Chicken Tikka Masala

I'd been craving Indian food for a while (we had a favorite Indian spot in London) and I am a huge fan of Chicken Tikka Masala, which is actually English in origin rather than Indian, so when I saw a recipe in the Spring Entertaining edition of Cook's Illustrated I decided to give it a try.

It was pretty good and the leftovers made tasty lunches all week.  Given it's not the healthiest dish, I probably will head up to Chutney's on Capitol Hill next time I get the urge.  I'd give it 2.5 stars.

Serves 4 to 6.   

This dish is best when prepared with whole-milk yogurt, but low-fat yogurt can be substituted (I used low-fat). For a spicier dish, do not remove the ribs and seeds from the chile. If you prefer, substitute 2 teaspoons ground coriander, 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom, 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper for the garam masala. The sauce can be made ahead, refrigerated for up to 4 days in an airtight container, and gently reheated before adding the hot chicken. Serve with basmati rice.

INGREDIENTS

Chicken Tikka
1/2	teaspoon ground cumin
1/2	teaspoon ground coriander
1/4	teaspoon cayenne pepper
1	teaspoon table salt
2	pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts , trimmed of fat
1	cup plain whole-milk yogurt (see note above)
2	tablespoons vegetable oil
2	medium garlic cloves , minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
1	tablespoon grated fresh ginger
Masala Sauce
3	tablespoons vegetable oil
1	medium onion , diced fine (about 1 1/4 cups)
2	medium garlic cloves , minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
2	teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1	fresh serrano chile , ribs and seeds removed, flesh minced (see note above) I used a jalepeno because I had some on hand and it was the right amount of spice.
1	tablespoon tomato paste
1	tablespoon garam masala (see note above)
1	(28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2	teaspoons sugar
1/2	teaspoon table salt
2/3	cup heavy cream
1/4	cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

INSTRUCTIONS

1. 1. FOR THE CHICKEN: Combine cumin, coriander, cayenne, and salt in small bowl. Sprinkle both sides of chicken with spice mixture, pressing gently so mixture adheres. Place chicken on plate, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes. In large bowl, whisk together yogurt, oil, garlic, and ginger; set aside.

2. 2. FOR THE SAUCE: Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until light golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, chile, tomato paste, and garam masala; cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes, sugar, and salt; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in cream and return to simmer. Remove pan from heat and cover to keep warm.

3. 3. While sauce simmers, adjust oven rack to upper-middle position (about 6 inches from heating element) and heat broiler. Using tongs, dip chicken into yogurt mixture (chicken should be coated with thick layer of yogurt) and arrange on wire rack set in foil-lined rimmed baking sheet or broiler pan. Discard excess yogurt mixture. Broil chicken until thickest parts register 160 degrees on instant-read thermometer and exterior is lightly charred in spots, 10 to 18 minutes, flipping chicken halfway through cooking.

4. 4. Let chicken rest 5 minutes, then cut into 1-inch chunks and stir into warm sauce (do not simmer chicken in sauce). Stir in cilantro, adjust seasoning with salt, and serve.

Couscous with Fennel and Pine Nuts

Still working my way through the April Bon Appetite and being a huge fennel fan, I tried out their recipe for Couscous with Fennel and Pine Nuts.  It was pretty good, but probably makes a better side than a stand alone dish.  It didn't have a tremendous amount of flavor, but I didn't have any chives on hand so that likely had a big impact.

I give it 3 stars.  Would be a nice side with roast chicken.

Grilled Chicken Salad with Tarragon Pesto

I saw the recipe for Grilled Chicken Salad with Tarragon on the cover of April's Bon Appetit and it looked tasty and healthy (still trying to recover from indulging while on vacation) so I made it for lunch on a Sunday afternoon.

It makes a nice twist on your standard chicken salad and the tarragon adds a lovely spring flavor. I give it 3.5 stars and for a healthy salad that's pretty good!

Thai Beef

I picked up the latest Cook's Illustrated special edition issue "Spring Entertaining" and zeroed in on the Thai beef recipe.  I also just started up my Spud membership and saw they have local grass fed beef so I added some flank steak to my weekly order and spiced up our Sunday night dinner.  

Acutally, it was a tad too spicy for Greg, and I have to say, it was right up to my limit (the spice hid some of the more subtle flavors). Next time I'll probably cut the jalapenos down a bit but overall it was fast and delicious.  I served it with basamti rice.  Overall, I'd give it 3.5 stars, but a solid 4 once you adjust the heat down.

STIR-FRIED THAI-STYLE BEEF WITH CHILES AND SHALLOTS

Serves 4 with rice.   Published July 1, 2005.  

If you cannot find blade steaks, use flank steak (I used flank steak); because flank steak requires less trimming, you will need only about 1 3/4 pounds. To cut a flank steak into the proper-sized slices for stir-frying, first cut the steak with the grain into 1 1/2-inch strips, then cut the strips against the grain into 1/4-inch-thick slices. White pepper lends this stir-fry a unique flavor; black pepper is not a good substitute. Serve the stir-fry with steamed jasmine rice.

INGREDIENTS

Beef and Marinade
3/4	teaspoon ground coriander
1/8	teaspoon Ground white pepper - yes, spulrge on the white pepper, it makes a big difference (see above)
1	teaspoon light brown sugar
1	tablespoon fish sauce
2	pounds blade steak (or slightly less flank steak) , trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch-thick strips (see illustrations below)
Stir-Fry
2	tablespoons fish sauce
2	tablespoons rice vinegar
2	tablespoons water
1	tablespoon light brown sugar
1	tablespoon Asian chili-garlic paste
3	medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
3	tablespoons vegetable oil
3	serrano chiles or jalapeño chiles, halved, seeds and ribs removed, chiles cut crosswise 1/8 inch thick  (if you aren't a fan of really spicey food, consider less chilies)
3	medium shallots , trimmed of ends, peeled, quartered lengthwise, and layers separated
1/2	cup fresh mint leaves , large leaves torn into bite-sized pieces
1/2	cup fresh cilantro leaves
1/3	cup chopped unsalted roasted peanuts
	lime wedges for serving

INSTRUCTIONS

1. 1. FOR THE BEEF AND MARINADE: Combine coriander, white pepper, brown sugar, and fish sauce in large bowl. Add beef, toss well to combine; marinate 15 minutes.

2. 2. FOR THE STIR-FRY: In small bowl, stir together fish sauce, vinegar, water, brown sugar, and chili-garlic paste until sugar dissolves; set aside. In small bowl, mix garlic with 1 teaspoon oil; set aside. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until smoking; add one-third of beef to skillet in even layer. Cook, without stirring, until well browned, about 2 minutes, then stir and continue cooking until beef is browned around edges and no longer pink in the center, about 30 seconds. Transfer beef to medium bowl. Repeat with additional oil and remaining meat in 2 more batches.

3. 3. After transferring last batch of beef to bowl, reduce heat to medium; add remaining 2 teaspoons oil to now-empty skillet and swirl to coat. Add chiles and shallots and cook, stirring frequently, until beginning to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Push chile-shallot mixture to sides of skillet to clear center; add garlic to clearing and cook, mashing mixture with spoon, until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Stir to combine garlic with chile-shallot mixture. Add fish sauce mixture to skillet; increase heat to high and cook until slightly reduced and thickened, about 30 seconds. Return beef and any accumulated juices to skillet, toss well to combine and coat with sauce, stir in half of mint and cilantro; serve immediately, sprinkling individual servings with portion of peanuts and remaining herbs, and passing lime wedges separately.

Kisaku

Kisaku, Tangletown

Date - February 14, 2009

Background - For Valentine's Day we decided to take a long walk from our house to Greenlake, once around and back with Morgan.  About half way around the lake we decided we were hungry and after exploring Greenlake and realizing there weren't any really good options, we pushed on to Tangletown to one of our favorite Seattle sushi spots.

Atmosphere - Fine for a neighborhood spot but nothing exceptional.  It's fairly large and has a sushi bar.

Service - Once you are seated it's respectable, but the hosting and busing needs some serious reworking.  We've probably eaten here close to ten times and have always had to wait sometimes for as long as 45 minutes.  Usually there are quite a few tables open, but they just need to be cleared - a bit frustrating when you are starving!

Drink- Some wine but if we get anything, it's usually house sake

Food - Great sushi - consistently exceptional salmon.  I always get a salad here too as it's really fresh and their ginger dressing is really good.  

Verdict - 4 stars.  Nearly as good as Nishino but walking (long walk) distance from our house. 

Chicken Noodle Soup

I saved and froze the wing tips from the buffalo chicken wings I served at Super Bowl with the intention of using them to make chicken stock.  I added them to a large pot (lobster pot size) of water and put the burner on low for 12 (yes, 12) hours.  After that I added a few pepper corns, two small onions quartered, two carrots quartered, and a bay leaf and let it go another hour. After that I strained it and I had a generous amount of stock that will serve as the base for 2-3 large pots of soup.  I put 2/3rds of the stock into Tupperware containers and stuck them in the freezer for future endeavors.

I had some chicken thighs that I baked for about 20 minutes in the oven after I coated them with a little olive oil and salt & pepper.  While those were cooking, I sliced up some carrots and celery and softened them for about 5 minutes in some olive oil.  I then added the chicken stock and brought it to a boil.  

Growing up my Grandma Vera serve us chicken soup with stars so when I found pasta stars in Italy, I brought a few boxes home with me.  I added a box of stars to the soup and let it cook for about 7 minutes.  After that I added salt and pepper and a bit of chopped parsley - this gave it a rustic, home made touch.

I served it with La Brea Bakery rolls and it was a great, healthy meal.  Count G told me it's the best chicken noodle soup he's ever had - he said the stars pushed it over the edge.

Potato Wrapped Halibut and Sauteed Spinich

This photo of potato wrapped halibut and sauteed spinach sucked me in in this month's Bon Appetite.  Well, I wouldn't say this one is for armatures hence the difference between the two photos.  

The tough part is getting the potatoes to stay wrapped around the fish, but it was pretty tasty so I would give it a go if you are up for a challenge.

A few tips:

- The thinner the potato slices, the more they'll stay around the fish

- My fish was too thick.  Try and get fillets that are the .5 to .75 inches the recipe recommends

- It's never enough spinch...it always shrinks to almost nothing!

- I had extra potatoes so I sliced them thin, put them in  a zip lock bag with a bit of oil and gave them a shake.  I put them on cookie sheets in a 400 degree oven for about 7 minutes and I had tasty baked potato chips to accompany the meal.

Irish Times

With St. Patty's Day around the corner, I decided to use it as an excuse to have a few friends over for a dinner party. 

The menu was similar to one we cooked last year for some friends in London:

• Guinness and champagne (avoided the black velvets this year and just had the champagne on it's own)
• A selection of Irish cheeses including a cheddar, cheddar with whiskey, cheddar with ale and a Neal's Yard blue
• Irish Stew - This is quickly becoming a Count specialty.  It was delicious.
• Irish Soda Bread - Very easy for bread
• Green Salad - Nothing special but needed some greens
• Chocolate Guinness Cake - A Nigella Lawson recipe, you can't really taste the Guinness, but it makes the cake really moist.  
• Bailey's Irish Cream

The frosting is suppose to look like the head on a pint of Guinness

My one tip with this menu is the timing of the bread and the stew can be tough as they both need the oven and are at different temperatures.  If you don't have two ovens, make the stew first and then the bread.  Our stew was a tad cool by the time the bread is ready but I think if we had it on the stove on low while waiting for the bread, it would have been fine.

Irish Stew (Cook's Illustrated)

Serves 6.  

Try to buy the shoulder chops from the butcher (and try and get him to do step #1 below to save you some time). In most supermarkets, lamb shoulder chops are thin, often about 1/2 inch thick. At this thickness, the stew meat is too insubstantial. Ideally, we liked chops cut 1 1/2 inches thick, but 1-inch chops will suffice.

INGREDIENTS

4 1/2	pounds lamb shoulder chops , each 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick (see illustrations below and note above)
	Table salt and ground black pepper
3	tablespoons vegetable oil
3	medium-large onions , chopped coarse (about 5 cups)
4	tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
3	cups water
1	teaspoon dried thyme
2	pounds Yukon Gold potatoes (about 6 medium), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes.  We also added some carrots to add a bit of color but traditional Irish stew is potatoes only
1/4	cup minced fresh parsley leaves

INSTRUCTIONS

1. 1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Cut meat from bones and reserve bones. Trim meat of excess fat and cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes. Season meat generously with salt and pepper.

2. 2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large ovenproof Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering, about 2 minutes. Add half of meat to pot so that individual pieces are close together but not touching. Cook, without moving, until sides touching pot are well-browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Using tongs, turn each piece and continue cooking until most sides are well-browned, about 5 minutes longer. Transfer meat to medium bowl, add another 1 tablespoon oil to pot, and swirl to coat pan bottom. Brown remaining lamb; transfer meat to bowl and set aside.

3. 3. Reduce heat to medium, add remaining tablespoon oil, and swirl to coat pan bottom. Add onions and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring frequently and vigorously, scraping bottom of pot with wooden spoon to loosen browned bits, until onions have browned, about 8 minutes. Add flour and stir until onions are evenly coated, 1 to 2 minutes.

4. 4. Stir in 1 1/2 cups of water, scraping pan bottom and edges with wooden spoon to loosen remaining browned bits. Gradually remaining 1 1/2 cups water, stirring constantly and scraping pan edges to dissolve flour. Add thyme and 1 teaspoon salt and bring to simmer. Add bones and then meat and accumulated juices. Return to simmer, cover, and place in oven. Cook for 1 hour.

5. 5. Remove pot from oven and place potatoes on top of meat and bones. Cover and return pot to oven and cook until meat is tender, about 1 hour. If serving immediately, stir potatoes into liquid, wait 5 minutes, and spoon off any fat that rises to top. (Stew can be covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days. Spoon off congealed fat and bring back to simmer over medium-low heat.)

6. 6. Stir in parsley and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Remove bones if desired. Serve immediately

The Boat Street Cafe

Date - March  13, 2009

Background - I don't do enough "networking" for my day job, so when an opportunity presented itself recently I thought the Boat Street Cafe would be a great spot for a my version of a power lunch.  It had been before, but it had been a couple of years, so I was curious if it was as good as I remembered.

Atmosphere - Very cute.  White table cloths everywhere and daffodils on every table made it feel very springy.  You'd never know it's practically underground.

Service - Excellent 

Drink- Being a work lunch, I didn't even tempt my self by looking at the wine list but given that everyone else was drinking I would guess they have a great list.  Their table water is infused with cucumber which is a nice touch.

Food - The menu is French inspired without being fussy.  I had baby crab cakes on a slice of French bread and a side salad.  It was delicious.

Verdict - I want to include this in the regular rotation.  For some reason I always forget about it - guess it's a bit off my beaten path.  I just saw they have a great happy hour on their web site, so might need to check that out as well.