Slow Cooker Chicken & Vegetable Indian Stew

This was originally supposed to an Indian dish called butter chicken.  But after changing the recipe (including that I completely forgot to add the butter!) and throwing in every vegetable I had on hand, I thought it was unfair to call it butter chicken.  But we still enjoyed my un-authentic version so much that we renamed it Indian stew (which seems like a much better title for my version)!

I love my slow cooker and try to use it once a week.  When I was starting to make the original recipe, I was planning to make vegetables on the side.  However, then I realized it would be great if the vegetables could cook with the chicken, both to soak up the flavor as well as to save me time and fewer dishes (okay, mainly to save me time and fewer dishes).  I used carrots, sweet potatoes, zucchini, red bell pepper and green peas to the dish.  Feel free to omit any of these or use extra vegetables you have on hand.

Slow Cooker Chicken & Vegetable Stew
Adapted from: Half Baked Harvest
Serves 4-6

• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast
• 1/2 onion, finely minced
• 3 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2" cubes
• 1 sweet potato, cut into 1/2" cubes (you can peel if you'd like)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced or grated
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• 2 tablespoons garam masala
• 1/2-1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (this was not too spicy for us; you can use more if you like more spice or leave it out altogether) 
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk
• 1/2 cup greek yogurt 
• 1-2 zucchini, chopped into 1/2" cubes
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped into 1/2" cubes 
• 1 cup frozen green peas
• cooked rice or quinoa or naan, for serving

1. In a large glass measuring cup or bowl mix together the coconut milk and greek yogurt. Stir in the tomato paste, garlic, ginger and all the spices. Mix well.
2. Spray the inside of your crockpot bowl with cooking spray or grease with a little oil. To the bowl, sprinkle the onion, carrots and sweet potatoes over the bottom. Add the chicken and then pour the coconut milk mixture over the chicken so the chicken is completely covered. 
3. Cook on high for 3 hours or on low for 6 hours. After 3 hours (or 6 for low), stir in the zucchini, bell pepper. Continue to cook for 1 more hour on high or 2 more hours on low. (At this point, I also like to start cooking my rice or quinoa in the rice cooker.)  Before serving, stir in the green peas.When ready to serve taste and season with salt and pepper if desired. Serve over rice/quinoa/naan.

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South Indian Lentil Cakes with Raita

This seems like an unlikely recipe to share.  Just by looking at the picture, you think, "Wow, that's...green." But even if the color catches you off guard, we really enjoyed these Indian lentil cakes!  Of course, it didn't hurt that it's served with a yogurt sauce called raita (I happen to be a huge fan of yogurt sauces like tzatziki).

I did alter the recipe to suit what we had on hand.  The mint at the store looked terrible so I just omitted it in both the raita and the lentil cakes.  Mint is such a distinct flavor that I'm sure it would have changed the taste of the cakes. I used up my cucumber in another dish so I had to omit that from the raita, too (although I'm sure it would have been delicious!).

Finally, this recipe reminded me of how much we LOVE roasted garlic. I hadn't made it in forever but since making these lentil cakes, I've roasted garlic twice in the past few weeks.  If you've never made roasted garlic, it takes away any sharpness or harshness from the garlic and creates a smooth, mellow flavor.  I highly recommend it!

The lentils and rice in this recipe do need to be soaked for several hours -- you can do this a day in advance if you'd like and just drain and refrigerate it.  I served this with naan and roasted cauliflower.

South Indian Lentil Cakes with Raita
Taken from: The Sweets Life
Serves 4-6

For the Raita-

• -1 head of garlic
• -1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• -kosher salt & freshly ground pepper
• -1/4 tsp ground cumin
• -1 cup plain yogurt
• -1/4 cup finely chopped peeled seeded cucumber (I didn't have on hand so I omitted)
• -2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
• -2 tbsp fresh mint, chopped (I didn't have on hand so I omitted)
• -1/2 tsp (or more) fresh lemon juice

For the Lentil Cakes-

• -1 cup lentils
• -1/2 cup basmati rice (I used regular white rice)
• -2 garlic cloves, minced
• -2 tsp chopped peeled fresh ginger
• -1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
• -1 cup spinach
• -1 cup peas, thawed
• -1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• -1/2 cup scallions, chopped (I used chopped onion instead)
• -1/3 cup fresh mint, chopped (I didn't have on hand so I omitted)
• -2 tsp kosher salt
• -2 tsp freshly ground pepper
• -2-3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1. Rinse the lentils and place in a medium bowl with the rice. Add water so that everything is covered by 3 inches and set aside at room temperature for 3-5 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 450F. Cut the top half inch off of the head of garlic and place garlic on a piece of foil. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Wrap in foil and roast for 40-45 minutes, until tender. Let cool.
3. Place lentils and rice in the bowl of a food processor. Add remaining lentil cake ingredients (except for olive oil) and puree until a thick paste forms.
4. Add about 1 tbsp olive oil to a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to place balls of the lentil mixture on the skillet. Flatten slightly with a spatula to form cakes. Cook for approximately 4-5 minutes per side, until cake is golden brown on each side. Repeat with remaining batter, adding additional oil as needed.
5. Meanwhile, make the raita by combining the yogurt, cumin, cucumber, mint, cilantro, and lemon juice. Season with salt, pepper, and more lemon juice, if desired.
6. Serve cooked lentil cakes with raita and roasted garlic cloves.

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Chicken Tikka Masala, Revisited

I couldn't help it.  This chicken tikka masala recipe was in dire need of reposting.  It was our favorite recipe of 2010, after all. I finally made it again for dinner the other night and it was so, so good.  Licking the bowl good.  Dreaming about the leftovers good.

However, this isn't a 30-minute meal.  I rubbed the spice mixture on the chicken and started cooking the rice in the rice cooker and then went to the gym for an hour.  When I got back, it took me an hour from start to finish to get this meal on the table.  But, if I didn't already have the leftovers in the freezer, I'd want to do it all over again next week -- it was totally worth it.

I only made a few changes this time - I used a bit less chicken (1.3 pounds instead of the recommended 2) and couldn't tell a difference.  I also only used half of the cream it called for sauce and substituted 2% Greek yogurt instead.  I thought it turned out perfectly and will be using that substitution from now on. 

I recommend serving this with either rice, quinoa or something that can help soak up all the delicious sauce. I use this recipe for brown rice with mustard seeds, carrots, celery and peas which doubled as our side dish and vegetables!

PS - I froze half of this (including the brown rice dish) and we just had the reheated leftovers for dinner last night.  My husband thought it was even better this time!


Chicken Tikka Masala
Reposted from 2010, Taken from: Cook's Illustrated, Sep & Oct 2007 issue
Serves 4-6

Chicken Ingredients:

• 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp. ground coriander
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 1/5 - 2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breast, trimmed of fat (I used about 1.3 pounds)
• 1 c. full-fat or  low-fat plain yogurt (I used 2% Greek yogurt)
• 2 Tb. canola oil
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed with garlic press
• 1 Tb. fresh ginger, grated

Sauce Ingredients:

• 3 Tb. canola oil or coconut oil
• 1 medium onion, diced (approx. 1 1/4 cups)
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed with garlic press
• 2 tsp. fresh ginger, grated
• 1/2 - 1 jalapeno chile, ribs and seeds removed, flesh minced (caution: the hottest part of the chile is the ribs and seeds so be very careful when handling because it gets on your fingers; use 1/2 jalapeno if you want a mild taste)
• 1 Tb. tomato paste
• 1 Tb. garam masala (or substitute 2 tsp. ground coriander, 1/4 tsp. ground cardamom, 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper)
• 1 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes OR approx. 4 large tomatoes, crushed in food processor (I used 1 28-oz can of diced tomatoes instead)
• 2 tsp. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 2/3 c. heavy cream or half-and-half (I used 1/3 cup of whipping cream and 1/3 cup of 2% Greek yogurt)
• 1/4 c. fresh cilantro, chopped

1. Combine cumin, coriander, cayenne and 1 tsp. salt in small bowl. Sprinkle on both sides of chicken, pressing gently so spices adhere.
2. Place chicken on plate, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 30-60 minutes.
3. In large bowl, whisk together yogurt, 2 Tb. oil, 2 minced garlic cloves and 1 Tb. ginger.
4. Then, heat 3 Tb. oil in Dutch oven (or saucepan) over medium heat. Once heated, add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until lightly golden (8-10 minutes).
5. Add 2 minced garlic cloves, ginger, chile, tomato paste and garam masala. Cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant (about 3 min).
6. Add crushed tomatoes, sugar and 1/2 tsp. salt; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. (See next steps to cook chicken while sauce simmers.)
7. Stir in half-and-half and/or yogurt and return to simmer. Remove pan from heat or turn to low to keep warm.

1. CHICKEN: While sauce simmers, adjust oven rack to upper-middle position (about 5 inches from heat) and heat broiler. Cover baking sheet with aluminum foil; spray wire rack with cooking spray and then set wire rack in baking sheet
2. Using tongs, dip chicken into yogurt mixture and make sure chicken has thick layer of it. (Throw away any extra yogurt.)
3. Broil chicken for 10 minutes and then flip. Cook until thickest part is 160 degrees (chicken will be lightly charred in places). Time will depend on thickness of the chicken but will range from 15-25 total minutes.
4. Let chicken rest 5 minutes, then cut into 1-inch chunks and stir into warm sauce. Stir in cilantro (or serve cilantro on side).

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Homemade Naan

Oh my goodness. I thought I did everything wrong with this naan recipe.  I almost gave up but decided to make just one naan to see if it was worth eating.  And it was.  In fact, we didn't want to stop eating it.  Even though my dough didn't rise (so I assumed it would be flat and dense), the naan ended up being light and having wonderful air bubbles in the bread.

The naan is easy to put together, although it needs to rise (well, my didn't rise so it really just rested) for 2 hours before cooking it.  It doesn't take long to cook -- about 30 seconds per side -- but in my cast iron skillet, I could only cook one at a time.  I wanted to eat it hot, so I enlisted the help of my husband to butter each naan after I finished cooking it. We had a bit of an assembly line and were able to enjoy it with some homemade baingan bharta (an Indian eggplant dish) and green peas for dinner.  Fresh off the stove with melted butter and minced garlic, it was delicious.  But it also made great leftovers the next day!

Homemade Naan
Taken from: Tasty Kitchen
Makes 8 loaves

• 2 cups all purpose flour or wheat flour (I used 1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour and 1/2 cup all purpose)
• ¾ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cups warm milk
• ½ cup plain yogurt (I used nonfat)
• ½ tablespoon oil (I used canola)
• Additional herbs or seasonings for naan, optional (I used melted butter and minced garlic although the recipe suggests others such as butter naan, cumin naan or cilantro naan)

1. Mix all the dry ingredients together and make a well of flour. Mix milk and yogurt together and pour half of it into the well and slowly combine it together.
2. Continue adding liquid slowly and combining it all together slowly until a soft dough is made (you made not need all of the milk-yogurt mixture). The dough should be soft enough for you to be able to dig your finger into it without applying any pressure. If dough sticks to your hand too much, then use little bit of oil on your hands and then punch into the dough.  Cover with a damp cloth and let it sit in a warm place for at least 2 hours (mine didn't actually rise).
3. After a few hours, dust your working board, take out the dough and knead it for about 2-3 minutes. Divide the dough into 8 smaller balls.
4. Dust the board again and flatten each balls so it is thin and elongated.
5. Now sprinkle one side of the bread with your desired flavor (I used about 4 cloves of minced garlic).
6. Brush the other side with water.
7. Heat a thick-bottomed skillet or a wok or any heavy-bottomed pan with a lid (I used my cast iron skillet which was perfect). Once it is nicely hot, place the naan wet side down (it will stick) and cover it with a lid.
8. Let it cook for about 30 seconds or until you see bubbles on it. Now flip to the other side of the naan and continue to cook, uncovered, for 30 more seconds (if you have a direct flame on your burner, you could also hold the second side over the flame with tongs until you see some charred brown spots). Continue with all of the dough until you have 8 naans (I had to do mine one at a time).
9. Brush with melted butter and serve.

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Curried Lentils & Sweet Potatoes, Week's Menu Plan

This recipe was pretty impressive.  Not just because Bryant deemed it "blogworthy" but really because it took ingredients like lentils and swiss chard and turned it into a good dish.  Not only a good dish but a healthy dish, too.  Lentils are incredibly good for you (particularly high in folate and fiber), sweet potatoes provide Vitamin A and swiss chard are high in Vitamin A and K.  You can check World's Healthiest Foods for more: http://whfoods.org/.

This lentils & sweet potato dish needs time (about 45 minutes of cooking time) to soften the lentils so I wouldn't recommend it for a weeknight meal. (I actually had it on for a weeknight last week but then wimped out.)  However, it is nice that not only is it a one-dish meal but it doesn't have to be served immediately - it can just simmer until you're ready to serve.  We had it with some good homemade bread on the side and thoroughly enjoyed this meal!

Curried Lentils & Sweet Potatoes
 Taken from: Smitten Kitchen
Serves 6-8

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1-inch piece fresh ginger root, peeled and grated
• 1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala
• 1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
• 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded if desired, then minced
• 4 to 5 cups vegetable or chicken broth, as needed
• 2 pounds orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 4 cups)
• 1 1/2 cups dried lentils
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 pound Swiss chard, center ribs removed, leaves thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• Finely grated zest of 1 lime
• Juice of 1/2 lime
• 1/3 cup finely chopped tamari almonds, for garnish (optional, I omitted)
• 1/4 cup chopped scallions, for garnish

-In large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and saute until translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, garam masala, curry powder and jalapeno. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
-Stir in 4 cups broth, sweet potatoes, lentils and bay leaf. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium, partially cover, and simmer for 25 minutes. (If lentils seem dry, add up to 1 cup stock, as needed.)
-Stir in chard and salt and pepper, and continue cooking until lentils are tender and chard is cooked, about 30 to 45 minutes total.
-Just before serving, stir in cilantro, lime zest and juice. Spoon into a large, shallow serving dish. Garnish with almonds if desired and scallions.

Week's Menu Plan:
Sunday:  Lentils & Sweet Potatoes 

Monday:  pasta primavera

Tuesday: Asian Salmon

Wednesday: beef bulgogi w/ leftover moo shu veggies

Thursday: balsamic roasted chicken 

Friday: out!

Saturday: ground turkey and spinach ravioli

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Chicken Tikka Masala

Several years ago, when I was just beginning to get interested in cooking, my sister Jane gave me a year's subscription to Cook's Illustrated as a gift. Well, that was definitely the gift that keeps on giving because I am still using those 2007 issues for delicious recipes! It already gave us one of our all-time favorites, blueberry scones; now, it's added a new one to the list of our best meals: chicken tikka masala. I LOVE that these people at Cook's Illustrated already do the work for you, experimenting with the best ingredients, cooking methods, etc. The only things I tweaked were (surprise!) a few things to make it a bit healthier.

I also served it with brown rice with black mustard seeds, peas, carrots and celery. I got this idea from the show, Throwdown with Bobby Flay. They mentioned that sauteing whole black mustard seeds on a high heat actually brings out a nutty flavor, totally unlike the typical mustard taste. After I saw the show, I scoured the internet for a recipe. Nothing perfect came up but I found one that served as a base recipe and then I made several changes to it. Altogether, the combination of chicken tikka masala and rice with mustard seeds and vegetables makes quite a meal.

Chicken Tikka Masala
Taken from: Cook's Illustrated, Sep & Oct 2007 issue

Chicken Ingredients:

• 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp. ground coriander
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breast, trimmed of fat
• 1 c. full-fat or  low-fat plain yogurt (fat free never cooks well)
• 2 Tb. canola oil
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed with garlic press
• 1 Tb. fresh ginger, grated

Sauce Ingredients:

• 3 Tb. canola oil
• 1 medium onion, diced (approx. 1 1/4 cups)
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed with garlic press
• 2 tsp. fresh ginger, grated
• 1 jalapeno chile, ribs and seeds removed, flesh minced (caution: the hottest part of the chile is the ribs and seeds so be very careful when handling because it gets on your fingers)
• 1 Tb. tomato paste
• 1 Tb. garam masala (or substitute 2 tsp. ground coriander, 1/4 tsp. ground cardamom, 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper)
• 1 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes (Muir Glen brand recommended) OR approx. 4 large tomatoes, crushed in food processor
• 2 tsp. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 2/3 c. heavy cream or half-and-half (could also substitute some full- or low-fat yogurt here if you'd like)
• 1/4 c. fresh cilantro, chopped

-Combine cumin, coriander, cayenne and 1 tsp. salt in small bowl. Sprinkle on both sides of chicken, pressing gently so spices adhere.
-Place chicken on plate, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 30-60 minutes.
-In large bowl, whisk together yogurt, 2 Tb. oil, 2 minced garlic cloves and 1 Tb. ginger.
-Then, heat 3 Tb. oil in Dutch oven (or saucepan) over medium heat. Once heated, add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until lightly golden (8-10 minutes).
-Add 2 minced garlic cloves, ginger, chile, tomato paste and garam masala. Cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant (about 3 min).
-Add crushed tomatoes, sugar and 1/2 tsp. salt; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. (See next steps to cook chicken while sauce simmers.)
-Stir in half-and-half and return to simmer. Remove pan from heat or turn to low to keep warm.

-CHICKEN: While sauce simmers, adjust oven rack to upper-middle position (about 5 inches from heat) and heat broiler. Cover baking sheet with aluminum foil; spray wire rack with cooking spray and then set wire rack in baking sheet
-Using tongs, dip chicken into yogurt mixture and make sure chicken has thick layer of it. (Throw away any extra yogurt.)
-Broil chicken for 10 minutes and then flip. Cook until thickest part is 160 degrees (chicken will be lightly charred in places). Time will depend on thickness of the chicken but will range from 15-25 total minutes.
-Let chicken rest 5 minutes, then cut into 1-inch chunks and stir into warm sauce. Stir in cilantro (or serve cilantro on side).


Brown Rice with Mustard Seeds, Carrots and Peas
Loosely adapted from: Group Recipes

• 1 cup brown rice
  
• water
• 1 Tbsp oil
• 1 heaping tsp black mustard seeds
• ½ large onion, sliced thinly
• 2 cups carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 cup frozen petite peas
• 1/2 cup celery, chopped (if desired)
• salt and pepper

-In a rice cooker or on the stove, cook brown rice according to directions (this should take at least 30 minutes).
-Heat the oil on high heat and fry the mustard seeds, covered, until they splutter for about 30 seconds.
-Add the onions and carrots to the mustard seeds and fry on medium heat for 10 minutes until the onions have turned a light golden brown, stirring occasionally.
-Add the peas and continue to cook, about 5 minutes.
-Add the cooked rice to dish and stir to incorporate. Keep on medium heat until heated throughout.
-Serve. You can also bring the temperature to low to keep warm until ready to serve.

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