SLOW COOKER CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA

When we were little kids, come every summer we would make the annual trip to our ancestral goddess' temple in Lonavala (with the giant hives and Buddhist caves) in a crowded state transport bus - red, dusty, and filled with interesting fellow passengers. As we grew older and means of transport changed in India, the mode of transport changed first to a "shared" 11 passenger van and then a rental SUV for the family. One thing that stayed constant during that time was lunch at a particular restaurant and bar - where kids were allowed a sip of the beer along with what we kids thought was the world's best butter chicken and chicken tikka masala!

The recipe below comes very close to the taste of that chicken masala - albeit a little soupier. I am sure that the gravy can be tweaked to be thicker if desired. Serve with hot buttered naan (we buy ours from TJ's) and a cucumber raita or plain raw sliced onions.

Recipe is a variation from thelemonbowl.com

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts - cubed

• 1 medium onion - diced

• 15 oz can coconut milk - full fat (or light)

• 1 cup plain yogurt - low fat

• ¼ cup tomato paste (substitute with 1 can of tomato sauce or about 2 small tomatoes)

• 2 tablespoons ginger root

• 2 garlic cloves 

• 2 tablespoons garam masala

• 1 tablespoon cornstarch (if you omit this, gravy will be thinner)

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon cayenne - substitute with paprika for less spice

• * 2 teaspoons chicken masala (can be found in Indian store)

• ¼ cup minced cilantro 

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Place cubed chicken breasts and diced onion in the bottom of a slow cooker.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together coconut milk, yogurt, tomato paste, ginger + garlic paste, garam masala, cornstarch, salt, chicken masala,and cayenne. Pour mixture over the chicken and onion and stir well.
3. Cook on Low for 8 hours  (recommended) or High for 4 hours. 
4. If you feel that the gravy is too soupy, cook for sometime with the lid off.

*chicken masala is what gives it that taste of authenticity. Can certainly omit, result will be delicious but similar to an Americanized version.

Swiss Chard

Swiss Chard

Ingredients:
1 large bunch of fresh Swiss chard
1 clove garlic, sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons water
Pinch of dried crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon butter
Salt

Directions:
Rinse out the Swiss chard leaves thoroughly.
Remove the toughest third of the stalk and discard.
Roughly chop the leaves into inch-wide strips.
Heat a saucepan (big enough to take your amount of leaves) on medium heat, add the olive oil, garlic and crushed red pepper. Sauté for about a minute.
Add the leaves and cover.
Check after about 5 minutes. If it looks dry, add a couple tablespoons of water.
Flip the leaves over in the pan with a tong, so that what was on the bottom, is now on the top. Cover.
Check for doneness after another 5 minutes (remove a piece and taste it).
Add salt to taste, and some butter.
Serve in a serving dish.

On this recipe card is written: The Best! Yum!

Smoky Rutabaga Mash

Smoky Rutabaga Mash

Ingredients:
2-3 medium rutabagas (about 2 lbs. unpeeled)
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika (must be smoked)
1-2 teaspoons canned chipotle chili peppers with adobo sauce, minced (optional) (I haven't tried this)

Directions:
Peel the rutabagas by slicing off about 1/4 inch of husk.
Cut into 2 inch pieces.
Cover with water that has been salted with 1 tablespoon salt.
Simmer for about 20 minutes till rutabagas can be pierced easily with a fork.
Drain the rutabagas.

Blend the rutabagas in a blender with the softened butter, the paprika, and the peppers if using.

This makes a wonderful, creamy dish of mashed rutabagas with a distinctive flavor. It's a great side dish and not one that you often see. It is something different and, in my opinion, quite delicious.

Salmon Loaf with Creamed Peas & Mushroom Sauce

Salmon Loaf

1 can wild red salmon
3/4-1 cup water
1 tablespoon olive oil or butter
1 cup rice cake crumbles (take 1 1/2 plain rice cakes; crumble them up with a rolling pin or roll a glass over them, or buzz them up in a small blender, or crumble them between your fingers till crumbly)
2 beaten eggs (about 1/2 cup)
salt, pepper, paprika

Clean the salmon: dump it in a colander or strainer, then pick through it to remove the larger bones and larger pieces of skin. Leave the tiny bones in there, it's good calcium.
Put the cleaned salmon in a bowl and add the water, olive oil, rice cake crumbles, and eggs. Mix well.
Add salt and pepper to taste. Mix well.
Grease up a loaf pan and put the mixture in it.
Sprinkle paprika on top.
Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour, uncovered.
Slice and serve with Creamed Peas & Mushroom Sauce over each serving.


Creamed Peas & Mushroom Sauce

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour (can be gluten free, such as Bob's Red Mill all purpose GF)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried crushed sweet basil
1 four oz. can button mushrooms
1 eight oz. can sweet peas, drained
milk

Drain the mushroom liquid from the can of mushrooms into a measuring cup.
Add enough milk to the mushroom liquid to make 1 cup and set aside.
Now melt the butter in a saucepan, and blend in the flour, salt, and basil.
Add your cup of mushroom/milk mixture slowly and gradually, stirring CONSTANTLY till the sauce thickens. You will think this is never going to thicken--just keep stirring, you are making a White Sauce! It magically thickens, and then you add your drained peas and mushrooms.
Cook on low another 5-8 minutes or so.
Serve in a bowl on the table for each person to pour over their salmon loaf.

FYI:  Whitney loves salmon loaf. So do I.

Salmon Fillet

Salmon Fillet

Buy half of a salmon.
Wash and pat dry with paper towels.
Place it skin side down on tin foil on a cookie sheet.
Drizzle generously with olive oil.
Sprinkle generously with Mrs. Dash Original seasoning, paprika, and salt.

Bake at 380 degrees for 30 minutes only.

This is a delicious, healthy, quick entree without a lot of fuss. The salmon lifts right off of its skin, which sticks to the tin foil. So if you like eating the skin, you won't easily get it with this way of fixing. Dad and I have not found a way to fix salmon that we like better than this. It's always tender and delicious.

Cabbage Sausage Crockpot Soup

Cabbage Sausage Crockpot Soup

Ingredients:
2 cups of diced potatoes
5 cups cabbage, shredded fine (I just chop it with knife, is easier.)
1 carrot, shredded fine
1 large onion, chopped (or the green part of table onions)
2 teaspoons caraway seeds, crushed in a bullet, coffee grinder, or small blender
1 lb. Aidells Cajun Style Andouille Sausage from Festival. This comes already cooked; halve it and cut into 1/2 inch slices (or use a similar sausage)
6 cups chicken or vegetable broth. (I use Rapunzel Vegetable Bouillon with Herbs from the Wedge; 3 cubes to make 6 cups. Rapunzel is the best.)
Salt to taste (wait till the end!)

Directions:
Place all ingredients in crockpot and pour the broth over. Cook on low 10-12 hours or high 5-6 hours.

This is a wonderful soup and the crushed caraway seed really makes it!

Split Pea Soup with Ham (in crockpot)

Split Pea Soup with Ham (in crockpot)

Ingredients:
1 16 oz. pkg dried green split peas, rinsed
1 meaty ham bone or 2 ham hocks or 2 cups diced ham
1 cup sliced baby carrots
1 cup chopped yellow onion (or can use the green part of table onions)
2 ribs celery, with their leaves, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
6 cups chicken broth (I use Rapunzel brand cubes from coop, good product, 1 cube=2 cups)

Directions:
Layer all ingredients in the slow cooker in the order given above.
DO NOT STIR!
Cover and cook on high 4-5 hours, or on low 8-10 hours.

Baked Potatoes

Baked Potatoes

Wash the potatoes. Dry them.
Stab with a fork a few times.
Put on a glove and oil them up with olive oil all over.
Season on all sides with sea salt and pepper.
Put on a cookie sheet in the oven for 1 1/2 hours at 350 degrees.

This recipe came from Celeste! She said she was mainly interested in just eating the skins, they were so good. And it is true.

Filet Mignon

Filet Mignon

Get the grill hot. (Be sure to clean it off with a brush first.)
Sear for 1 minute. Flip.
Sear for another minute. Flip.
Grill for 3 minutes. Flip.
Grill for 2 minutres.
Season with salt and pepper.

These are unbelievable. You can get grass fed filet mignon at Trader Joe's for a reasonable price.

Hot Toddy

Hot Toddy

1 1/2 oz. (or 2?) E&J X.O Extra Smooth Brandy
1 spoon Sue Bee White Clover Honey
5 oz. hot water

Mix and serve hot.

Pankuri likes these! Great for a snowy, wintry, Minnesota evening by the fire!

Hollandaise Sauce

No-Fail Hollandaise Sauce

Ingredients:

2 large yolks

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1/3 cup butter, melted to bubbling

1 1/2 teaspoons hot water

Directions:

Blend yolks and lemon juice in blender at medium speed till blended.

While blending, slowly add hot butter in thin steady stream (it thickens as the butter is added).

Scrape sides as needed and add hot water to thin while continuing to blend. 

Serve over eggs or asparagus.

Guacamole

Guacamole

Ingredients:
6 avocados, mashed with a potato masher
2 limes, juiced
2 teaspoons salt
1 cup diced onion
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
4 Roma tomatoes, diced
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 pinches cayenne (optional)

Directions:
In medium bowl, mash together the avocados, lime juice, salt.
Mix in the onion, cilantro, tomatoes & garlic.
Stir in the cayenne.
Refrigerate for 1 hour for best flavor, or serve immediately.

Notes:
Cayenne is the same thing as Indian hot chili pepper.
If serving to Mom, please use the green part of table onions rather than regular onions.

Electrolyte Replacer

Electrolyte Replacer (Pedialyte for big people when they get sick)

1.5 Liters purified water
Juice of 1 whole lime
1 spoon of sea salt
2 spoons of sugar

Drink as needed to replace fluids.

Meg's Monster Cookies (flourless/M&M/chocolate chip/oatmeal)

Meg's Monster Cookies

Ingredients:
4 1/2 cups oatmeal
1 1/4 cups brown sugar, lightly packed
1 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 12 oz. jar creamy peanut butter
1 stick butter
1/2 cup M&Ms and 1/2 cup chocolate chips; OR 1 cup chocolate chips
     (make mom's without the M&Ms)
1/4 cup raisins (optional)
2 teaspoons baking soda

Directions:
Combine eggs and sugars. Mix well.
Add the salt, baking soda, vanilla, peanut butter and butter. Mix well.
Stir in the M&Ms, chocolate chips, raisins and oatmeal.

Bake for 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees.  Oh, my, these are good. You'll need a really LARGE bowl.

Rhubarb Wine

How to Make Rhubarb Wine
     by Ted Kooser

Go to the patch some afternoon
in early summer, fuzzy with beer
and sunlight, and pick a sack
of rhuburb (red or green will do)
and God knows watch for rattlesnakes
or better, listen; they make a sound
like an old lawnmower rolled downhill.
Wear a hat. A straw hat's best
for the heat but lets the gnats in.
Bunch up the stalks and chop the leaves off
with a buck knife and be careful.
You need ten pounds; a grocery bag
packed full will do it. Then go home
and sit barefooted in the shade
behind the house with a can of beer.
Spread out the rhubarb in the grass
and wash it with cold water
from the garden hose, washing
your feet as well. Then take a nap.
That evening, dice the rhubarb up
and put it in a crock. Then pour
eight quarts of boiling water in,
cover it up with a checkered cloth
to keep the fruit flies out of it,
and let it stand five days or so.
Take time each day to think of it.

Ferment ten days, under the cloth,
sniffing of it from time to time,
then siphon it off, swallowing some,
and bottle it. Sit back and watch
the liquid clear to honey yellow,
bottled and ready for the years,
and smile. You've done it awfully well.

Oven-Fried Chicken

Oven-Fried Chicken

Ingredients:
8 large, bone-in, skin-on thighs. (Can use frozen; thaw first.)
McCormick Grill Mates Montreal Chicken Seasoning
Garlic Powder (optional)
Some flour (GF if Quisine de Carolanna is joining)
Olive Oil
Butter
Salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Fill 1/4 cup with half butter & half olive oil. Dump this into a cake pan (like 9 x 12or15 or so), and melt it in the oven. Take pan out when this is melted. (If you forget about it, it will burn.)
Wash the thighs and pat dry with paper towels.
Shake each thigh in a baggie filled with flour (or roll each thigh in a bowl of flour). Coat well.
Place the thighs on a plate.
Generously sprinkle the chicken seasoning and garlic on the thighs. Then a little salt.
Place these thighs "seasoned side down" into the pan of melted butter & olive oil.
Now generously season the thighs' top sides with the chicken seasoning and garlic. Then a little salt.
Bake for 45 minutes, uncovered.
Flip the thighs over. (Run a fork under them first to make sure all the delicious crusty stuff doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan.)
Bake for 15 minutes more.

Notes:
The McCormick seasoning has salt in it, but I like to add a LITTLE more.
Don't use boneless thighs. This temperature & timing is perfect for the big bone-in thighs.
Eat the skin. The fat on the skin is good for brain health. If you're trying to cut down on fat, just eat some of the skin.
Don't be afraid to use the seasoning generously!
Do not use a fork to pierce the thigh when you flip it over--this will cause the good juices to spill out; just loosen the underside crust with a fork and flip over with a spatula.  

Baked Acorn Squash

Baked Acorn Squash

Bake squash, whole, at 350 degrees for one hour.

Take out of oven, cut each squash into halves, then fourths, and doctor with:
     dotted butter
     light sprinkling of nutmeg
     light sprinkling of cinnamon
     sprinkling of Indian chili pepper
     brown sugar
     salt to taste

Bake pieces another 15 minutes or so.

This is delicious! I've made this all my life, but this last time I added hot chili pepper to it on Whitney's recommendation...wunderbar!!!