Indian Cashew Chicken

I started making this...I made the sauce and the rice to go with the dish. The sauce is REALLY thick and I ended up putting somewhere between 1/4 to 1/2C of water in it to make the blender move. I didn't let the sauce rest in the fridge overnight.
D made the rest of the dish, because I got overwhelmed. He only used thighs. He used cardamon, not cardomon pods, because we couldn't find it.

It was really good.

Indian Cashew Chicken

Photo by ALB

A take on the Indian dish murgh makhani, this entrée recipe varies but typically has a thick sauce punctuated with Indian spices. To mimic the full-bodied sauce, we caramelize onions and later simmer the mixture to a thick, marinara-like consistency. Serve over brown basmati rice or with naan flatbread.

2/3 cup cashews, toasted
2/3 cup fat-free Greek-style yogurt
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 1/4 teaspoons garam masala
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 garlic cloves, chopped
4 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces (about 14 ounces)
2 (8-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
Cooking spray
2 3/4 cups finely chopped onion (2 large)
2 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
1 (2-inch) cinnamon stick
2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 cup organic tomato puree (such as Muir Glen Organic)
1 teaspoon Hungarian sweet paprika
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons half-and-half
Chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

1. Combine first 9 ingredients in a blender or food processor; process until smooth. Combine nut mixture and chicken in a large bowl; cover and refrigerate 3 hours or overnight.
2. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion, cardamom, and cinnamon stick to pan; cover and cook 10 minutes or until onion is golden, stirring often.
3. Add chicken mixture to pan; cook 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in broth, tomato puree, paprika, and salt, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Cook 1 hour or until thick. Stir in half-and-half; cook 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Discard cinnamon stick. Garnish with fresh cilantro, if desired.
Yield: 6 servings (serving size: about 1 cup)

CALORIES 340 (36% from fat); FAT 13.6g (sat 3.4g,mono 5.8g,poly 2.6g); IRON 3.2mg; CHOLESTEROL 91mg; CALCIUM 83mg; CARBOHYDRATE 18.7g; SODIUM 435mg; PROTEIN 36.7g; FIBER 3.8g

Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2008

Cumin Potatoes

I made these too. Very easy...I didn't even use Simply Potatoes. Pretty good...I think they needed red pepper or something spicy. We put sour cream on them, and I threw the cilantro in the pan at the last minute.

Cumin Potatoes

"Cumin potatoes are common in India; this is a different accompaniment for steak." -Veenu Chopra, New Delhi, India

4 cups cubed peeled baking potato (about 1 1/4 pounds)
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds (I used ground cumin, bc Kroger didn't have cumin seeds)
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon paprika
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro

Cook potato in boiling water 10 minutes or until tender; drain. Rinse with cold water; drain.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add cumin seeds to pan, and sauté 30 seconds. Add onion, salt, coriander, and paprika; sauté 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add potato; sauté 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Remove from heat, and sprinkle with cilantro.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: about 1 cup)

CALORIES 175 (20% from fat); FAT 3.9g (sat 0.3g,mono 2.1g,poly 1.1g); IRON 0.9mg; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 19mg; CARBOHYDRATE 33.1g; SODIUM 300mg; PROTEIN 3.1g; FIBER 2.7g

Cooking Light, SEPTEMBER 2005

Ginger-and-Spice Chicken Thighs

I made this...easy! It was a bit odd tasting. It was a bit sweet. D says it tasted like jerk chicken without the heat. I just thought about making a cake, because I got allspice in my nose. We both liked it, it just needed some heat. We had with Cumin Potatoes and a Caesar Salad...
Not a whole lot of matching tastes but that is ok...


Ginger-and-Spice Chicken Thighs

2 teaspoons ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 pound skinned, boned chicken thighs
Cooking spray
1/4 cup dry white wine

Combine first 6 ingredients in a small bowl; stir well. Rub chicken with spice mixture; let stand 5 minutes.

Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray; place over medium-high heat until hot. Add chicken; cook 2 minutes on each side or until browned. Add wine to skillet; cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook 5 minutes or until done. Spoon pan drippings over chicken.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 3 ounces chicken)

CALORIES 143 (30% from fat); FAT 4.7g (sat 1.2g,mono 1.4g,poly 1.1g); IRON 1.5mg; CHOLESTEROL 94mg; CALCIUM 18mg; CARBOHYDRATE 1.3g; SODIUM 539mg; PROTEIN 22.4g; FIBER 0.2g

Cooking Light, JUNE 1996

Flounder with Cilantro-Curry Topping and Toasted Coconut

I liked this but it is definitely not something I would have thought of together. I couldn't tell if it was a Latino or Asian type dish, so I put it in both.

D said it was easy.
We had with Brown rice and Spinach.

Flounder with Cilantro-Curry Topping and Toasted Coconut
You can substitute tilapia or snapper for flounder. Serve this fish with brown basmati rice and sautéed sliced carrots.

1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
4 (6-ounce) flounder fillets
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons flaked sweetened coconut
1 cup cilantro sprigs
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon curry powder
3 garlic cloves, peeled
1 jalapeño pepper, halved and seeded
Lemon wedges (optional)

1. Preheat broiler.
2. Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon salt over fish. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add fish to pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness.
3. Place the coconut on a baking sheet; broil for 2 minutes or until toasted, stirring occasionally.
4. Combine remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, cilantro, and next 5 ingredients (through jalapeño) in a food processor; process until finely chopped. Spoon 2 tablespoons cilantro mixture over each fillet; sprinkle each serving with 1 1/2 teaspoons coconut. Garnish with lemon wedges, if desired.

Yield: 4 servings
CALORIES 234 (37% from fat); FAT 9.5g (sat 2g,mono 5.4g,poly 1.3g); IRON 1mg; CHOLESTEROL 82mg; CALCIUM 41mg; CARBOHYDRATE 3.3g; SODIUM 442mg; PROTEIN 32.5g; FIBER 0.7g
Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2008

Chicken Tamale Casserole

I made this. It was really easy to make. Like usual, I did my own chicken, and cubed it. I seasoned the chicken with SW Seasoning.

D and I both liked it...we only had 6 servings.

Chicken Tamale Casserole

Photo by ALB

Ingredients
1 cup (4 ounces) preshredded 4-cheese Mexican blend cheese, divided
1/3 cup fat-free milk
1/4 cup egg substitute
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 (14 3/4-ounce) can cream-style corn
1 (8.5-ounce) box corn muffin mix (such as Martha White) (I used Jiffy)
1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chiles, drained
Cooking spray
1 (10-ounce) can red enchilada sauce (such as Old El Paso)
2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
(I added cilantro)

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. Combine 1/4 cup cheese and next 7 ingredients (through chiles) in a large bowl, stirring just until moist. Pour mixture into a 13 x 9–inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.
3. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until set. Pierce entire surface liberally with a fork; pour enchilada sauce over top. Top with chicken; sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup cheese. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until cheese melts. Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes. Cut into 8 pieces; top each serving with 1 tablespoon sour cream.

Yield: 8 servings
CALORIES 354 (36% from fat); FAT 14.1g (sat 7.1g,mono 3.3g,poly 1.2g); IRON 1.7mg; CHOLESTEROL 58mg; CALCIUM 179mg; CARBOHYDRATE 36.3g; SODIUM 620mg; PROTEIN 18.9g; FIBER 2.5g
Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2008

Chicken Thighs with Marsala-Mushroom Cream Sauce Over Noodles

I attempted this meal. I used chicken breasts because they didn't have thighs at Kroghetto this week. And breasts were on sale.

I prepped the S&P, the shrooms, the garlic, thyme, and bay leaf while waiting for the tomatoes to rehydrate. I started the egg noodles the same time I started the chicken (mistake). Everything came together pretty easily, and it was a dish you could clean up as you went (I don't like things in the sink or on the counter).

I did use whipping cream, because that's what we had. The sauce didn't get creamy. Really watery, and when I moved it off the burner (eg when I was eating) the sauce disappeared.

I thought the taste was bland. I had with a spinach salad (spinach and balsamic vinegar).

Chicken Thighs with Marsala-Mushroom Cream Sauce Over Noodles

Sun-dried tomatoes, shiitake mushrooms, and Marsala wine give this sauce a rich, robust flavor. While the sun-dried tomatoes are rehydrating, prepare the rest of the ingredients.

1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed without oil (about 12)
4 (6-ounce) chicken thighs, skinned
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 cups quartered button mushrooms (about 4 ounces) (my 8 oz of mushrooms came to 2 Cups)
1 1/2 cups sliced fresh shiitake mushroom caps (about 3 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 garlic clove, minced (I used 4 cloves)
1 bay leaf
1/3 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
5 tablespoons Marsala wine, divided
3 tablespoons half-and-half (I used whipping cream because I had it in the fridge).
4 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
2 cups hot cooked wide egg noodles (about 1 1/2 cups uncooked)

Combine boiling water and the sun-dried tomatoes in a bowl; let stand 15 minutes. Drain and chop.

Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, and sauté 5 minutes, turning once. Remove chicken from pan.

Reduce heat to medium-low. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and mushrooms; sauté 2 minutes. Add thyme, garlic, and bay leaf; sauté for 30 seconds. Return chicken to pan. Add sun-dried tomatoes, broth, and 1/4 cup wine. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 25 minutes, turning chicken once.

Add 1 tablespoon wine and half-and-half, and bring to a boil. Discard bay leaf. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve over noodles.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 thigh, 1/4 cup sauce, and 1/2 cup noodles)

CALORIES 333 (28% from fat); FAT 10.2g (sat 2.7g,mono 4g,poly 2g); IRON 4.8mg; CHOLESTEROL 137mg; CALCIUM 63mg; CARBOHYDRATE 28.5g; SODIUM 583mg; PROTEIN 31.5g; FIBER 3.4g

Cooking Light, MAY 2001

Indian Butter Chicken Update

We updated the Indian Butter Chicken Recipe. Oh, and I MADE THE RICE!!!!

And the rice came out well.