Indian Butter Chicken

I first learned about butter chicken through work potlucks at my previous employer. So delicious! Many thanks to the ladies there who educated me about so many different ethnic cuisines.

1 cup butter, divided
1 onion, minced
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 can tomato paste
3 cups cream (I used 2 cups cream and 1 cup milk)
2 tsp salt
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp garam masala

3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized chunks
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp tandoori masala

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Melt a few tablespoons of butter in a skilled over medium heat. Stir onion and garlic, and cook slowly until the onion caramelizes to a dark brown, about 15 minutes

Meanwhile melt the remaining butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat along with the tomato sauce, cream, salt, cayenne pepper, and garam masala. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then stir in caramelized onions.

While the sauce is simmering, toss the cubed chicken breast with vegetable oil until coated, then season with tandoori masala and spread out onto a baking sheet. Bake chicken in preheated oven until no longer pink in the center, about 12 minutes (this step can also be done ahead of time).

Once done, add the chicken to the sauce and simmer for 5 minutes before serving. Serve over rice.

Soft Sugar Cookies

The picture really says it all, how can you resist these cookies?? Delicious!



Cookies:

6 cups flour, divided

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 cup butter, at room temperature

2 cups granulated sugar

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cups light sour cream

Frosting:

1 cup butter, at room temperature

1 tsp vanilla

3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

heavy cream, enough to get the frosting to the right consistency (I used 2 tbsp)

sprinkles!

For the cookies:

In a medium bowl, whisk 5 cups of flour, baking soda, and baking powder; set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer (or by hand if you're like me...) with the flat beater attached, cream the butter and granulated sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add the eggs, one at a time beating until each is incorporated. Add the vanilla and sour cream and beat at low speed until combined.

Add the dry ingredients and beat at low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds, scraping down the bowl as needed. Dough needs to obtain the right consistency for rolling, so add additional flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until this is achieved (up to 1 cup more flour). Divide dough into two sections. Flatten and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator overnight.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or spray with nonstick cooking spray, set aside.

Generously flour a work area and rolling pin. With a rolling pin, roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thickness. Using a 2 1/2 inch round cookie cutter, cut out circles and transfer to a baking sheet. Bake for 7-8 minutes, until pale golden. Immediately transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool.

For the frosting:

To make the frosting, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and vanilla. Slowly beat in the powdered sugar. Once smooth and creamy, add in heavy cream, 1 tbsp at a time until the desired consistency is achieved.

Once cookies have cooled completed, frost and add sprinkles. Allow frosting to set, then store in an air-tight container. Makes approx 5 1/2 dozen cookies.

Adapted from http://www.thenovicechefblog.com/2011/08/i-sprinkles/

Peppernuts!

These bite sized spice cookies are a Mennonite Christmas tradition. I have helped my Mom make them in the past, but this year I thought I'd attempt to make some myself. They turned out pretty good!

In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients:

5 cups flour
1 tbsp cinnamon
1/2 tbsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground star aniseed
1/2 tsp cloves

In another bowl cream 1/2 cup butter or margarine. Add 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 tbsp vanilla and 2 cups corn syrup and mix well. Add in dry ingredients. Works best to mix this dough with greased hands. Work until dough is smooth. If need be, add 1-2 tsp water. Roll dough into long ropes and place on a cookie sheet. Freeze the ropes so they are easier to handle.



Take out one cookie sheet at a time and slice into little chunks.

As you place on the cookie sheet, press down to flatten a bit.

Bake on greased cookie sheets for approximately 10 minutes at 350 degrees. These ones turned out a little crunchy, but not too hard. Yum!

Roasted Tomato Soup

Now if I had been thinking, I'd have taken pictures of the actual roasting process. Unfortunately I did not . . .  I roasted them a couple days before actually making the soup. Sorry! : )

In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat; cook onion, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until softened. Add the roasted tomatoes, stock, 1 1/2 cups water, sugar and basil; bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

Now you could let it cool for a few minutes and then blend in a blender or food processor, but I used my immersion blender and did it right in the pot. I'm all about less dishes. I have too many to wash as it is.

Heat soup through, if it cooled down any. Add any salt or pepper if needed.

Yum! Would be good topped with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese (but I didn't have any). Or add a little cream or milk and some crackers.

Here's the recipe for the soup, followed by the recipe for the roasted tomatoes:

40 roasted tomato halves
2 tsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
2 tsp sugar
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp parmesan or asiago cheese (optional)

Roasted Tomatoes

4 lbs ripe plum tomatoes (about 20 whole)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp each salt & pepper

Trim stems off tomatoes and cut in half lengthwise. Arrange, cut side up on a large foil-lined rimmed baking sheet.

Stir together garlic, basil and oil; brush over tomatoes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake in 400F oven for about an hour or until softened, shrivelled and edges begin to darken.

Zuppa Toscana

What a perfect soup for a cool day! This is a version of the soup made famous by Olive Garden. So good!

1 lb ground Italian sausage (I used spicy to give it some kick because I didn't have the next ingredient)
1 1/2 tsp crushed red peppers
1 large diced white onion
4 tbsp bacon pieces
2 tsp garlic, minced
10 cups water
5 cubes of chicken bouillon
1 cup heavy cream
3 large potatoes, sliced
1/4 of a bunch of kale

Saute Italian sausage and crushed red pepper in a large pot. Drain excess fat, refrigerate while you prepare other ingredients.

In the same pan, saute bacon, onions and garlic over low-medium heat for approximately 15 min or until the onions are soft.

Add chicken bouillon and water to the pot and heat until it starts to boil. Add the sliced potatoes and cook until soft, about half an hour.

Add the heavy cream and cook until thoroughly heated. Stir in the sausage and kale. Heat through and serve.

Mini Donut Muffins

So it's been awhile since I've posted anything on here. I have been cooking, but I've been too lazy to take pictures or post anything. But I did a little baking today and I took pictures! You know those delicious mini donuts you can find at The Ex and all those summer carnivals and fairs? The ones that are bad for you, but taste so good? Well these muffins are pretty close to that. And I consider them a somewhat "healthier" version, since there is no deep frying involved. Enjoy!

1/3 cup butter or margarine

2/3 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups flour

2 tsps baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

3/4 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a medium bowl cream butter/margarine and sugar until light and fluffy. Then add eggs and vanilla and beat until well blended.

Mix dry ingredients and add to the creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk and stir until well combined. Spoon batter into a lightly greased muffin tin.

Bake for 16 minutes or until golden in colour.

Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes, until you able to handle them. Dip tops of muffins in melted butter/margarine and roll in sugar/cinnamon mixture (1/2 cup sugar and 1 tbsp cinnamon).

Makes 12 muffins.

*From Mennonite Girls Can Cook

Grilled Potato Chips?

This is super easy and a nice addition to a burger or sandwich. Just slice a large baking potato into 1/4 inch slices. Use a crinkle cutter if you have one to make them look more like ripple potato chips. Then just toss them with some olive oil and sprinkle with salt & pepper. You can also season with whatever spices you like. Then place directly on the BBQ grill over medium heat and let cook for about 8-10 minutes. Flip them over and grill until soft in the middle and nice and golden brown (or until they are as crispy as you like them, without burning them!).

Quinoa Salad

So I'd been hearing lots about quinoa (pronounced "keen-wa") lately. So I thought I'd check it out. Quinoa is a grain that originates from the Andes Mountains of South America. It was one of the three staple foods, along with corn and potatoes of the Inca civilization. It doesn't look like much, but its actually really good.

1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
1/2 English cucumber, diced
1 pepper (red, orange, green, whatever you prefer, or a combination), chopped
1/2 medium red onion, chopped
1 cup cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tbsp dijon mustard
2 tsp dried oregano
Salt & pepper
5-6 fresh basil leaves, sliced thinly
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

Quinoa usually needs to be rinsed first, so put the quinoa into a pot and run some warm water into the pot. Let sit for 3 minutes and then drain the water. Then add the 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 7-10 minutes. Drain.

While the quinoa is cooking, chop up the veggies. You can be creative with the veggies, use what you have (I have also used corn kernals).

In a bowl or jar, combine the olive oil, vinegar, garlic powder, onion powder, dijon mustard and oregano. Season with salt & pepper. Stir well to combine.

Once the quinoa is cooked and cooled slightly, mix together with the veggies, basil, feta cheese and dressing.

Orzo Salad

This recipe is very vague, you can kind of use however much you'd like of most of these ingredients.

1 cup orzo (uncooked)
mozzarella (cut in small chunks)
cherry tomatoes (or regular as I didn't have cherry at the time)
1/2 cup fresh basil, thinly sliced
2 tbsp balsamic vinaigrette
toasted pine nuts
balsamic vinegar
salt & pepper

Cook orzo according to package directions and cool. Add balsamic vinaigrette and toss to coat. Add toasted pine nuts, mozzarella, tomatoes and basil. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar before serving.

Chicken Quesadillas with Carmelized Onions & Peppers

I made this about a week ago already and just haven't had time to post it until now. Another wonderful version of the quesadilla. Makes for an easy and fairly quick dinner. I'll give you the full recipe, but I have only made one at a time, so feel free to alter as needed.

2 cups cooked chicken, cubed or shredded
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 bell peppers, thinkly sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups cheddar cheese, grated
8 - 10" flour tortillas

Heat oil in a 10 inch pan; add onion and peppers until onions are caramelized. You may also wish to add the chicken to warm it up a bit. Remove and set aside.

Sprinkle a small amount of grated cheese in the hot pan. Place one tortilla on top of the cheese and pat it down on the cheese. Layer the chicken, onions and peppers and more cheese. Place another tortilla on top. Use a flat plastic spatula to carefully lift the bottom tortilla from the pan so the cheese is no longer stuck to the pan. When the cheese inside the quesadilla has melted slightly and the tortilla can be easily lifted from the pan, carefully flip the quesadilla and heat thoroughly. Slide the quesadilla from the pan to a cutting board.

Repeat the process to make three more quesadillas.

*From Mennonite Girls Can Cook

Shredded Roast Beef Sandwich

Super easy to make! I just tossed the roast in my slow cooker in the morning and it was perfect when I got home from work.

1 boneless beef roast
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 beef bouillon cube
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp garlic powder
French bread slices or rolls, toasted

Place roast in the slow cooker (you can remove visible fat beforehand). In a medium bowl, combine soy sauce, bouillon, bay leaf, pepper, rosemary, thyme and garlic powder. Pour mixture over the roast and add enough water to almost cover roast. Cover and cook on low heat for 10-12 hours, or until meat is very tender.

Remove the roast from the slow cooker and shred with a fork. Don't toss the broth! Place shredded beef on toasted rolls and top with some mustard. Dip sandwich in broth.

Creamy Pesto Penne

Oh, this is delicious! I was inspired after having something similar at The Old Spaghetti Factory. And this reheats in the microwave really nicely. Yum!

1 package (454g) penne pasta
2 tbsp olive oil
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
1 small onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
1 pinch salt
1 pinch pepper
1 1/2 cups grated Romano cheese (I used a combo of Parmesan & Feta instead)
1 cup prepared basil pesto
1/2 cup mushrooms, chopped
1 cup cherry tomatoes

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package directions.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken pieces and cook until no longer pink. Add onion and garlic and saute until translucent. Dissolve flour in milk, then stir in. Season with salt and pepper, and simmer until sauce starts to thicken, stirring constantly. Add cheese and stir until melted. Stir in pesto, mushrooms and tomatoes. Cook 4 minutes or until heated through. Toss with pasta until evenly coated.

Butter Chickpea Curry

This is a pretty good veggie version of butter chicken, but I've had the real thing many times and I'm not sure this would replace it.

4 medium potatoes, cubed
2 tbsps canola oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 tsp minced garlic
2 tsps curry powder
2 tsps garam masala (I used tandori masala)
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1 can condensed tomato soup
1/2 cup cream or milk
1 can chickpeas, rinsed & drained
Cooked rice

Place potatoes in a pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil over high heat; simmer until the potatoes are tender. Drain and set aside.

Saute onions and garlic in oil over medium heat until onions are soft and translucent. Stir in curry powder, garam masala, ginger, cumin, and salt. Cook for 1 or 2 minutes, stirring. Pour in soup, cream and chickpeas. Stir in potatoes. Simmer 5 minutes. Serve over rice.

Breakfast Cookies?!?

If you put enough "healthy" ingredients in these cookies I think you can jusifiably eat them for breakfast. I will at least! This is a modified version of Kim's "Big Chewy Raisin Cookies".

1 1/2 cups cranberries (divided in two)
1/3 cup water
1/2 cup margarine
1 egg
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup ground flax
1 1/4 cup rolled oats (not instant)
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup coconut

Pre-heat oven to 275F. Lightly grease two cookie sheets. Set aside.

In blender, combine 1/2 cup of the cranberries with the water and blend until pureed. Mix together the puree, margarine, egg, brown sugar and vanilla until smooth.

In another bowl, stir together the flours, ground flax, oats, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the puree mixture and beat until all the ingredients are evenly mixed. Stir in remaining cranberries and the coconut. You could also add nuts, sunflower seeds, etc. Be creative!

Roll into golf ball sized balls and place on cookie sheet 2 inches apart. Bake 18-20 minutes or until lightly browned on bottom, but still soft in the middle.

Cheesy Cauliflower Soup

Today is Louis Riel Day, so a long weekend for me! I decided to do a bit of cooking and have kept busy most of the day. Cheesy soup and scones. Yum!



1 large head cauliflower, cut into small florets
1 carrot, grated
1 stalk celery, chopped
3 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
2 cups milk
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
parsley or chives (optional)

Cook cauliflower, carrot, and celery in chicken broth until tender. Do not drain. Mash vegetables with a potato masher.

Melt butter in large saucepan. Add onion and saute until limp. Do not brown. Blend in flour, salt, and pepper. Add milk. Heat and stir until it boils and thickens. Add cheese and stir until cheese melts. Add this sauce to mashed cauliflower mixture. Remove from heat and serve. Garnish with parsley or chopped chives, if desired.

Delicious served with a buttery cheddar scone. Recipe to follow... ;-)

*From Mennonite Girls Can Cook

Savory Cheddar Scones

Mmm...cheesy, buttery goodness!

3 cups flour
2 tbsps baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup butter
1 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
1 tsp dill weed
1 tbsp chives, finely snipped

Preheat oven to 400 F. Combine flour, baking powder and salt. Cut in butter to form pea-sized pieces. Add grated cheddar and herbs.

Mix eggs and buttermilk, and quickly add them to the flour mixture. Combine until just blended. Move the dough to a well-floured surface and knead a few times. Pat into a cirlce about 1-inch thick. Place dough on a parchment lined pie pan and cut into 8 wedges.

Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden.

Tip: The key to light and fluffy scones is to handle the dough as little as possible.

Goes well with soup!

* From Mennonite Girls Can Cook

Tortilla Lasagna

I was feeling like making a lasagna, but with a different twist. This is pretty simple to make really, no lasagna noodles to cook. And it was quite tasty!

6 tortillas (6 inches)
1 1/2 cups shredded or cubed cooked chicken breast (I used turkey)
1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup salsa
1 cup sour cream
4 green onions, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese (cheddar, mozza, whatever you prefer)

In a greased 2 1/2 qt casserole (or adjust quantities slightly if making in a 9x13 baking dish), arrange two tortillas. Top with a third of each of the above ingredients, chicken, kidney beans, salsa, sour cream, green onions, green pepper and cheese. Repeat tortilla and topping two more times, ending with the cheese.

Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Uncover; bake 10-15 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!