Easy Indian Butter Chicken

November 10, 2020

I’m so excited to share this butter chicken recipe today! Dustin and I love Indian food but I never thought I’d be able to replicate our favorite Indian dishes at home- until this recipe! It’s just so so good. And easy.

Let’s talk about a few of the ingredients. You can use chicken breast and/or thighs here. Just be careful not to overcook chicken breast or it’ll be dry. The chili powder this recipe calls for pure ground chili, which I don’t have, so I used cayenne. I reduced the amount of cayenne pepper quite a bit (to be safe for kids) and found it still had a kick. Also, don’t try and make this dish too healthy. If you use low-fat substitutes it’s just not going to taste as good/like the real thing. Butter chicken actually doesn’t have as much butter in it as I expected but gets its richness from some heavy cream.

We had this butter chicken over basmati rice, with fresh cilantro and warm garlic naan for scooping up all that sauce. I also made a cucumber raita (which I’ll be posting right away) to serve alongside.

Easy Indian Butter Chicken

INGREDIENTS

Marinade:
1/2 cup plain full-fat yogurt (I used Greek yogurt)
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. turmeric powder
2 tsp. garam masala
1/2 tsp. pure ground chili powder or cayenne pepper (I used 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper and it had a slight kick)
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs, cut into bite size pieces (I used chicken breast)

Sauce:
2 Tbsp. butter or ghee
1 cup tomato puree
1 Tbsp. sugar
~1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 Tbsp. cornstarch + 1 Tbsp. water (to thicken, optional)

For Serving:
basmati rice
garlic naan
fresh chopped cilantro
cucumber raita (optional)

DIRECTIONS

  1. Whisk together the marinade ingredients until smooth and then stir in the chicken until the chicken is thoroughly coated. Marinate for at least 3 hours, or up to 24 hours.
  2. In a large frying pan, heat the butter/ghee over medium-high heat. Add the chicken (discard the extra marinade) and cook for a few minutes, then turn the chicken pieces so they cook on the other side. Add the tomato puree, sugar and salt and let simmer on low-heat for about 10-20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked completely through. Stir in the whipping cream. If you want to thicken the sauce, whisk the cornstarch and water together in a small bowl or cup with a fork then pour into the sauce. Let the sauce come to a simmer again and cook for a minute or two to thicken, then adjust salt to taste. Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro and serve with basmati rice, naan bread, and cucumber raita (optional).

Serves 4.

(Adapted from RecipeTin Eats via Everyday Reading)

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Broiled Parmesan-Crusted Tilapia (or Halibut)

November 6, 2020

We LOVE halibut and have had it at restaurants and fish and chip stands around the Northwest but I’d never bought it to prepare myself before because it’s usually so $$$ and I was afraid I’d ruin such a fancy fillet of fish. Hah you’d think I’d have more confidence in my cooking by now. But then I found fresh halibut for a relatively reasonable price at Costco and bought it. And then I found this recipe that promised heavenly halibut so I give it a shot…

I did reduce the amount of butter and mayo quite a bit because I knew it wasn’t necessary and I wanted to actually taste the fish! And the recipe was right, it was heavenly. And easy. And now we want to eat halibut every night (though can’t afford it.)

The second time around I made this recipe with tilapia (as pictured), which is much cheaper and I had some in the freezer. And guess what? Still absolutely delicious! Use high quality mayo and freshly grated Parmesan for the best flavor. A bit of lemon juice and green onion/chives balances out the richness. And a pinch of dill and cayenne to taste make it more interesting.

Broiled Parmesan-Crusted Tilapia (or Halibut)

INGREDIENTS

~1 lb. tilapia, halibut, or another flaky white fish
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 Tbsp. butter, melted
1 Tbsp. mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 Tbsp. chopped green onion or chives
pinch fresh or dried dill (or another herb such as parsley)
dash cayenne pepper, to taste
salt and freshly ground black pepper
extra lemon or herbs for garnish (optional)

DIRECTIONS

  1. Line a large baking pan or dish with aluminum foil. Lightly coat the foil with nonstick cooking spray. Place the fish fillets on the foil (making sure to pat them dry if needed), and season the fish with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
  2. In a medium bowl, stir to combine the Parmesan, butter, mayonnaise, lemon juice, green onion/chives, dill (or herb of choice) and cayenne pepper. Add a dash of salt and pepper.
  3. Spread the Parmesan mixture over the tops of the fillets, coating them evenly.
  4. Adjust the oven rack depending on the thickness of your fish fillets: If they are very thin the rack can be close to the top. If they are thicker, move the rack lower down so the tops don’t burn before the fillets cook through.
  5. Turn on the oven broiler to high.
  6. Place the pan under the broiler and cook until the topping is golden brown and the fish is just done and flakes easily with a fork. It should take anywhere from about 4-10 minutes, depending on the size of the fillets. (My thin tilapia fillets only took 4 minutes. When I’ve made halibut it takes a few minutes longer.)

Serves 3-4.

(Adapted from Spend with Pennis and AllRecipes)

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The Best Marinated Grilled Chicken

November 4, 2020

I’ve tried a lot of chicken marinades in my 30-something years and for grilled chicken breast, this one is the best! We cooked it on the Traeger (I included instructions for regular and Traeger grills below) and it was incredibly tender, moist, and flavorful. Our family and guests loved it. Jenn at Once Upon a Chef said using the lemon zest, instead of the juice, is the secret to this recipe’s success. She said the acidic lemon juice can actually make the chicken tougher, while the zest imparts flavor without having that effect! All I know is that this is some delicious chicken. We served it alongside this Persian Tomato, Cucumber, and Pomegranate salad, roasted cauliflower, and smashed roasted potatoes.

The Best Marinated Grilled Chicken

INGREDIENTS

2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
6 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1 1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 tsp. lemon zest, from one lemon

DIRECTIONS

  1. One at a time, place the chicken breasts in a 1-gallon zip-lock bag; using a meat mallet, pound to an even ½-inch thickness. (Or instead of pounding, slice chicken breasts in half lengthwise so you have two thin pieces.)
  2. Mix all of the ingredients except for the chicken together in a 1-gallon zip-lock bag (go ahead and use the same one you used for pounding if it is still in good shape). Add the chicken breasts to the bag and massage the marinade into the meat until evenly coated. Seal the bag and place in a bowl in the refrigerator (the bowl protects against leakage); let the chicken marinate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
  3. Preheat the grill to high heat and oil the grates. Place the chicken breasts on the grill and cook, covered, for 2 to 3 minutes per side. Do not overcook. (We cooked them on a Traeger grill at 450 until a temperature probe reached 165 F, which took 10-15 minutes depending on the size of the piece.) Transfer the chicken to a platter and serve.

Serves 6.

(Adapted from Once Upon a Chef)

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Persian Tomato, Cucumber, and Pomegranate Salad

November 3, 2020

As promised, I have some healthy recipes to share this week to help us feel better after all that Halloween candy we consumed over the weekend! This Persian tomato and cucumber salad is not only stunning, it’s packed with flavor. Hello, pomegranate seeds! Don’t skip them- they add a perfect burst of sweetness. The sumac is also a must. It’s a spice I don’t use often but it’s so unique and fragrant. (It comes from the dried ground berries of a flower and has a tangy/sour lemony taste.) There’s also some parsley and mint (optional) in this salad, and if you love feta, sprinkle some of that on top as you’re serving it!

Persian Tomato, Cucumber, and Pomegranate Salad

INGREDIENTS

4 mini (Persian) cucumbers or 2 English cucumbers, seeds removed, diced
6 vine-ripened tomatoes, halved, cored and diced (I used grape tomatoes)
1/2 small red onion, diced
~3 Tbsp. freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 Tbsp. freshly chopped mint leaves (optional- I omitted)
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
juice from 1/2 lemon
sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
sumac spice, to taste
seeds from 1/2 pomegranate
crumbled feta cheese, for serving (optional- I sprinkled a bit on top)

DIRECTIONS

  1. Add the cucumber, tomatoes, onion and herbs to a serving bowl.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper (I use about 1/2 tsp. coarse sea salt).
  3. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat. Right before serving, sprinkle with the sumac and pomegranate seeds. For feta fans, serve with crumbled feta cheese.

Serves 4.

(Adapted from Elle Republic)

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Hello Robin Mackles’more Cookies

October 30, 2020

I promise I’ll share some healthier recipes next week… no one wants to think about grilled chicken and fish or salad when they’re about to stuff their face full of Halloween treats! So I’m posting these cookies we made for the first time last weekend… they were just amazing and have to be shared right away.

There’s a famous cookie shop in downtown Seattle called Hello Robin. We’ve been there and loved the cookies sandwiched with Molly Moon’s ice cream (my favorite local ice cream shop!) but we didn’t try their famous Mackles’more cookie (next time!). But now we have the recipe and will be making them at home forevermore. The Mackles’more is a dark chocolate chip cookie with marshmallows (and cinnamon- yum) baked on top of a graham cracker and topped with a milk chocolate square when it’s hot out of the oven. It sounds complicated but it’s not at all. You do need to freeze the dough for 1 hour before baking which requires some patience but it’s worth the wait!

I didn’t buy Theo chocolate because it’s expensive and I already had Ghirardelli and Hershey’s on hand. But Theo chocolate is amazing (and the factory tour is super fun if you’re ever visiting Seattle…) so I bet it would be even better with it!

Hello Robin’s Mackles’more Cookies

INGREDIENTS

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
4 oz. dark chocolate (70%), cut into chunks, or 3/4 cup of dark chocolate chips (I used Ghirardelli 60% bittersweet chocolate chips)
1 cup packed mini marshmallows
36 square-sized store-bought graham crackers (Honey Maid brand recommended, I could only fit 30 on the baking sheet so that’s how many I used)
7 1/2 oz. milk chocolate squares, halved (I used Hershey’s milk chocolate and special dark chocolate bars)

DIRECTIONS

  1. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. Whisk together the flour, cinnamon, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl; set aside. Cream the (softened) butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar in a stand mixer on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing on medium speed for 15 seconds after each addition. Add the vanilla and mix until smooth. Add the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Fold in the dark chocolate and the marshmallows.
  3. Using a medium cookie scoop (about 1 1/2 tablespoons), scoop the dough into (30-36, depending on how many graham crackers you’re using) balls and place them close together on one of the prepared baking sheets. Freeze for at least 1 hour.
  4. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
  5. Place the graham cracker halves side by side on the second prepared baking sheet. Place 1 ball of the frozen cookie dough on each graham cracker. Bake until the cookies are puffed and just turning golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and immediately press 1 piece of milk chocolate onto each hot cookie–be sure to really press the chocolate into the soft cookie so that when it melts, it puddles on the cookie and doesn’t run off.

Makes 30-36 cookies.

(Adapted from Female Foodie)

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