Chicken Tikka Masala and Saag Paneer

 

Tikka Masala on the left and Saag Paneer on the right.

 

We took a little trip to India this week via our cooking and let me tell you, it never smelt so good in the kitchen!! Not only did everyone's mouths start watering the second we started to cook but we also got to make our own cheese, every Wisconsin person's dream. 

 

Chicken Tikka Masala:

 

Ingredients:

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 and 1/2 teaspoon table salt, separated
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup plain whole milk yogurt
5 tablespoons vegetable oil, separated
4 cloves of garlic, separated
1 tablespoon and 2 teaspoons grated ginger
1 medium onion
1 serrano chile
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon garam masala
1 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes
2 teaspoons sugar 
3/4 cup half and half
1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves

Directions:

1. Combine the cumin, coriander, cayenne and salt in a small bowl. Sprinkle both sides of chicken with the spice mixture and place in the refrigerator to marinate for 30-60 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together yogurt, 2 minced cloves of garlic, 2 tablespoons of oil and 1 tablespoon of grated ginger and set aside for later.
3. Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat and add the onion until golden (8-10 minutes).
4. Add 2 minced cloves of garlic, 2 teaspoons grated ginger, minced serrano chile, tomato paste and garam masala to the onion and cook for 3 minutes.
5. Add crushed tomatoes, sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of table salt; bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.















6. Add the half and half and return to a simmer before taking the pan off of the heat and let it sit covered.
7. While the sauce is simmering, dip the chicken in the yogurt mixture and arrange on a baking pan. Bake the chicken at 425 for about 20 minutes or until the meat reaches 160 degrees.
8. Let the chicken sit for 5 minutes and then cut into 1 inch pieces and stir into the sauce.
9. Stir in cilantro and serve.

Saag Paneer:

 

Ingredients:

3 quarts of whole milk
4 cups buttermilk, separated
1 tablespoon salt
10 oz. bag of spinach
3/4 pound of mustard greens, stemmed
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
1 onion
3 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1 jalapeno pepper
1 14.5 oz. can of diced tomatoes
1/2 cup roasted cashews
1 cup water
3 tablespoons cilantro

Directions:

1. Line a colander with a triple layer of cheesecloth and set in the sink.
2. Bring milk to a boil in a Dutch oven and then add 3 cups of buttermilk and salt, whisk, turn off heat and let stand for a couple minutes allowing curds to form.










3. Pour the milk mixture through the cheese cloth and let drain for 15 minutes.












4. Pull the edges of the cheesecloth together and twist, squeezing out as much liquid as possible.
5. Place the cheese pouch between 2 plates and place a heavy pan over the top plate. Let the cheese sit at room temperature for 45 minutes occasionally pouring off the excess water.














6. Place the spinach in the microwave for 3 minutes or until wilted. Take out 1/3 cup of spinach and set aside while placing the remaining spinach in the blender.
7. Place the mustard greens in the microwave for 4 minutes or until wilted. Take out 1/3 cup of mustard greens and set aside while placing the remaining mustard greens in the blender with the spinach. Don't blend yet!
8. Melt the butter in a skillet and add cumin seeds, coriander, paprika, cardamom, and cinnamon to the butter and cook until fragrant (30 seconds).
9. Add the onion finely chopped and 3/4 teaspoon of salt and cook until softened (3 minutes).
10. Add minced garlic, ginger, and finely chopped jalapeno for a couple minutes.
11. Stir in the diced tomatoes after coarsely chopping them to the skillet and cook until the pan is dry (3-4 minutes). Then remove the skillet from the heat.
12. Add the onion mixture from the skillet to the blender along with half the cashews and water and process until smooth. Then return the puree to the skillet.
13. Return the skillet to medium-high heat and stir in the greens that were placed aside and 1 cup of buttermilk and bring to a simmer. 
14. Reduce the heat to low and cover for 5 minutes.
15. Cut the cheese into 1/2 inch pieces and gently fold them into the skillet and cook for a couple minutes.
















16. Transfer to a serving dish and add the remaining cashews and cilantro to the top and serve.     
   
 

YUMMM!

 
  

Thai-Style Stir Fried Noodles with Chicken and Broccolini

 

Since Emily graduated and has been living at home awaiting her next step in life and completing Medical School applications, she has been trying out new recipes with her dad which of course is great not having to spend the money on food and having a better kitchen to work in :) This past weekend they cooked up some food that definitely rivals that of your favorite Asian restaurant! Thai-style stir fried noodles with chicken and broccolini was a HUGE hit with the whole family!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup white vinegar
1 serrano chile, stemmed and sliced into thin rings (we added a pepper for extra spice)
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts but into cubes
1 and 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
16 ounces rice noodles
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup oyster sauce
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 tablespoon molasses
1 teaspoon fish sauce
3 garlic cloves, sliced thin
3 eggs
10 ounces/5 cups broccolini (also called broccolette) chopped (broccoli could also be easily used)

Directions:

For the Chile Vinegar:  
1. Combine 1/2 cup vinegar and serrano pepper in a bowl and let sit at room temperature while preparing the rest of the meal.

For the Stir-Fry:
1. Combine chicken and 3 tablespoons of water and baking soda in a bowl and let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes. Rinse the chicken in cold water and drain well.
2. Bring 12 cups of water to boil. Place noodles in the boiling water and turn off the heat. Let sit until almost tender (8 minutes), stirring halfway. Drain and rinse with cold water and mix with 4 teaspoons of oil.
3. Whisk oyster sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, molasses, and fish sauce together in a bowl.
4. Heat 2 teaspoons oil and garlic in a skillet on high heat until garlic is golden brown (1 to 2 minutes). Add chicken and 2 tablespoons of sauce mixture in an even layer and cook on both sides until it begins to brown.
5. Move chicken to one side of the skillet and add the eggs to the cleared side and stir and let cook before mixing it together with the chicken. Move the chicken/egg mixture into a bowl for later.
6. Using the same skillet, add 2 teaspoons of oil, broccolini and 2 tablespoons of sauce. Cover and let cook for 2 minutes, stirring once halfway through. Remove the lid and continue to cook until broccolini is crisp and brown in places (2 to 3 minutes). Move broccolini to bowl with chicken/egg mixture.
7. Using the same skillet, add 2 teaspoons of oil, noodles and 2 tablespoons of sauce (this can be done in parts if the skillet isn't large enough to fit all of the noodles). Cook until noodles start to brown (2 minutes) and then add the noodles to the chicken/egg/broccolini mixture and heat until it is all warm.
8. Add the chile vinegar to your plate of deliciousness as you please depending on your tolerance for spice.
 

    

Buffalo Chicken Enchiladas

Buffalo Chicken Enchiladas  

 

 Since we're on summer break, it's been difficult to try new recipes and blog. Emily recently made buffalo chicken enchiladas for her family and they were a BIG hit! This is definitely a keeper.

Even the beagles wanted to help out!

 

Ingredients:

1.5 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1 can red enchilada sauce
1/2 cup buffalo wing sauce (I used Frank's)
1/4 chopped red onion
2 cups shredded Mexican cheese
6  flour tortillas
1/3 cup crumbled bleu cheese
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped

 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 9x14 glass dish with non-stick spray.

2. In a medium bowl, mix together enchilada sauce and buffalo wing sauce...stopping to taste and adjust as you go. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, toss together shredded chicken, the red onion, 1 cup Mexican cheese, half of the bleu cheese, and half of the cilantro. Slowly pour in 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce mixture and stir until combined.

4. Working with one tortilla at at time, fill with the chicken mixture. Roll the tortilla and place it seam-side down in the dish. Once all tortillas are filled, pour the remaining enchilada/buffalo sauce on top of tortillas and add the remaining Mexican and bleu cheese. 

Pre-oven

5. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the sauce its bubbling. Immediately after taking enchiladas out of the oven top with the rest of the cilantro and serve! 

Gooey enchilada goodness!

Beer Battered Fish and Cheese Curd Fry

After having our hand at frying chicken last week, we decided to keep the trend going and make a completely Wisconsin meal consisting of fish and and cheese curds! Yum!

Ingredients:

3 pieces of cod, cut into smaller strips for better frying
1 bag of cheese curds (we used yellow and white cheddar)
1 cup self-rising flour + 1/2 cup more
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (a little extra if you want some spice)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup beer (we used Spotted Cow)
vegetable oil for frying

Directions:

1. Preheat vegetable oil for frying to 375°.
2. Combine fish or cheese curds with 1/2 cup self rising flour and toss to coat.
3. In a separate bowl, combine 1 cup self rising flour, paprika, garlic powder, cayenne pepper and black pepper. Whisk to combine. Stir in beer and mix well.
4. Batter each piece of fish or cheese curd individually and drop in 375° oil.
5. Fry the fish for 7-10 minutes on each side and the cheese curds 1-2 minutes, flipping once during the cooking process and cooking until they are golden brown.
6. When done, remove from oil and drain on paper towels.
7. Serve with a squeeze of lemon and some tartar sauce.

Cheesy deliciousness.

Crispy, juicy fish.

General Tso's Chicken

We decided to go out of the box this week and try something more ethnic and even tried our hand at frying! We all love our take out Chinese take-out and this recipe definitely will rival that of your favorite take-out place.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1 large egg white
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon soy sauce, divided
1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons cornstarch, divided
1 pound skinless boneless chicken breast, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
1 cup low sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon Sriracha
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus more for frying
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
2 florets of broccoli
Rice, for serving

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, combine sesame oil, egg white, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons corn starch. Add chicken, stirring to coat. Let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes.
2. In a small bowl, combine chicken broth with Sriracha, sugar, and 1/4 cup soy sauce and 1 tablespoon cornstarch.
3. Cook the broccoli in a pan with come oil, black pepper and soy sauce until tender.
 In a large, deep skillet, heat 1/2 inch of oil until shimmering. Carefully add the chicken, one piece at a time and fry over high heat, turning once or twice, until brown and crisp, about 4 minutes.

Don't forget to protect yourself from the hot oil!

4. Remove cooked chicken to paper towels to drain.
5. Cook the sauce with the onions for about 5 minutes to let it reduce. Add the chicken and broccoli and cook until just coated, about 30 seconds.

6. Serve with rice.

 

Emily's 22nd Birthday!

This past Friday (the 13th...) Emily turned 22! She decided that instead of going out to dinner with friends, why not show off our cooking skills and make some spinach artichoke dip, deep dish pizza and dirt cups! It was a raging success!

Grown Up Birthday Cake

 Spinach Artichoke Dip:

 

 

 

 

Ingredients:

1 can (14 oz.) artichoke hearts, drained, finely chopped 
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, well drained 
3/4 cup Mayonnaise
2 cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
2 cloves of garlic

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. 2. Mix ingredients; spoon into 9-inch quiche dish or pie plate.
3. Heat for 20 minutes or until heated through.
4. Serve with veggies or chips or crackers. We chose multigrain tortilla chips

Cheesy Goodness

 Chicago Style Deep Dish Pizza:

This time we made a Italian sausage pizza and a veggie one with mushrooms and green peppers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dirt Cups:

Just your typical dirt cup consisting of chocolate pudding, crushed Oreos, and gummy worms.

 

 

Poblano Burgers Stuffed with Pepper Jack

With all this summer like weather, burgers seemed like the perfect idea. But instead of the typical cheeseburger, this recipe adds some Mexican flavor to the classic and it is lightened up by using ground turkey instead of ground beef.

Makes 4 burgers.

Ingredients:

2 poblano peppers
1 tablespoon milk
1 slice wheat bread, crusts removed, and torn into 1/2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
1 pound ground turkey
4 slices of pepper jack cheese
Lettuce, Tomatoes, Red Onions, Mayo, and Sriracha are what we used as toppings

Directions:

1. Preheat broiler to high. Place poblanos on a foil-lined baking sheet and broil about 8 minutes, turning occasionally, until blackened.
2. Place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let stand for 15 minutes. Remove skin and discard seeds and ribs. Finely chop peepers and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine milk and bread pieces. Mash with a fork until a smooth paste is formed. Add poblanos, cilantro, cumin, coriander, paprika, 1/4 teaspoon of salt and pepper and turkey. Gently toss to combine, taking care not to overwork the meat.
4. Make 8 smaller patties and make a small indentation on 4 of the patties and break apart the pieces of cheese and place it in the indentation. Place the other 4 patties on top of the cheese and seal the edges so the patties don't fall apart.

Cooling off the pans

5. Heat a pan to high heat and place the burgers on the pans and seer both sides of the burgers. Turn down the heat on the pans to medium low (to help cool down the pans you can take them off the heat and move them around in the air like we did) to cook the burgers the rest of the way until the burgers reach desired stage of doneness. 

Paired with a Riesling

Oozing cheese

 

Black Bean Burgers

Being a Friday during Lent, these burgers were the perfect solution. Even without a food processor, they were able to combine really well and weren't chunky at all.

Makes 4 burgers.

 

Ingredients:

16 ounce can black beans, rinsed
1 cup diced green peppers
3 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons diced red onion
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 cup minced cilantro
1 egg
1 cup panko
Lettuce, tomato, salsa as toppings if you wish

Directions:

1.  Preheat grill pan on medium-high heat.
2. Add the black beans, green peppers, garlic cloves, and red onion to a medium sized bowl and mash with a big fork or potato masher
3. Add the egg and mix well.
4. Add to the bean mixture: the cumin, chili powder, and cilantro. Mix together.
5. Add the panko and mix to combine.
6. Form patties (make sure the patties are put together well so they don't fall apart) and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side.

Paired with a Riesling

Buffalo Chicken Meatballs with Bleu Cheese Sauce and Pasta

We are both buffalo chicken fanatics and this new twist on the classic wings was perfect and dare we say more sophisticated. Just typing and thinking about it now is making us salivate.

Meatballs:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
3/8 cup Frank's RedHot hot sauce, plus more for serving
1 pound ground chicken
1 large egg
1 rib celery, minced (about 1/2 cup)
5/6 cups dried breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon table salt

Sauce:

3/4 cup skim
1 medium garlic clove, thinly sliced
6 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup asiago cheese
1 tablespoon cold water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Pasta:

About half a box of whatever pasta you want, we used bowtie

Directions:

1. For the meatballs: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Evenly coat a large rimmed baking sheet with olive oil and set aside.
2. Place butter and hot sauce in a small saucepan over low heat. Cook, whisking, until butter is melted and hot sauce is well incorporated. Remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl; let cool to room temperature, about 10 minutes.
3. Add chicken, eggs, celery, breadcrumbs, and salt to bowl with butter mixture; using your hands, mix until well combined. Roll chicken mixture into balls and place on prepared baking sheet (about 14 balls). Transfer to oven and bake until cooked through, about 15 minutes.
4. Take out of oven and let stand 5 minutes before removing from baking sheet.
5. For the pasta: Boil water with some salt and then add the pasta and cook until done.
6. For the sauce: In a medium-sized saucepan over medium-high heat, bring milk and garlic just to a boil.
7. Stir in the crumbled blue cheese and asiago cheese. Mix the cold water and cornstarch in a small bowl and the pour into the sauce pan and it should thicken instantly. Season to taste with the pepper.
8. Add some extra Frank's hot sauce to the plate along with some celery sticks.

Paired with Supper Club Beer

 
 

Shredded Chicken Enchiladas with Cilantro Lime Rice

We headed south of the border for this next meal! These enchiladas will compete those that your mom makes for sure. To really get in the mood for this meal, we suggest listening to Pitbull Pandora station and only speaking in Spanish.

Enchiladas:

2 garlic cloves, minced
1 can (1 1/2 cups) enchilada sauce
Table salt
Black pepper
1 green pepper, chopped
1/2 white onion, chopped
2 jalapenos, chopped without the seeds and ribbing (we saved some seeds to add some spice)
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1 cup shredded Monterrey jack cheese, divided
1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp. fresh cilantro, roughly chopped, divided
4 burrito sized flour tortillas
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
cooking spray

 Rice:

1 1/2 cups rice
3 cups chicken broth
Juice of one lime
1/4 cup cilantro, roughly chopped

Directions:

1. For the enchiladas: Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Add the minced garlic to the enchilada sauce in a large pot and heat to boiling. Generously sprinkle salt and pepper over the chicken breasts and then put the chicken breasts into the sauce. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until the chicken is cooked through (15 to 20 minutes). Remove the chicken from the sauce, set aside and let both the chicken and the sauce cool.
3. Meanwhile, saute the green pepper, onion and jalapenos in the butter and olive oil and add the cumin, garlic powder and cayenne pepper. (5 to 7 minutes).
4. Using two forks, shred the chicken breasts by holding one fork steady and slowly scraping the other fork, prongs faced backwards, away from the other fork (may sound a little too intense but it definitely works better).
5. Transfer the shredded chicken to a large bowl. Add half the enchilada sauce, 1/2 cup each of the Monterrey jack and cheddar cheeses and the 1/2 cup of cilantro to the shredded chicken, and sauteed vegetables. Stir to combine.
6. Using cooking spray, spray the 8 by 8 inch baking dish. Coat the tortillas in the enchilada sauce still in the pot. Spoon the chicken mixture along the center of the tortilla. Gently, but firmly, roll the tortilla around the filling and place into the baking dish, seam-side down. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
7. Pour the remaining sauce over the enchiladas and sprinkle remaining cheese over the sauce. Sprinkle with 1 tbsp. fresh cilantro. Lightly cover baking dish with aluminum foil and place into the oven for 20 minutes. Carefully remove foil after 20 minutes and bake, uncovered, for an additional 5-10 minutes or until the cheese is golden.
8. Remove form the oven and let stand 5-10 minutes prior to serving.
9. For the rice: Put the rice and chicken broth in a pot and bring to a simmer with a lid on. Allow to simmer until little liquid remains in the pot (20 minutes).
10. Mix in the lime juice and cilantro to the rice.

Obvious pairing with a Corona Light

 Chicago Style Deep Dish Pizza

Never thought we would be able to rival classic Chicago deep dish pizza, until this recipe was found! Since the dough is made from scratch, it takes about 3 hours to make, but it is DEFINITELY worth the time.

Makes 2 pizzas.

Dough:

3 1/4 cups of unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1 1/2 teaspoons table salt
2 teaspoons sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons instant or rapid-rise yeast
1 1/4 cup room temperature water
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus 4 tablespoons, softened
1 teaspoon plus 4 tablespoons olive oil

 

Sauce:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup grated onion
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
Table salt
2 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 (28oz.) can crushed tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped basil leaves
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Ground black pepper

Toppings:

4 cups mozzarella
Whatever else you would like!
We used some spinach and mushroom and jerk chicken.

1. For the dough: Mix flour, cornmeal, salt, sugar, and yeast in bowl until incorporated (about 1 minute). Add water and melted butter and mix until fully combined (1 to 2 minutes). Knead dough until smooth (4 to 5 minutes).
2. Coat a large bowl with 1 teaspoon olive oil and transfer the dough to the bowl, turning it once to oil the top; cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let rise at room temperature until doubled in volume (45 to 60 minutes).
3. For the sauce: Heat butter in medium saucepan until melted. Add onion, oregano and 1/2 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid has evaporated and onion is golden brown (5 minutes). Add garlic and cook until fragrant (30 seconds). Stir in tomatoes and sugar, increase heat to high, and bring to simmer. Lower heat to medium low and simmer until reduced to 2 1/2 cups (25 to 30 minutes). Take off the heat, stir in basil and oil and season with salt and pepper.
4. To laminate the dough: Adjust oven rack to lower position and preheat oven to 425 degrees. Bring dough onto dry work surface and roll into 15 by 12 inch rectangle. Now comes the messy part, spread the softened butter over the surface of the dough (we used our fingers, clean of course!), leaving about a 1/2 inch border along the edges. Starting at the short end, roll the dough into a tight cylinder. With seam side down, flatten cylinder into 18 by 4 inch rectangle. Cut rectangle in half crosswise. Working with 1 half, fold into thirds like a business letter; pinch seams together to form a ball. Repeat with the other half. Return the balls to the oiled bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let rise in the fridge until doubled in volume (40 to 50 minutes).
5. Coat two 9 inch round cake pans with 2 tablespoons olive oil each. Transfer one dough ball to dry work surface and roll out into 13 inch disk about 1/4 inch thick. Transfer the dough to the pan and press it into the corners and up the sides. Repeat with the other ball of dough.

 6. For each pizza, sprinkle 2 cups of mozzarella evenly over the surface of the dough and then put whatever topping you'd like on top. Then spread 1 1/4 cups of the tomato sauce over the top. Bake until the crust is golden brown (20 to 30 minutes). Remove pizzas from the oven and let sit for 10 minutes. I know it's hard to let it sit and not dive in, but it makes it so much easier to dish out this way.

Paired with Lazy Mutt Beer

Cheesy goodness