Chicken Tikka Masala

I'm a huge fan of Indian food. The aromatic spices, tremendously flavorful sauces and curries, warm and chewy naan bread, and simple and affordable core ingredients like fresh vegetables, lentils and rice. Though I am no expert in the cuisine (such as when I go to Indian restaurants, there are still things on the menu I am not sure what they are) I have dabbled with a few recipes. I'm now confident in my abilities to make a damn good Indian curry with freshly toasted and ground spices, delicious naan on cast iron (because I don't have a tandoor oven....yet) and an amazing chicken tikka masala.

Tikka Masala was the first Indian dish I ever tried and I remember my eyes growing wide with the first bite that was tender chicken smothered in a perfectly balanced, spicy and creamy sauce spooned over basmati rice. Even with growing up with absolutely no Indian food cooked in my house, Tikka Masala is comfort food to me. It's the stick-to-your-ribs-warm-you-from-the-inside-make-your-day kind of meal.... It's the best.

I served this over quinoa for added nutrition, and it absorbs the flavorful sauce wonderfully. I am a huge fan of basmati rice though, so either way you can't lose. This recipe encompasses all the traditional flavors and enhances the ones I love to taste (and smell) the best. It's fantastic.

There actually is some dispute one where tikka masala actually originated. Some say it was an Indian restaurant in Scotland that created it by accident and continued to make it because it appealed to the folks there and others say it is from Northern India/Pakistan. Regardless of where it originated and whether or not it is a traditional Indian dish, the spices and ingredients are staples of Indian cuisine and that makes it good enough for me! Additionally, it's often served in Indian restaurants so making it yourself at home will fulfill any takeout cravings you have :)


It's a perfect recipe to warm up this winter and it's quick enough for a weeknight meal.




Chicken Tikka Masala

Ingredients:
10 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup fresh minced ginger
2 tbsp canola oil
1 cup plain yogurt
1 1/2 lb chicken thighs cut into bite sized pieces
3 tbsp butter
2 serrano peppers, seeds removed & chopped** (can use one if you don't like too much spice)
3 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp garam masala
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp curry powder
2 tsp paprika
6 plum tomatoes, diced
1 1/2 - 2 tsp salt
1 cup water
1/2 cup heavy cream

Directions:

• Make a paste from the garlic and ginger by placing them in a food processor and pulse, adding the oil until a paste forms. You may need to add a tsp or two more oil to get that consistency. 
• Take about 3 tbsp of the paste mixture (save the rest) and whisk it into the yogurt. Add a few shakes of salt and pepper and marinate the chicken for at least one hour to overnight. 
• To make the curry sauce, add a quick drizzle of olive oil and the 3 tbsp of butter to a large skillet or pot to melt the butter over medium heat. Add the remaining ginger garlic paste and the serrano peppers and cook until the edges are lightly browned. 
• Add the tomato paste cook, stirring constantly to mix with paste, for about 3 minutes.
• Add the garam masala, cumin, curry powder and paprika and stir to toast the spices a bit, just for a minute.
• Add the tomatoes, 1 1/2-2 tsp of salt and the diced tomatoes. Mix all ingredients together, bring to a boil then reduce heat to simmer and cook for about 20 minutes to draw out liquid of tomatoes and thicken the sauce. 
• Meanwhile, heat grill (you can cook the chicken on the stove but you really need to shake off all the excess marinade so it's not simmering in a skillet of yogurt!), grease lightly and cook the chicken for a couple minutes each side. It will continue to cook in the sauce.
• Puree the sauce with a blender or immersion blender until smooth and add back to the pot. Add the chicken to the pot and bring to a simmer to finish cooking the chicken, about ten minutes.
• Stir in the heavy cream to finish.
• Serve over basmati rice or quinoa with naan bread.

**You can use jalapeno instead, it's milder than a serrano, but the green color of it may slightly change the beautiful orange sauce color so I wouldn't 100% recommend it.

Banana Coconut Waffles

Christmas is a wonderful time because it's filled with family traditions, old and new. Every year since I can remember, my family has gone out to breakfast Christmas Eve morning and then to my Aunt Renee's house for a party in the evening, always with amazing food and cocktails. On Christmas morning we open presents at my house and then head to my Grammy's house in Amesbury, MA to once again gather with the whole family. We order Chinese take-out, have a yankee swap and always happily over indulge in an impressive table spread of desserts. These traditions have stuck for years, but some fade out as we all get older, such as when we were younger, we'd all sleep on the floor in my oldest sister's room on Christmas Eve and my parents would read us The Night Before Christmas. The excitement is no longer worth sacrificing the comfort of my bed (and our rooms aren't really "ours" anymore as three of us have flew the coop) and I don't believe my brother could fit in that box anymore.... or the Pikachu costume :)

One of the newer traditions we've developed is to cook a big breakfast Christmas morning for my grandparents who recently moved into an addition on our house and my Aunt Karen and Uncle Rick. My aunt and uncle's children have grown up and are married so they alternate the days they celebrate Christmas together, which allows them to come join us Christmas morning for breakfast!

Here's the Christmas morning crew enjoying their meal!

This tradition is fun for me because I get to take the reigns for breakfast preparation and decide what to make. This year, we catered to everyone's dietary restrictions with vegan/gluten free banana coconut Belgian waffles, traditional Belgian waffles, bacon, sausage, scrambled eggs, hashbrowns, juice and coffee. I was so happy with the way the waffles came out and couldn't wait to share the recipe! My sisters definitely approved...

You know the recipe is a good one when you're taste testing crew is made up of ten people with different taste preferences and they all love it. These banana coconut waffles are crisp on the outside, and moist and tender in the middle. They don't have the same super light/fluffy texture of traditional Belgian waffles - they are more like a quickbread but they're absolutely fantastic. They smell amazing when you're cooking with the flavor combination of bananas, coconut and cinnamon. If you're not a huge fan of bananas, don't shy away from this recipe because the banana flavor is fairly mild. They are sooooooo good.

This recipe is sure to please anyone, whether or not they're vegan/gluten free, and it's a great treat for a special occasion! It's healthy too, without sacrificing any great taste. My aunt even said it was her favorite thing on the plate, even compared to the traditional Belgian waffles! This is a recipe I'm excited to save and use for holidays and cozy weekend mornings.


I hope everyone enjoyed their Christmas and has fun plans for the New Year!




Vegan & GF Banana Coconut Waffles

Ingredients:
1 banana, mashed
1 1/4 cup almond milk (or other non-dairy milk of your preference)
2 tbsp flaxseed meal
1/4 cup coconut oil (melted)
2 tbsp maple syrup or agave
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup almond meal
1/2 cup oat flour (oats ground in food processor)
3/4 cup gluten free flour blend
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tbsp arrowroot powder
1 tbsp cinnamon
Pinch of nutmeg
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup shredded coconut

Directions:

• Mix together banana, milk, flaxseed, coconut oil, maple syrup and vanilla until well combined.
• In a separate bowl, mix together remaining ingredients except for the shredded coconut. 
• Whisk the banana mixture again to incorporate any banana that may have sunk to the bottom of the bowl and pour into the dry mixture. Stir just to combine then fold in the coconut. 
• Make sure your waffle irons are hot and ready - a Belgian waffle iron or a regular iron works fine. Spray it well to grease it. A lot of waffle irons come with a cup that measures the correct amount to add to the iron, but generally it's around 1/2-1 cup of batter - use you're judgement. 
• Cook the waffles until the waffle iron dings that it is complete or generally about 4-5 minutes.
• Serve with maple syrup!

Corned Beef Hash & Holiday Celebrations!

Well it's been quite a while since I last posted and a lot has changed! Long story short, I have a new job and a new apartment in Portland, I'm in graduate school and over the past few months I've had virtually no free time to write, so I took a bit of a hiatus...... But by popular demand (actually only like three people asked me) the blog is BACK! I'm so excited to share some delicious recipes I've made during my blogging off season, and it's perfect timing with the holidays coming up.

To kick of the restoration of my blog, I want to share a recipe for one of my favorite foods in the entire world. It's invariably the star of any brunch spread, it'll cure the worst hangover you've got and when it's served with nature's gravy (runny yolk, people) it's quite possibly one of my favorite bites on earth. Wash it down with a spicy bloody mary for the ultimate dining experience...

We had a little Christmas brunch celebration with a group of friends and it was fantastic. Everyone made a dish and our final spread included a variety of pancakes, copious amounts of bacon, coffee cake (I'll be blogging that later!), smoked salmon crostinis, eggs baked in french bread, mimosas, homemade bloody marys and of course corned beef hash. It was such a wonderful way to get in the holiday spirit and spend time with great people.... and of course dance to Christmas music which is just about my favorite thing on earth to do.

All of us were in unanimous agreement that canned corned beef hash just isn't right. That's not to say I haven't eaten it (and enjoyed it) from time to time, but its greasy mashed cat-food-ish consistency and instant artery clogging capabilities don't nearly compare to a homemade hash with tender actual shreds of beef and fresh veggies. I enjoy a hash where the meat-to-veggie ratio is a solid 3-1. I used 3 lbs of corned beef and two large russet potatoes, one large carrot and one onion. This way, you aren't skimping on the beef which is of course the best part! To send this home even further, I cook a few pieces of bacon and use the rendered fat instead of oil. I was pumped to make it and share it with all my buds to celebrate the holidays; Nothing makes me happier than cooking for friends. My boyfriend is a self proclaimed hash connoisseur and he said it was one of the best he's had so that's a good sign!

Most corned beef briskets come with a spice packet, but I prefer to mix my own (see corned beef mix recipe at the bottom of page). If yours doesn't come with a spice packet and you'd rather not make your own, pickling spice works just fine; they often have a recipe for corned beef on the side of the label! You can cook the beef the night before and keep in the fridge for quicker prep in the morning/more hands free time to drink your bloodys!

With a fresh coat of snow on the ground and Christmas right around the corner, it's hard not to be overjoyed spending time with good people and overindulging in delicious food and many drinks! If you're having friends or family over for brunch, or you just want to treat yourself, this is a perfect recipe that'll put a smile on anyone's face.

Happy Holidays and enjoy cooking for all the wonderful people in your life!








Corned Beef Hash

Ingredients:
3 lbs corned beef brisket, cooked and chopped/shredded, whichever you prefer
3/4 pieces of bacon
1 large onion, chopped
1 large carrot, grated
2 large russet potatoes, grated
Salt & pepper
1 tsp thyme
Fresh parsley

Directions:

• Cook bacon over medium-high heat in large skillet (the larger the better as you want as much surface area to crisp those potatoes) until crisp. Remove from pan and reserve a couple tablespoons of the drippings. If there isn't about 3 tbsp, add a tbsp bit of butter :)
• Add chopped onions to the pan and cook until it is beginning to brown. 
• Make sure potatoes and carrots are as dry a possible, you can place them in a paper towel and squeeze moisture out. If they're very moist they will steam instead of crisp. Add them to the pan with the onion. Add in the dried thyme and season with pepper. Be careful about adding salt because the corned beef is likely already quite salty.
• Cook until tender. This will take about 15 minutes.
• Stir in the corned beef and crumbled bacon and cook until it's warmed through and crispy... Remember to scrape the crispy bits off the bottom of the pan, those are gold. 
• Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and serve with nature's gravy.

Corned Beef Spice Mix

Ingredients:
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp dill seeds
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp allspice berries
1/2 tsp black peppercorns
three cloves
2 bay leaves

Directions:
Mix together spices and use when simmering or slow cooking a corned beef brisket.