Chicken Tikka Masala

Josh bought me this Best Ever Indian cookbook at Half Price Books for $5. He started reading it on the plane ride to Texas. (We moved to Dallas a couple weeks ago!)

He has requested that I start at the very beginning with chicken tikka masala (p8). I'd say it was a pretty good start. And I had a lot of fun!

First, I made the tandoori chicken (p32). This included an overnight marinade with greek yogurt, heavy cream and other deliciousness. Intense broiling until charred - one of those flip and brush every few minutes kinda broiling.

Next, the tikka masala brought some aromatic spices, diced tomato and, oh yes, heavy cream...

Add the tandoori chicken, spread over basmati rice, and garnish with fresh cilantro. Could it get any better than this?

Lunchtime today made a very happy papa and mama. Our little babe is gonna be begging for some curry right out of the womb! 16 weeks today. 


P.S. Next on page ten is chicken korma.

Waffles Without Milk

We drink a lot of milk in our home. Raised that way. We were out this morning, and I wanted to make waffles. I really dislike making extra trips to the grocery store. I substituted orange juice for the milk. Same amount. Result = perfect and delicious.

(Thanks, Betty Crocker.)

Goodbye, Rock Hard Brown Sugar

Ever left the lid off the brown sugar? So annoying. Here's the solution. It takes several hours in a sealed container but works every time!

Rock hard brown sugar + piece of bread = soft brown sugar deliciousness

My mama taught me this.

I thought everybody knew, but I've run into several people recently that didn't. Maybe you didn't either. There you have it.

My and Maybe Your Kind of Unrefined Breakfast

Some make elaborate breakfasts with fancy flour, grains, and nuts. I definitely drool over a friend's site unrefinedkitchen.com. I would love to try her recipes, but in the meantime I'm on the run... working and packing for our big move in December.

This oatmeal has become my new favorite breakfast.

- mug
- oatmeal
- salt
- boiling water
- berries, optional

I take a large mug and throw in a handful of oats and half a pinch of salt. Then I pour boiling water on top and walk away to get ready for the day. After a while, I return and throw a few frozen berries in there (sometimes I add these before the water), grab a cup off coffee, and enjoy. Yummmmm.

In the meantime I've added coconut flour to camelcamelcamel.com - a price tracking site for Amazon (my favorite kind of shopping). When it hits a super low price, I'll snatch it and experiment.

Really Bad Eggs

Don't eat the floaters.

Glad I learned this trick before making a mistake.

Learning to wife!

This tasted disgusting.

Learning to wife!

Steak

We had the incredible privilege of joining good friends for a birthday celebration at Manny's. Gals, you're probably like me in asking the the silly question "What's Manny's?" Save yourself the gasps and don't ask your husband. Just check out the website.

It's a big deal.

I learned the value of steak for a man.

I had crab stuffed halibut.

Learning to wife!

Homemade Yogurt

It's so easy. Especially with this maker and this thermometer/timer.

1. Heat 40oz of 2% or Whole milk in a saucepan until it starts to boil (180*F) for a couple minutes.
2. Let it cool to lukewarm (110*F). If you're in a hurry, put the saucepan in cold water, but it doesn't turn out as good.
3. Stir half the milk in a bowl with 3/4 cup of plain yogurt. You'll feel it start to thicken already! Add the other half.
4. Pour into cups. Leave alone for 8 hours (for Whole) or 9 hours (for 2%).
5. Refrigerate and enjoy!
   
   You can add fruit, jam, or other flavorings before filling the jars, but I don't. We like to add our own flavorings afterward. I mostly eat it plain or sprinkle some cinnamon on it. We love to eat it with rice and curry.

Just make sure you start it at a reasonable hour or you'll have to set an alarm. Oh, and don't use Skim milk. Learning to wife!

How do you make/like your yogurt?

Frozen Grapes

I'm doing Weight Watchers, and it's challenging to find a snack when Costco's Super Premium Vanilla Ice Cream - which, oh by the way, is the best - stares at me from the freezer. In my brainstorming and listening-for-good-ideas, I discovered frozen grapes. YUM! They are sweet little Popsicles of deliciousness. Aaaaand, freezing keeps grapes juicy and round. I'm sure you all know what it's like to buy a bag of grapes and forget about them in the fridge. Not pretty. Not delicious.



1. Buy grapes on sale.

2. Pull grapes off stems and wash.

3. Dump handfuls in baggies and freeze. (Can this be any easier?)

4. Eat and share.

Dear brother volunteered to be my "Vanna White" for the occasional.

P.S. He totally loved them.

Maria's Marinade

About three months ago, I wrote this to my sister-in-law:

I can't stop thinking about your delicious marinade.
May I have it, pretty please? Lovingly, Ruthie

 

Being the amazing sister-in-law she is, she responded with the secrets of the most amazing marinade in all the land. (I don't lie, try it.) So being the amazing sister-in-law that I am, I'm making her famous. 

(Disclaimer: There was something about this being adapted from Joy of Cooking, so I better mention it. But Maria's touch is what makes this the best.)

Citrus Herb Marinade

"This is among the simplest and most satisfying ways to give fish, poultry, meat, and large vegetables lively flavor before applying heat. Suit the herbs to the food."

Combine in a dish and blend with a fork:

1/4 cup mild-tasting olive oil or nut oil

2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh orange juice or dry red wine

1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley, preferably flat-leaf

1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves or other appropriate herb

1/2 bay leaf, very finely crumbled

1 clove garlic, minced (optional)

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black or white pepper, or to taste

Use immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to 1 week.

So, I don't follow this recipe to a T. I usually estimate the ingredients instead of taking time to measure, though with measuring, you will probably come up with the best result. When I did this on Sunday, I omitted the red wine/orange juice, and put in extra lemon juice, omitted the parsley, and crushed the garlic, which I think produces a more intense garlic flavor than mincing, and is faster. I usually marinate chicken for 30 min. at the least, but a few hours is preferable. Also, brushing the marinade on when grilling is helpful to keep the chicken moist.

Enjoy!

With love,

Maria

P.S. from me:

I have definitely put this recipe to use in my own way. I don't follow it to a T, but you know how that goes. I often use Italian seasoning instead of thyme, and cilantro instead of parsley... so delicious! Grilling is the best of course, but it works beautifully stove-top as well. I totally made the chicken in the picture at the top and served coconut rice. Yummmm!

Iced Coffee - What about the cubes?

I heart iced coffee, but you know what's gross? Watery iced coffee. I like to drink my coffee slowly and kinda let it sit. So, I needed a solution. You know that little bit of coffee at the end of the pot?

     

Directions:

1. Pour left over coffee in ice cube tray. These are the best.
2. Freeze.
3. Empty cubes from tray into ziploc bag.
4. Store in freezer until you crave this.

P.S. I most definitely use Splenda or else you all know what would happen.
Remember the granola?

Oven Liner Shout-Out

I want to give a shout out to my oven liner. It performed over and above last night and deserves recognition. The evening started with making an apple pie. You know where I'm going with this...

It was delicious. (Thanks, Mom!)

The crust was the flakiest in the land.

 

But, I'm not Mom.

 

  It happens. I'm learning to wife.

It was pretty much the most disgusting pile
of burnt apple pie insides a new wife ever saw.
But when new wife shoved said pile,

it slid right on over and looked like this. True story. 

And with a wipe here and a wipe there ...okay it was like one wipe...

I know, right?!

I could hardly believe it myself.

Ask new husband and brother,
I was leaping all over the apartment with joy.

(No, oven liner makers did not pay me. 

They should, cuz I'm going to tell you where I got it. Where else?)

Granola, Helps Put on Pounds

Josh and I put on some weight when we first got married. We've been losing it now, but it took some research. Granola was our cereal of choice. Sounded healthy. Not! Look what I found out.

Worst Cereal

Quaker 100% Natural Granola, Oats, Honey & Raisins (1 c)
420 calories
12 g fat (7 g saturated)
6 g fiber
30 g sugars

"Granola, for all its good reputation, is usually weighed down by a deluge of added sugars. In fact, for the same amount of sugar, you could have a bowl of Cocoa Pebbles more than twice the size-and you'd get more fiber and save about 60 calories in fat. Calorie Equivalent: 8 chicken wings"

Eat This Instead!
Kashi GOLEAN (1 c)
140 calories
1 g fat (0 g saturated)
10 g fiber
6 g sugars

Green Bags

Incredible.

It's hard to believe, but these things actually work! AND they're reusable. You know how you've always wanted your bananas to stay green and your bell peppers to keep from getting moldy? This brings hope.

I love that chalky green banana taste. Yum.

Costco Tips

Since I'm done with my single cooking days, I've been shopping at Costco. This has been such a blessing since we often have family, friends, and neighbors dropping in for dinner. I've been learning a few things

1. Don't shop more than once a week. This saves a lot of time and unnecessary spontaneous spending. I go to Costco and a regular grocery store in the same day.
2. Compare prices.  Buying in bulk is not always cheaper than a regular grocery store.
3. Portion control! Though buying in bulk saves lots of time and money, we need to be careful not to eat in bulk. Peanut butter and mango salsa are dangerous.
4. Be selective. Though buying an item in bulk may be cheaper per ounce/pound, it may not be when I have to throw half of it away if we can't finish it before going bad.
5. Store food. I like to keep extra food a bit out of reach so we don't go through it as fast. We have a freezer in the basement. I also have shelves that I can't reach without a stool. It's funny, but these things help stretch the food.