Chicken Tikka Masala

It may sound crazy but this is my go-to meal when I don't know what to make for dinner. I always try to keep the ingredients on hand so that when I am stumped on an idea for dinner I can fall back on this. It is both of my boys (ages 3 and 5) favorite meal and if I gave them the option they would eat it pretty much every day. I can always count on them eating at least two helpings.

Although this meal is delicious it isn't very heavy on vegetables so I like to cut up cucumber and carrot sticks and serve them on the side with homemade hummus.

One nice thing about this dish is that you can vary the amount of spiciness by adding or subtracting the amount of cayenne pepper and la jiao you use. For me the quantities listed are just perfect. Just a bit spicy without being so spicy the kids won't eat it. But I know for my husband, he would like it just a bit spicier.

I used to make homemade nan bread to serve with this until I discovered that there was a Indian flatbread in the freezer section of my local Carrefour. Now a days I just keep some of that in the freezer so I can whip this meal quickly.


Ingredients:
Marinade:
2 chicken breasts cut into strips
1 cup plain yogurt (I just use two 100ml containers of plain yogurt)
1 tbsp (15ml). lemon juice
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp minced ginger
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (depends on your spiciness preference- can add more, but I think its plenty spicy without being too hot for the kids)
1 t. paprika

Sauce
2 T. butter
2 clove minced garlic
1 hot pepper (la jiao) diced
2 t. cumin
2 t. paprika
1 t. salt
8 oz tomato paste I just use one can of the Chinese tomato paste
1/2- 1 cup of extra water and a little sugar (1/2 tsp) to cut the acidity)
1 c. cream (or one 200- 250g container)
¼ c. chopped cilantro

In a small bowl add ginger and lemon juice.

Add spices and salt.

Add yogurt.

Dice up chicken (I prefer to cut it up into really small pieces for my little kids but you can go bigger if you would like.

Add chicken to marinade.

Set aside for 1 hr.

Next add butter to skillet or wok.

Add hot pepper,

and garlic and saute for 1 minute.

Add salt, cumin and paprika and fry for 1 more minute.

Add tomato paste.

Add one canful of water. Add sugar (not shown)

Stir until smooth.

Add cream.

Stir until smooth.

Add chicken mixture.

Cook for 10 minutes until chicken is thoroughly cooked and sauce has thickened slightly.  Stir occasionally so the bottom does not scorch.




Garnish with 1/4 cup of chopped cilantro(coriander).
Serve over rice with nan bread or chapti bread.

This is what the Indian flat bread I buy looks like.

Add oil to a saucepan and heat over medium heat.

Cook until golden on the first side and then flip.

Cook until the other side is done.

Cut into triangles and eat with the sauce and rice.

Enjoy!

Cilantro Lime Ranch Salad Dressing

In the western U.S where I hail from there is a small restaurant chain called Cafe Rio. It is the favorite Fresh-Mex restaurant of a whole lot of people I know. Whenever all my family gets together (3 siblings plus spouses) we have to have at least one "Cafe Rio" night. This involves, making guacomole, shredded chicken or pork, cilantro rice, Mexican black beans, pico de gallo and this salad dressing. Tonight we didn't go all out with all the usual Cafe Rio stuff. Instead we just ate it over barbarcoa pork Mexican salads with the cilantro spicy rice I posted earlier, pico de gallo and shredded cheese.
This is another recipe that I've had to "china-fy" (to use my friend Josette's term)
But the alterations work and it is amazing! It will keep for a week after it is mixed. In our house it is always all gone within two days.

Ingredients:
Two 100 g containers of plain yogurt
1 packet of ranch dressing mix (or equivilant - I bring over the big container from the States and then just measure out enough powder for one batch of dressing. I haven't looked but I'm pretty sure City Shop carries individual packets of ranch dressing mix)
2 tbsp lime juice
1 small tomato, seeded (just cut the top off and then squeeze out the seeds and pulp and discard them into the trash)
1 clove garlic
1/2 a hot green pepper, diced.
good bunch of cilantro
2 oz cream cheese

Directions:

Assemble all of your ingredients.

Add everything to the blender except the cream cheese and blend until smooth.

Add 2 oz (or 1/4 of a brick of cream cheese) to the blender. (if you want to omit the cream cheese for calorie counting purposes, feel free. Your dressing will be a lot more runny and will lack thickness, but it will still taste great)

Blend until smooth.
Serve over your favorite taco salad or add to the filling of homemade burritos.

Cilantro Spicy Rice

Mexican food is one of the easiest things to make from scratch in China. They have an abundance of tomatoes, peppers, cilantro, onions. In the US, in the west where I'm from, we have a restaurant chain called Cafe Rio. This is my take on the cilantro rice they serve there- My sisters and I think it's even better than the rice at Cafe Rio.
This rice is only mildly spicy. I do not really like spicy stuff and I absolutely love this rice. Both my kids will eat it plain so that tells you it's pretty mild.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups rice
½ hot green pepper, diced
½ red onion, diced
½ cup cilantro
3 cloves garlic
2-3 tablespoons water

salt or chicken bouillon

Directions:
Cook 1 ½ cups dry rice in a rice cooker or on the stove. You can add a little chicken bouillon to the water if you want.

In a small saucepan, sauté the diced hot pepper in a little water until tender. Do not drain.

Add to the rest of the ingredients, and pulse in a blender until everything is chopped and well blended. (You might have to add just a bit more water to get everything to blend well)

Add to cooked rice and stir until well combined. Add salt to taste.

*Note: Thai rice works best with this recipe. This makes a great side dish or filling for soft flour tacos.