cayenne pepper, and turmeric. Mix the spiced oil into the yogurt mixture. Add the yogurt to the container with the chicken and stir well. Cover with plastic wrap or a lid and marinate in the refrigerator, at least 8 and up to 24 hours.

5. Prepare grill. I assume you know how to get your own grill going, since I sure don’t!

6. Thread meat onto skewers with no space in between chicken pieces.  Place kebabs over coals and grill, turning one-quarter turn every 2 to 2 ¹⁄₂ minutes until well browned and slightly charred, about 8 minutes. Brush top surface of kebabs with ¹⁄₄ cup sauce; flip and cook until sauce is brown in spots, about 1 minute. Brush second side with remaining ¹⁄₄ cup sauce; flip and continue to cook until brown in spots and instant-read thermometer inserted in center of meat registers 160*F, about 1 minute longer. Remove kebabs from grill and let rest for 5 minutes.

No photo

Comments
This recipe is from the fantastic 1,000 Indian Recipes by Neelam Batra.  I don’t really eat tandoori chicken on its own – it’s always a component of delicious curries!

1,000 Indian Recipes

Ingredients
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into pieces
2 teaspoons curry powder (Madras-style preferred if you’ve got it)
1 teaspoon salt
¹⁄₂ teaspoon pepper
¹⁄₄ teaspoon chili powder
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium red onion, chopped
1 tablespoon dried basil
5 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped
1 (12 ounces) bag fresh cut vegetable blend, such as broccoli, carrots and cauliflower
1 (14 ounces) can coconut milk
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
Cooked rice, for serving

Instructions
1. Place chicken in medium bowl and mix with curry, ¹⁄₂ teaspoon salt, pepper, and chili powder.  Toss to combine well then cover and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours. 

2. Heat oil over medium-high heat in large, nonstick skillet.  Add onion, basil, garlic, and jalapeno peppers.  Cook, stirring often, about 3 to 4 minutes or until onion is translucent.  Add chicken, ¹⁄₂ teaspoon salt, and cook until chicken is no longer pink and cooked completely through. 

3. Add vegetables to skillet and stir to combine. 

4. In small bowl, stir together coconut milk and cornstarch until well combined.  Pour mixture into skillet and stir to combine.  Cook, stirring, until sauce has thickened and vegetables reach desired tenderness.  Stir in ginger and cook 1 minute.  Serve over hot rice. 

Comments
This recipe is from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe.  It was pretty tasty although I felt the original recipe needed a bit of veg, which I added.  We enjoyed the finished product although I probably could have doubled the sauce ingredients due to the added veg content.  I’m always on the lookout for new curry recipes and this fit the bill.  Lots of flavor and warmth.

Internet - Mel’s Kitchen Cafe

Ingredients
3 cloves garlic
6 quarter size slices fresh ginger
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
2 large tomatoes coarsely, chopped OR 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
¹⁄₂ cup fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped
1 jalapeno peppers, stemmed and seeded
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 bay leaves
5 green cardamom pods, crushed lightly to break the skin
2 (1 inches each) cinnamon stick s
1 ¹⁄₂ tablespoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon garam masala
¹⁄₂ teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon salt
¹⁄₄ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¹⁄₂ cup nonfat plain yogurt, whisked until smooth
Grilled Tandoori Chicken
1 cup water, or as needed

Instructions
1. In a food processor, process together the garlic, ginger, and onion until minced. Remove to a bowl. Then process together tomatoes, cilantro, and jalapenos until smooth. Remove to another bowl and set aside.

2. Heat the oil in large pan over medium-high heat and cook bay leaves, cardamom pods, and cinnamon sticks, stirring, about 30 seconds. Add the onion-garlic mixture and cook until browned, about 7 minutes. Add the tomato-cilantro mixture and continue to cook, stirring, until all the juices evaporate and the oil separates to the sides, about 7 minutes.

3. Add the coriander, cumin, 1 teaspoon garam masala, turmeric, salt, and black pepper, then mix in the yogurt, stirring constantly to prevent it from curdling, and cook, stirring, until it is incorporated into the sauce.

4. Add chicken to sauce and stir to coat.  Cover the pan and simmer about 10 minutes to blend the flavors.     Add water for thinner sauce if desired. 

Comments
This recipe is from 1,000 Indian Recipes by Neelam Batra.  I chose it because I was looking for a nice chicken curry recipe that would let Art grill up some tandoori chicken.  I didn’t want to use our standard Butter Chicken Curry and this recipe seemed like it would fit the bill.  It was super tasty with lots of great flavors. 

Shown here with Naan.

1,000 Indian Recipes

Ingredients
2 teaspoons yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
¹⁄₄ cup warm water
¹⁄₂ cup nonfat plain yogurt, whisked until smooth
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cups all purpose flour
¹⁄₄ teaspoon salt
1 cup all purpose flour in bowl or pie plate, for dusting
¹⁄₄ cup butter, melted

Instructions
1. For the dough, dissolve the yeast and sugar in warm water and set aside until frothy, about 5 minutes. Mix in the yogurt and oil.

2. Place the flour and salt in the food processor and process until mixed. With the motor running, pour the yeast mixture into the work bowl in a thin stream and process until the flour gathers into a ball and the sides of the processor are clean. (If the dough seems too sticky, add some more flour through the feeder tube, or add some more yogurt if the dough is dry and hard.) Transfer to a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap or the lid of the bowl, and place in a warm draft-free spot until it doubles in volume, 3 to 4 hours. If keeping for a longer period, refrigerate the dough.  (Note: Both times I’ve made this I’ve needed to add extra yogurt.)

3. To roll and cook, the naan breads, with clean, lightly oiled hands, divide the dough equally into 6 to 12 balls and cover with foil to prevent drying. Working with each ball of dough separately, place in the bowl with the dry flour, flatten it with your fingertips and coat well with the dry flour. Then transfer to a cutting board or any other clean flat surface and, with a rolling pin, roll into a 7- to 8- inch triangle. (If the dough sticks to the rolling surface, dust with more flour.)

4. Place on large baking trays or, if you have a separate broiler, place on the broiler trays - 3 to 4 per tray. With a basting brush or your fingers, lightly baste the top of each naan with water.

5. Preheat the oven to broil or preheat the broiler, and place the trays, one at a time, 4 to 5 inches below the heating element and broil until small brown spots appear on the top surface, about 1 minute. With spatula, carefully, turn each naan over and cook until the other side is golden, about 30 seconds. Transfer the naan breads to a platter, baste lightly with butter, if you wish, and serve hot.

Note: If you have a good cast iron pizza pan, or similar, heat this under the broiler and then transfer dough to pizza pan in oven instead of cooking on trays.  This will help cook it on both sides at the same time better than a baking sheet. 

Comments
This recipe is from 1,000 Indian Recipes by Neelam Batra.  The naan shown here has a little turmeric and fresh, minced garlic added to the butter baste at the end for garlicky naan.  I feel like this is the first recipe I’ve tried to make naan at home and I’ve now made it twice.  Both times it turned out great!  I didn’t include minced garlic the second time, just a plain butter baste at the end.  I’m pleased with both the texture and the flavor.  Some day I’d like to try cooking this in the Big Green Egg at high temperature, but that might take a bit more planning and coordination than I’ve spent until this point. 

Shown here with Basic Chicken Curry (Har-Roz ki Murgh Kari).

1,000 Indian Recipes

Ingredients
1 large onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 (2 ¹⁄₂ - 3 pound) boneless pork shoulder roast
1 teaspoon dried thyme
¹⁄₂ teaspoon dried rosemary

For the sauce
1 cup balsamic vinegar
³⁄₄ cup ketchup
¹⁄₄ cup packed brown sugar
¹⁄₄ cup sugar or honey
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Pinch red pepper flakes
1 clove garlic, minced
¹⁄₂ teaspoon salt
¹⁄₄ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions
1. Place onion and bell pepper in slow cooker.  Add meat and sprinkle with thyme and rosemary.  Cover and cook on LOW 8 to 9 hours or until tender and falling apart. 

2. About 30 minutes before shoulder is finished, combine vinegar, ketchup, brown sugar, white sugar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, red pepper flakes, garlic, salt and pepper in medium saucepan.  Bring to boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer, uncovered, 20 to 25 minutes or until sauce has thickened, stirring occasionally. 

3. Transfer meat to cutting board and pull meat apart using two forks, discarding any large pieces of fat.  Discard vegetable mixture from slow cooker and rinse or wash it if desired.  Return meat and sauce to slow cooker, stir well, and cook on LOW for 30 minutes before serving. 

Comments
This recipe is from Handle the Heat and it was delicious!  I served it on rolls and I think we had a salad on the side.  The pork was deliciously balsamicy and super enjoyable.  Slow cooking can be so finicky, but pork shoulders are one of the cuts of meat that works very well to the cooking style.

Internet - Handle the Heat

Ingredients
1 anchovy
2 teaspoons white balsamic or tarragon vinegar
¹⁄₂ cup mayonnaise
¹⁄₂ cup plain Greek yogurt
4 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons fresh tarragon
2 tablespoons fresh chives
2 tablespoons fresh parsley
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Dash hot sauce, such as Sriracha
¹⁄₂ teaspoon salt
¹⁄₄ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions
1. Combine all ingredients in immersion blender cup and blend until smooth.  Chill before serving. 

Comments
This recipe is from Louise Mellor.  I’ve been intrigued by Green Goddess Dressing for quite some time but I’ve never gotten around to making it.  Now that I have, I’m wishing I hadn’t.  I’m not sure what was wrong with this, but some flavor just made the whole thing taste off.  Sorry, that’s not very helpful.

Internet - Louise Mellor

Ingredients
3 to 4 slices bacon, cut into small pieces
2 tablespoons sundried tomatoes in oil with Italian herbs
²⁄₃ cup olive oil
¹⁄₃ cup red wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves
Salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

Instructions
1. Cook bacon in small skillet over medium heat until crisp.  Remove to plate with paper towels or mesh strainer and drain well. 

2. Place all ingredients in immersion blender cup and puree. 

Comments
This recipe is from The Kitchen Witch.  I’ve been trying to get more salads into us since it’s winter and homemade salad dressings are a good way to do that.  This one caught my eye since it has both sundried tomatoes and bacon, two delicious ingredients.  I served this with a simple salad of lettuce, red onion, and crumbled feta cheese.  I thought it was super tasty and Art said it was even good on the roast I served it with.

Internet - The Kitchen Witch

Ingredients
4 (6 ounces each) salmon fillets
Olive oil
¹⁄₂ teaspoon smoked paprika
¹⁄₂ teaspoon garlic salt
¹⁄₂ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the sauce
6 tablespoons mayonnaise
¹⁄₄ cup fresh basil leaves, packed
4 teaspoons lemon juice
¹⁄₂ teaspoon smoked paprika
¹⁄₂ teaspoon garlic salt
¹⁄₂ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions
1. Pat salmon dry with paper towels.  Coat both sides salmon with olive oil.  Mix paprika, garlic salt and pepper together in small bowl then sprinkle over salmon. 

2. Heat 4 tablespoons oil in skillet over medium heat.  Sear salmon, skin side up, until nicely browned, about 3 to 4 minutes.  Flip and cook another 3 to 4 minutes or until desired doneness is reached. 

3. For the sauce: combine all ingredients in immersion blender cup and process until smooth.  Serve salmon with sauce on top. 

Comments
This recipe is from Family Fresh Cooking.  The original recipe called for quinoa but I realized, after I’d started to cook, that I only had about ¹⁄₄ cup in the house!  So I served it with rice instead and that was quite tasty.  The sauce was nice although I do wish I had made my own aioli instead of using storebought mayonnaise.

Internet - Family Fresh Cooking