Thanks, Sis!

I got sooooo burned out with meal planning during this pandemic, so I asked my sisters and sisters-in-law for ideas.

Here is an idea that my sister gave to me. It was delicious! So easy to throw together and so easy to adjust to your own tastes. Plus, it was so packed full of beautiful fresh fruits and veggies.

Black Beans and Rice

Ingredients:

Half large onion, or one small onion, finely chopped
1 tsp. olive oil
1 tsp. bottled minced garlic
2 (15 oz) cans black beans, drained
1 (15 oz) can crushed tomatoes
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped
White or brown rice, for serving (1/2 cup to 1 cup rice per person)

Topping Options:

Avocado, chopped or sliced
Mango, chopped
Pineapple (canned pineapple tidbits or chunks, or fresh chopped pineapple)
Tomatoes, chopped (or halved grape tomatoes)
Bell peppers, chopped (or sliced mini bell peppers)
Sliced black olives
Sliced jalapenos (bottled or fresh)
Shredded cheese
Chopped cilantro
Sour cream of Greek yogurt

Directions:

Cook rice of choice according to package directions. 

While rice is cooking, saute onion in olive oil over medium to medium high heat in saucepan until translucent. Add garlic and saute one minute longer.

Add drained black beans, crushed tomatoes, cumin and chili powder. Stir in cilantro. Simmer on low to medium low heat while preparing your vegetables.

Chop your vegetables, as desired. 

Serve black beans over rice and top with desired toppings.

Source: My sister, Laurie Allred.

 

 

Above: You can see that I really like my toppings, but if you look closely, you can tell that there actually are beans and rice in there too! Ha ha!

 

 

 

Above: Here is my sister's version. So, as you can see, it is highly adaptable to your own tastes and moods, or what you currently have on hand. It was soooo good though and it really hit the spot.

Cook it Slow and Low

I could never live without my slow cooker. It is worth its weight in gold. Here is a great slow cooker recipe that will be ready after a long day (when the last thing you want to do is cook).

 

Chicken Korma

Ingredients:

2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 cups coarsely chopped onion (1 onion)
2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled baking potato
1 teaspoon salt
1 (14.5 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes, undrained
2 bay leaves
1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick
1/2 cup plain fat-free yogurt
4 cups hot cooked long-grain brown rice (we used white)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; saute 8 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove chicken from pan; place in a 5-quart electric slow cooker. Add onion to pan; saute 3 minutes. Add ginger and next 5 ingredients (through garlic); saute 2 minutes. Pour mixture over chicken in slow cooker. Stir in potato and next 4 ingredients (through cinnamon stick).

Cover and cook on low for 5 hours. Discard bay leaves and cinnamon stick. Turn slow cooker off; let stand 15 minutes. Stir in yogurt. Serve chicken mixture over rice. Sprinkle with cilantro.

Source: MyRecipes.com. You can find it here.

Notes: This had a lovely mild flavor to it. Delicious, but not overwhelming.

Mini Luau Dinner

 

I have been craving some Hawaiian pork, and this recipe helped me satisfy that craving in a very low-key way.

Slow-Cooker Hawaiian Pork Rice Bowls

Ingredients:

3 lbs. boneless pork shoulder roast
2 teaspoons liquid smoke
1 tablespoon coarse sea salt
3 cups fresh stir-fry vegetable mixture
1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
6 cups cooked white rice
1 cup chopped fresh pineapple
1/3 cup sliced green onion

Directions:

Spray 5- to 6-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Place pork in slow cooker; drizzle liquid smoke on top of pork, and sprinkle with coarse sea salt. Cover and cook on low heat setting 7 to 8 hours.

Carefully transfer pork to large cutting board. When cool enough to handle, shred pork with 2 forks; discard fat and cartilage. Strain juices in slow cooker, and add 3/4 cup of strained juices to the shredded pork. Cover and keep warm.

Meanwhile, in 10-inch nonstick skillet, heat 1/ cup water and the vegetable mixture over medium-high heat. Cover and steam 5 minutes; add teriyaki sauce, and continue cooking uncovered about 2 minutes or until tender-crisp.

Divide rice among 6 serving bowls; top each with 3/4 cup shredded pork, teriyaki vegetables, pineapple, and green onion. Serve with additional teriyaki sauce, if desired. Any remaining pork can be refrigerated for another use.

Source: Pillsbury. You can find it here.

 

If you want to add another taste of the tropics, try some dragon fruit! I had never had any before, but I bought some on an impulse buy the other day and it was fantastic. I would describe the taste and texture as a lot like kiwi fruit. Cut the fruit in half and eat the white fruit out of each half with a spoon.

 

From My Sister-in-Law's Blog

 

My lovely sister-in-law has a blog of her own where she shares recipes and DYI projects. This is a yummy and easy recipe that I found on her blog that I wanted to share here (and give a shout out to go check out her blog, Spoonful of Fun!).

Crockpot Chicken and Gravy

Ingredients:

2 (0.87 oz) packets dry chicken gravy
1 (10.75 oz) can cream of chicken soup
2 cups water
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Garlic powder, to taste
Pepper, to taste
1/8 cup sour cream, optional
Rice or mashed potatoes

Directions:

Season chicken breasts with garlic powder and pepper.

In slow cooker, whisk together the gravy packets, cream of chicken, and water.

Add chicken and cover with gravy.

Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours.

Shred chicken.

Stir in sour cream, if desired.

Serve over rice or mashed potatoes.

Source: Again, this came from my wonderful sister-in-law, Robin. You can check out her blog here.

Notes: I served this over mashed potatoes and rice. I personally preferred the rice. The sauce over the rice really popped. Perhaps it was because I went the easy route and made instant mashed potatoes though (I was busy!) rather than making mashed potatoes from scratch. It was delicious either way though. This was so easy and it was such a welcome dinner on a crazy weeknight.

This Really Is the Easiest

 

If you want a super easy dinner to throw together in your slow cooker, this is it. I love dinners I can throw in my slow cooker in the morning and forget about...until that wonderful smell reminds me that dinner is already ready.

 

Easy Chili Verde

Ingredients:

1 boneless pork shoulder roast (4-5 pounds), cut into 1-inch pieces (or cubed pork stew meat can be used)
3 cans (10 ounces each) green enchilada sauce
1 cup salsa verde
1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies
1/2 teaspoon salt
hot cooked rice
Sour cream, optional
Chopped cilantro, optional

Directions:

In a 5-qt. slow cooker, combine pork, enchilada sauce, salsa verde, green chilies, and salt. Cook, coverd, on low-5-6 hours or until pork is tender. Serve with rice. If desired, top with sour cream.

Yield: 12 servings (3 quarts)

Nutrition information: (calculated without rice and sour cream): 287 calories, 17 g fat, 90 mg cholesterol, 729 mg sodium, 5 g carbohydrate, 27 g protein.

Source: Taste of Home submitted by Julie Rowland. You can find it here.

 

Turkey Time! Part 3

 

Here's the last recipe I found this year to use up my turkey leftovers. It was really great! Plus, since my kids liked it, it's a winner in my book.

Turkey a la King with Rice

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter
1 3/4 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1 celery rib, chopped
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 cup fat-free milk
2 cups cubed cooked turkey breast
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups hot cooked rice

Directions:

In a large nonstick skillet, heat butter over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, celery, onion, and pepper; cook and stir until tender.

In a small bowl, mix flour and broth until smooth; stir into vegetable mixture. Stir in milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Add turkey, peas, and salt; heat through. Serve with rice.

Yield: 4 servings.

Source: Taste of Home. You can find it here.

Notes: I loved this. I loved that it was so different than Thanksgiving dinner. I loved the freshness that the peas and mushrooms brought to it. It was delicious served over rice. This recipe is a keeper.

The Easy Way Out

 

I have a new baby (now a little over three months old), and you can bet your boots that I am looking for easy meals to make for my family until we get on a better schedule. Here is a great recipe I found.

Slow-Cooker Creamy Ranch Pork Chops

Ingredients:

4 bone-in pork loin chops (2 lbs.)
1 package (1 oz) ranch dressing and seasoning mix
2 cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup milk
White rice, for serving
Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish, optional

Direction:

Place pork chops in the slow cooker.

Mix ranch dressing and seasoning mix, cream of mushroom soup, and milk and pour over pork chops.

Cover and cook on Low heat setting 5 to 6 hours or until fork-tender. Serve pork chops and sauce over rice. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley, if desired.

Source: Pillsbury. You can find it here.

Notes: I changed this recipe from the original. The original recipe used a can of Progresso creamy mushroom soup--which I didn't have on hand. Since I had condensed cream of mushroom soup, I used that. The original recipe also called for cornstarch to thicken the sauce, but I felt that the sauce was a good consistency, so I omitted that.

This was really easy to throw together for a family weeknight meal. I didn't have any fresh parsley (it would have looked a lot prettier with that color differentiation), but it tasted great anyway!

Serve Over Rice

 

 

 

Here are a handful of great recipes to serve over rice. They will really hit the spot. Be sure to check out my notes for the two chicken recipes that aren't made in the slow cooker. I loved the sauce recipes for these, but I didn't really love the chicken preparation method. I much prefer this recipe for the chicken preparation. So, my advice would be to prepare the chicken this way and then add the different kinds of sauces offered in the other recipes.

Mongolian Beef Copycat Recipe

Ingredients:

1 pound flank steak, thinly sliced across the grain
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 green onions, thinly sliced

Sauce:

1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
2 teaspoons vegetable oil

Directions:

In a medium bowl, whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, 2 teaspoons vegetable oil and 1/2 cup water. Heat soy sauce mixture in a medium saucepan until slightly thickened, about 5-10 minutes; set aside.

In a large bowl, combine flank steak and cornstarch.

Heat 1/2 cup vegetable oil in a large saucepan. Add beef and fry until browned and cooked through, about 1-2 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate; discard excess oil.

Add beef and soy sauce mixture to the saucepan over medium heat and cook until sauce thickens, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in green onions.

Serve immediately.

Source: Damn Delicious, you can find it here.

Notes: This will get gobbled up fast. You have been warned.

Asian Honey Chicken

Ingredients:

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup vegetable oil

Sauce:

1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 cup honey
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or more, to taste

Directions:

Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.

Working one at a time, dredge chicken in flour, dip into buttermilk, then dredge in flour again, pressing to coat.

Working in batches, add chicken to the skillet, 3 or 4 at a time, and cook until evenly golden and crispy, about 2 minutes on each side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.

In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water; set aside.

In a small saucepan over medium high heat, combine honey, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and stir in cornstarch mixture until sesame oil and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and stir in cornstarch mixture until slightly thickened, about 2-3 minutes; set aside.

Serve chicken immediately, drizzled with honey glaze.

Source: Damn Delicious, you can find it here. Adapted from Oh Sweet Basil, which you can find here.

Notes: Again, I preferred this preparation for the chicken. So, prepare the chicken this way and then add the sauce from this recipe to mix up the flavors.

Lighter General Tso's Chicken

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch chunks
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs, beaten
2 cups crushed corn flakes

Sauce:

1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/3 cup hoisin sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons cornstarch

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Coat a cooling rack with nonstick spray and place on a baking sheet; set aside.

Working in batches, dredge chicken in flour, dip into eggs, then dredge in crushed corn flakes, pressing to coat.

Place onto prepared baking sheet and coat with nonstick spray. Place into oven and bake until golden brown and crisp, about 13-15 minutes.

In a large saucepan over medium high heat, combine chicken broth, hoisin, rice vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, and cornstarch until thickened, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in chicken and gently toss to combine.

Serve immediately.

Source: Damn Delicious, you can find it here. Adapted from these two sources here and here.

Notes: For me, the corn flakes didn't stay crunchy and this was really a time consuming chicken preparation method. So, I prefer this chicken method of preparation and then add this sauce to mix up the flavor.

Slow Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken

Ingredients:

1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 green onion, thinly sliced for garnish
Sesame seeds, for garnish

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine onion, garlic, honey, soy sauce, ketchup, vegetable oil, and red pepper.

Season with chicken thighs with salt and pepper, to taste. Place chicken thighs into a slow cooker. Add honey mixture and gently toss to combine. Cover and cook on low heat for 3 hours and 30 minutes.

Remove chicken thighs from the slow cooker and shred the chicken before returning to the pot with the juices. Cover and keep warm for an additional 30 minutes.

Serve immediately, garnished with green onions and sesame seeds, if desired.

Source: Damn Delicious, you can find it here. Adapted from this recipe.

Notes: This was super easy and easy on a crazy weekday is always a good thing.

Slow Cooker Butter Chicken

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 onion, diced
1 (14 ounce) can light coconut milk
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons garam masala (I used 3 teaspoons)
1 teaspoon curry powder (I used 2 teaspoons)
1/2 teaspoon chili powder, or more, to taste
1/2 teaspoon ginger powder
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Add garlic and onion, and cook, stirring frequently, until onions have become translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in coconut milk, tomato paste, flour, garam masala, curry powder, chili powder, and ginger powder until well combined and slightly thickened, about 1-2 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Place chicken in slow cooker. Add sauce mixture and gently toss to combine. Cover and cook on low heat for 5 hours.

Serve immediately, garnished with cilantro, if desired.

Source: Damn Delicious, you can find it here. Adapted from this recipe.

Notes: Ahhhh, slow cooker, I truly do love you. You make my life so much easier.

The Easy Way

So, one of these days I plan to make an authentic, from scratch version of chili verde. I have found a lot of great looking recipes. However, the authentic recipes also seem very labor intensive. As a result, for now I have chosen to go the easier route.

Here is a super easy slow cooker version of pork chile verde for you to try.

Pork Chili Verde

Ingredients:

1 boneless pork sirloin roast (3 pounds), cut into 1-inch cubes
4 medium carrots, sliced
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 can (28 ounces) green enchilada sauce
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
1 cup minced fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water
Hot cooked rice
Flour tortillas, warmed

Directions:

In a large skillet, saute the pork, carrots, onion, and garlic in oil in batches until pork is browned. Transfer to a 5-qt. slow cooker. Add the enchilada sauce, jalapenos, and cilantro. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or until meat is tender.

In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and water until smooth; stir into pork mixture. Cover and cook on high for 30 minutes or until thickened. Serve with rice and tortillas.

Yield: 8 servings.

Source: Taste of Home. You can find it here.

Notes: I just couldn't bring myself to use the carrots. They just seemed out of place. So, I skipped them. I loved this. It was really flavorful, and super easy. I bought the pork already cut into cubes to save me some time.

Since I Can't Take My Boys

 

My oldest son is allergic to tree nuts, so we can't take him out for Chinese food because of the possibility of cross contamination (since most Chinese restaurants make Cashew Chicken or Honey Walnut Shrimp). Before we realized that this was just too much of a risk to take, my son developed a love of fried rice and Chinese chicken. So, I have been hunting down recipes that I can make at home to satisfy that craving (for all of us!).

I just made this, and it is fantastic. I can't wait to try more of (and eventually all of) the Asian inspired recipes on Chung-Ah's site!

Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken

Ingredients:

Chicken:

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1-inch chunks
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup cornstarch
2 large eggs, beaten
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Sauce:

3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon soy sauce (I used 2 tablespoons)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (I used 1 teaspoon of bottled minced garlic)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly oil a 9x13-inch baking dish or coat with nonstick spray.

To make the sauce, whisk together sugar, vinegar, ketchup, soy sauce, and garlic powder in a large bowl; set aside.

In a large bowl, season chicken with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in cornstarch and gently toss to combine. Working one at a time, dip the chicken into the eggs.

Heat vegetable oil in a large saucepan. Add chicken and cook until golden brown, about 1-2 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate; discard excess oil.

Add chicken to prepared baking dish. Top with sweet and sour sauce. Place into oven and bake until the sauce has thickened, about 55 minutes, turning over every 15 minutes to evenly coat the chicken.

Serve immediately.

Source: You can find it here. It was inspired by this recipe which is slightly different.


Notes: Holy cow, this was so good! I can't believe how much it tasted like something you would get in a Chinese restaurant. I chose this recipe simply based on the ingredients I had on hand (it was a last minute decision to make this). However, now I can't wait to try other recipes on this site!

Another Chinese Chicken Recipe

This one sounds a lot like the very last recipe that we posted (Lemon Chicken), but it is totally different in flavor. I loved this! I'm thinking that Chinese chicken over rice is one of my new go-to dinner staples.

Sweet, Sticky, and Spicy Chicken

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 teaspoons chopped fresh ginger root
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
2 tablespoons hot sauce (I opted to use 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes instead)
Salt and pepper, to taste
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1/2 inch strips (and dredged in 1/4 cup flour seasoned with salt and pepper, see notes)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Directions:

Mix together brown sugar, honey, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and hot sauce in a small bowl.

Lightly salt and pepper the chicken strips.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken strips and brown on both sides, about 1 minute per side. Pour the sauce over the chicken. Simmer uncovered until the sauce thickens, 8 to 10 minutes.

Source: Allrecipes.com, submitted by kate. You can find it here.

Notes: I doubled the sauce. You know me. I like things saucy. I also took a note from the last recipe (Lemon Chicken) and decided to coat the chicken in flour to give it a nice browned and breaded texture (as well as to help thicken the sauce).

The Type of Ingredient You Get Handed to You on Chopped

 

I love to watch the T.V. show that's on the Food Network called "Chopped."  It's fascinating to see chefs handed something that's outside of the box.  This recipe has just that type of ingredient and it worked better than I could have imagined.

Lemon Chicken

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds chicken breast or chicken tenders, cut into chunks

1/4 cup all-purpose unbleached flour

Coarse salt

2 tablespoons wok or vegetable oil, 2 turns of the pan (preferred brand: House of Tsang)

1 tablespoon (a splash) white or rice wine vinegar

1/2 cup chicken broth or stock

8 ounces (1 cup) prepared lemon curd

1/4 cup hot water

1 lemon, zested

2 scallions, thinly sliced or 20 blades fresh chives, finely chopped

Directions:

Coat the chunked chicken lightly in flour, seasoned with a little salt.  Heat a large skilled or a wok-shaped nonstick pan over high heat.  Stir fry chicken until golden, 3 or 4 minutes.  Remove chicken from the pan and return pan to heat.  Reduce heat to medium.

Add a splash of vinegar to the pan and let it evaporate. Add stock or broth to the pan and scrape up any drippings with a whisk. Thin curd by stirring in a little hot water. Add curd to broth and whisk to combine. Add chicken back to the pan and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes to thicken sauce and finish cooking chicken pieces through. Remove the pan from heat, add the scallion or chives and zest, and toss chicken pieces well to combine zest and scallions or chives evenly throughout the sauce. Serve other rice.

Rachel Ray's cooks notes: Wok oil infused with ginger and garlic is usually available on the International Foods aisle in many markets. Lemon curd is sweet lemon spread available in most markets. It is on the jam/jelly isle.

Source: Rachel Ray, found on Food Network. You can find the recipe here.   

Notes: I made it too! This was posted by my mom, but I tried it too (both of us made it independently of the other, without the others' knowledge). I just HAD to try this. I mean, it sounded so intriguing! Could this really taste like Chinese lemon chicken with so few ingredients, and while using such an interesting ingredient like lemon curd? Well, do you know what? It totally works. I loved this. It was so tasty!

Oh, and I didn't find lemon curd on my jam and jelly aisle. For my grocery store, it was on the baking aisle by the pie filling.

A Great Discovery

This dinner was such a nice change of pace. The rice is so simple, and yet it was so flavorful. I never thought of adding these flavors to rice before. It was really yummy.

Teriyaki Chicken with Rice Salad

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
6 tablespoons rice vinegar, divided
1 smashed garlic clove
4 cups cooled cooked rice
1 cup sliced cucumber
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Directions:

In a small saucepan, combine soy sauce, honey, and 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, and garlic; bring to a boil and reduce by half.

Toss together rice and cucumber; dress with 5 tablespoons rice vinegar and sesame oil; season. Grill chicken, brushing with soy glaze and turning often.

Serve chicken with rice salad.

Source: Everyday Food, July/August 2013. You can find it here.

Notes: I doubled the sauce, and I broiled the chicken rather than grilling it. I would maybe triple the sauce in the future and use some for dipping. This was really good. As I mentioned, I loved the rice salad. It was just a nice change from our normal weeknight dinners. Yummy stuff!

Lighter Version of a Classic

I had wanted to try the recipe for Chicken Tikka Massala that my sister posted for a long time now. You can see that wonderful recipe here. I also found a lightened up slow cooker version that I also wanted to try. The only thing that had held me back this long was garam massala. It is a spice that isn't found in every store and was certainly not in my own pantry yet. However, the time had come! Garam massala was not to be found at Smith's, but Harmon's had it. The rest of the ingredients are very easy to obtain. Garam massala is the unique flavor behind this dish though, so it is a must.

I tried both recipes and they were both awesome. The Weight Watchers slow cooker version is very tasty---and very kid friendly. The original version provided by my sister is much richer and spicier (so not as friendly for little kids because of the spicy factor).

So, depending on what version you are in the mood for, make some Chicken Tikka Massala in your own home and skip the take-out!

Weight Watchers Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Massala

Ingredients:

28 oz canned crushed tomatoes
1 small uncooked onion, minced
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp ginger root, fresh, minced
2 Tbsp garam masala
1 Tbsp dark brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
2 pounds uncooked boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 Tbsp kosher salt
1/2 cup plain low-fat Greek yogurt
1/4 cup cilantro, fresh, chopped (optional)

Directions:

Combine all ingredients, except yogurt and cilantro, in slow cooker. Cook on high for 3 to 4 hours or low for 6 to 8 hours. Stir in yogurt and cilantro.

Yields about 1 cup chicken with sauce per serving.

Recipe Notes: Chicken thighs can hold up to a long, slow cook time--they may shred if left in for too long, but the dish will still be just as delicious.

You can easily double this recipe. It freezes well.

Source: Weight Watchers website. It is 8 points per serving (which doesn't include the rice). You can find it here.

Notes: I grated my ginger instead of mincing it simply because I hate mincing ginger. I used light brown sugar because I didn't have dark brown sugar on hand. I used chicken breasts that I had cubed in place of the chicken thighs. Again, because I had chicken breasts and not thighs on hand. I didn't have Kosher salt, just regular salt, so I only used about 1 teaspoon. I also used full fat Greek yogurt.

This tasted so great. I blended my onions because I had my sister over to dinner and she hates onion, but I didn't want to leave it out. This changed the color and texture slightly, but it was still delicious. Also, the Greek yogurt was difficult to mix in completely, so you can see some white speckles in the sauce from the yogurt. I think non-Greek yogurt would have blended in a little more smoothly, but I didn't mind the speckles and it tasted great.

 

Above: This is my sister's recipe for Chicken Tikka Massala. Again, you can find that here. This one has a little bit more time consuming preparations, but it is fantastic. Spot on to what you would get at an Indian restaurant. The cream adds some richness to the sauce, and this version is much spicier than the Weight Watchers version.

A Great Dinner Idea

This is a recipe I tried because I had most of the ingredients on hand, so it wasn't too hard to just add a couple of things to my grocery list. This was really good. My husband and I liked it a lot. My boys ate the chicken and wouldn't touch the rice. You do what you can, eh?

Chipotle Chicken and Rice

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 2 pound total)
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced lengthwise
3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 canned chipotle chiles in adobo, minced
2 large tomatoes, diced large
1 cup long-grain white rice
Lime wedges, for serving
Chopped cilantro leaves, for serving

Directions:

In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat oil over medium-high. Season chicken on both sides with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Working in batches, brown chicken on both sides, about 5 minutes total; transfer to a plate.

Reduce heat to medium. Add onion and saute until soft, about 5 minutes, scraping up any browned bits from bottom of pot (if necessary, add a bit of water to release browned bits).

Add garlic, cumin, and chiles; cook until garlic is soft and fragrant, 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and 1 teaspoon salt and cook until tomatoes begin to break down and release their juice, 3 minutes. Stir in 1 cup water and return chicken and any accumulated juices to pot. .Cover, reduce to a simmer, and cook 25 minutes.

Remove several pieces of chicken and stir in rice, making sure it is completely submerged in liquid. Replace chicken, cover, and cook until rice is tender, and liquid has been absorbed, 25 to 30 minutes more. Serve with lime wedges and cilantro, if desired.

Serves 4

Nutrition information: 474 calories, 18.4 g fat, 31.8 g protein, 43.5 g carb, 1.8 g fiber.

Source: Martha Stewart Everyday Food. You can find it here.

Notes: I added one more tomato (for a total of three). I also used chicken breasts instead of thighs. I had the chicken breasts on hand already, so I decided to use those instead of buying thighs.

I would also suggest watching the level of liquid when you add the rice. I think my rice needed just a little more water to make it just right. Even so, this was such a great meal. So easy to put together and very tasty. The lime adds such a nice pop. I would suggest serving this with sour cream as well as the lime and cilantro.