Chicken and Cauliflower Tikka Masala

Chicken Tikka Masala

Marinade Ingredients:

1 cup Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon hot curry powder
1 teaspoon ground tabasco pepper (Cajun Kicker)
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon salt
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs (cut up into skewer size pieces)
4 long skewers

Sauce Ingredients:

1 tablespoon butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
1 cup chopped cauliflower
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons hot curry powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground tabasco pepper (Cajun Kicker)
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 cup half and half or cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

For marinade combine yogurt, lemon juice, cumin, curry powder, tabasco pepper, black pepper, ginger, and salt. Stir in chicken, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Get your grill going. When grill is ready put chicken onto skewers, and discard marinade. Grill until juices run clear, about 5-10 minutes on each side, depending on the heat of your grill/coals.

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic and jalapeno for 1 minute. Season with cumin, paprika, hot curry powder, ground tabasco, and salt. Stir in tomato sauce and cream. Simmer on low heat until sauce thickens, about 20 minutes. Add grilled chicken and cauliflower, and simmer for 15 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter, and garnish with fresh cilantro.

Commentary: The use of Coussou’s Cajun Kicker Pure Ground Tabasco really gives this traditional Indiana dish some nice Louisiana heat (some other hot ground pepper will do fine as a replacement though), and the cauliflower acts as a curry sponge which is awesome. Also, doing this with skewers really results in a wonderful flavor and tenderness for the chicken if done right.

Inspired by: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/chicken-tikka-masala/

Baked Wasabi Catfish with Bok Choy, Broccoli, and Brown Rice

Baked Wasabi Catfish

Ingredients

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons wasabi paste

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/4 teaspoon crushed oregano, or more to taste

1 pinch ground black pepper, or to taste

16 ounce catfish fillet

1 pinch Cajun seasoning (such as Tony Chachere’s), or to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Line a baking dish with aluminum foil and grease with olive oil.
2. Mix soy sauce, olive oil, wasabi paste, garlic, oregano, and black pepper in a bowl. Cut a diagonal slash across each piece of fish and coat fish with wasabi mixture; spoon remaining wasabi mixture over fish and into the diagonal cuts. Place fish into prepared baking dish and sprinkle with Cajun seasoning.
3. Bake in the preheated oven until fish is opaque and flakes easily, 7 to 9 minutes.

Inspired by: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/wasabi-trout/

Bok Choy

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 medium garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon of diced picked ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 1/2 pounds bok choy (about 2 medium bunches), cleaned, ends trimmed, and cut on the bias into 1-inch pieces
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon water

Directions

1. In a large frying pan with a tightfitting lid, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant but not brown, about 30 seconds.
2. Add the bok choy and, using tongs, fold it into the garlic-ginger mixture until coated, about 1 minute. Add the soy sauce and water, cover, and cook until steam accumulates, about 1 minute. Uncover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the greens are just wilted, the stalks are just fork tender but still crisp, and most of the water has evaporated, about 2 minutes.
3. Turn off the heat, stir in the sesame oil, and season with salt if desired.

Inspired by: http://www.chow.com/recipes/28071-sauteed-bok-choy

 

Buffalo Chicken Pizza

Buffalo Chicken Pizza

Ingredients

1 cup of cooked chicken, cubed
1 pizza dough, store bought
Cornmeal or flour, to handle dough
2 tablespoons butter
2 to 3 tablespoons hot sauce, medium to spicy heat
1/2 cup tomato sauce

1/2 onion, sliced
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese, a few generous handfuls

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup blue cheese crumbles

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Preheat grill pan to high.Stretch dough to form pizza using cornmeal or flour to help you handle it. If you let it rest and warm up a few minutes it will handle even easier. Set pizza on pizza pan to the side and clean board.

Mix melted butter with hot sauce and toss with chicken.Cover the pizza dough with tomato sauce, saucy Buffalo chicken, onions, and cheeses. Bake 15 minutes or until crisp.

Inspired by: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/wingless-buffalo-chicken-pizza-recipe/index.html?oc=linkback

Marinated T-Bone Steak with Twice Baked Potato and Roasted Brussel Sprouts

Whole Wheat Sugar-Free Waffles with Pomegranate Syrup

Whole Wheat Sugar-Free Waffles with Pomegranate Syrup

Waffle Ingredients:

1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsps baking powder
2 Tbs Splenda
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
3 Tbs melted butter
1/2 tsp vanilla

Directions:

Mix all the dry ingredients while your waffle iron heats up. Beat the wet ingredients in a separate bowl, then combine and mix well. Ladle about a half a cup of batter for each waffle, depending on your waffle iron of course. Makes about 5 waffles, perfect for two people or one waffle addict.

Adapted from: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/classic-waffles/

Pomegranate Syrup Ingredients:

2 cups pomegranate juice
1/3 cup sugar

Directions:

Bring the juice and sugar to a boil, then let it simmer down until it gets thicker. This takes about a half hour or so.

Commentary: Waffles love you. Give them some love back.

Mouthfools Sushi Rolls

Mouthfools Sushi Rolls

Ingredients:

Sushi rice
Salmon
Salmon roe
Avocado
Crab salad
Cucumber
Jalapeno
Wasabi
Seaweed paper

Directions:

Prepare your sushi rice and prep the remaining ingredients by cutting them into strips. Toast the seaweed paper and cover it with a layer of rice and roe. Flip it over, cover the shiny side of the paper with the remaining ingredients in a line down the center. Using a bamboo mat preferably, roll it on up. (This can be difficult and involve great gnashing of teeth.)

Bulgogi and Crab Rangoon with Garlic Asparagus Chow Mein and White Rice

Bulgogi and Crab Rangoon with Garlic Asparagus Chow Mein and White Rice

Bulgogi
Ingredients

1 pound rib-eye or sirloin steak
1/3 cup soy sauce
3 Tbs sugar
1 Tb sesame oil (or olive oil)
3 cloves garlic (minced)
1/2 an onion (diced or sliced)
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
Additional options: green onions, ginger, sesame seeds

Directions

Slice the meat very thin, across the grain. This is easier done with the meat partially frozen. Prepare the marinade with the remaining ingredients and massage the meat in it to cover it all. Let the meat marinade in the fridge for at least an hour.

When ready to cook the meat, lay it in a pan with the marinade poured over it and broil till done to your liking. (Around 5-10 minutes)

Recipe used: http://savorysweetlife.com/2009/07/marinade-this-bulgogi-recipe-korean-barbequed-beef/

Crab Rangoon
Ingredients
Makes 10 Crab Rangoon

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 (8 ounce) package cream cheese

1/4 (6 ounce) can crabmeat, drained and flaked

1/2 green onion with tops, thinly sliced

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/8 teaspoon light soy sauce

10 wonton wrappers

1 cup vegetable oil

Directions

Heat vegetable oil in wok. Combine garlic, cream cheese, crab, green onions, Worcestershire sauce, and soy sauce in a bowl. To prevent wonton skins from drying, prepare only 1 or 2 rangoon at a time. Place 1 teaspoon of filling onto the center of each wonton skin. Moisten the edges with water and fold the wonton skin diagonally to form a triangle, pressing edges to seal. Moisten one of the bottom corners. Create a crown by pulling both bottom corners together and sealing.

Drop in hot oil and turn after 30 seconds. Cook until lightly brown. Serve with sweet and sour sauce.

Inspired by: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Crab-Rangoon/?scale=2&ismetric=0

Sweet and Sour Sauce
Ingredients
1/3 cup white or rice vinegar (Note: rice vinegar gives better results)
4 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 teaspoon soy sauce

Directions

Mix the vinegar, brown sugar, ketchup, and soy sauce together and bring to a boil in a small pot. Reduce to thicken.

Inspired by: http://chinesefood.about.com/od/sauces/r/sweetandsour.htm

Garlic Asparagus Chow Mein
Ingredients
10 stalks of asparagus
Olive oil
1/2 tbsp of Sriracha sauce
1 tsp soy sauce
Fresh ground pepper
Simply Asia Szechwan Garlic Chow Mein Quick Noodles

Directions
Trim ends of asparagus and coat with oil, sriracha, soy sauce, and peper. Roast in oven at 425 degrees for 8 minutes. Prepare noodles according to directions on box. Chop cooked asparagus and toss with noodles.

New Orleans Enchiladas

Baked 7 Layer Dip

Baked 7 Layer Dip

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 cup sliced jalapeno peppers, jarred
• 1  1-ounce envelope reduced sodium taco seasoning mix
• 1  8-ounce package reduced-fat cream cheese
• 1 16-ounce can refried beans
• avocados, halved, seeded, peeled and mashed
• 2  tablespoons lime juice
• 1/2  cup sour cream
• 1/2  cup mayonnaise
• 8  ounces shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2  cup chopped green onions
• 1 cup salsa
• 1 handful of cilantro

Directions

1. In a large skillet cook ground beef and jalapeno with half of the taco seasoning mix (about 2 tablespoons) until beef is no longer pink; remove from heat, drain fat, and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, spread cream cheese into the bottom of a 13x9x2-inch baking dish. Spread cream cheese layer with refried beans. Stir the lime juice into the mashed avocado with cilantro and spread over refried bean layer. In a small bowl stir together sour cream, mayonnaise and remaining taco seasoning mix. Spread this sour cream mixture atop the avocado layer. Top with ground beef mixture and then sprinkle top with cheese.

3. Bake, uncovered, in a 325 degrees F oven about 25 minutes or until heated through and cheese is evenly melted. Top with green onions and salsa. Serve with tortilla chips.

Inspired by: http://www.recipe.com/tex-mex-taco-dip/