Chicken Tikka Masala -Two Ways

Here is my version of a delicious Indian dish called Chicken Tikka Masala.

In our house we make this at least once amonth and usually make enough for 3 days of leftovers, or 2 if Brandon gets a hold of it!

Everything is the same in each dish, however, in one batch we used 3 home grown jalapenos and in the other 1 homegrown habenero. (my friend Shanon, who is married to an Indain man, informed me that traditionally Indian is made with red pepper and dried Indian Chilies - however we had fresh peppers on hand and was delicious all the same)

here we go!....
first you need to marinate the Chicken for about an hour:
1 1/2 cup yogurt
2 tablespoon lemon juice
4 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 teaspoons cayenne pepper
4 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons ground red pepper
2 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
8 teaspoons salt, or to taste
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
4 boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite sze pieces.

In a large bowl or ziploc bag, combine yogurt, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, black pepper, ginger, and 4 teaspoons salt. Stir in chicken, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to Low Broil or 475 degrees

On a plate gather ingredients for the sauce (for SPICY):
2 tablespoon butter
2 clove garlic, minced
3 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped - or 1 1/2 habenero
4 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
4 teaspoons paprika
2 Tablespoons Garam Masala
1Tablespoon Madras Curry Powder
3 teaspoons salt, or to taste
3 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 can diced tomatoes (for texture)
2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Our Jalapeno Plate:

Our Habenero Plate:

Put marinated chicken on a slatted roasted pan and put in the oven to cook - about 10 minutes each side then turn off oven and let chicken hang out until it's time to add it to the sauce

time to make the sauce - (Start Rice now if you are making Rice)
Melt butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic and jalapeno for 1 minute. Season with 2 teaspoons cumin, paprika,salt, garam masala, madras curry and coriander. Stir in tomato sauce and diced tomatoes. Simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes Add whipping Cream and simmer for about 10 minutes.

Add chicken, and simmer for 10-20 minutes until sauce thickens.

Transfer to a serving platter, and garnish with fresh cilantro. Here is our side by side masala

Jalapeno on the left - Habenero on the right

Serve with Basmati Rice and Naan for a traditional Indian Dish!

Plate up and Enjoy!

Indian: Lamb Rogan Josh

Lamb Rogan Josh with Basmati Rice and Naan.

okay so i found an easier way to make this yummy dish. - it is time consuming in the amount of time it needs to simmer, but is definitely worth the wait ...and even better the next day!

Good News/Bad News:
bad news: the first time buying the ingredients you will spend around 70-80 dollars.
good news: now you have the spices and the next 5-10 times you make this you will spend about $20-$25 (and this recipe feeds at least 5 adults!)

First i put all my spices on a plate...let me try to remember:
1-2 tablespoon each of minced garlic, minced fresh ginger root, madras curry powder,
1-2 teaspoon each of tumeric, cayenne pepper, cumin , coriander, garam masala, and salt
2 bay leaves

2 onions finely chopped (i used my food processor)
2 pounds boneless leg of lamb cubed into stew meat - the butcher will do this for you)


in a large pot - add 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil and bring to high heat

braise the lamb until most sides are browned - this takes about 2 minutes - they will be raw in the middle still. put aside

i braised a few for a minute longer for a mid-rare lamb snack as i cooked dinner :)

add onions in meat dripping and cook until translucent and golden

14-16 ounces of tomato puree

1 cup plain whole milk yogurt

2 cups of water (this helps tenderize meat too)

once onions are browned add in spices and cook for a minute

add in tomato puree

add in yogurt and water

stir and bring to a boil then down to a simmer

add in lamb chunks

let simmer for 1.5-2 hours.

turn off heat and let it sit for about 45 minutes - or until sauce thickens

make Basmati Rice per package instructions

grill or bake some pre-made Naan at the last minute to serve with the dish. and garnish with fresh Cilantro.

Plate up and enjoy.

Cajun Tilapia with Corn and Black Bean Salsa

Cajun Tilapia with Corn and Black Bean Salsa


Preheat oven to 425 - Put Tilapia Filets on a sprayed pan - season with Cumin and Cajun Seasoning - bake for about 20 minutes

Make the Salsa! this is so good it almost tastes like mango salsa.
start corn - one ear of corn snapped in half - i microwaved it for 6 minutes - then cut off the cob - put in bowl and put in the fridge or freezer to cool off

cut one large tomato - i used a yellow tomato for a vibrant color


chop half of a jalapeno and half of a small bell pepper

chop a handful of cilantro


toss in bowl

Add in half - 3/4 of a can of drained rinsed black beans - add in corn

add in juice of 1/2 lime or lemon, salt and pepper, and a tablespoon of Garlic Chili Sauce

Viola! (this is a great vegetarian salsa)

Plate up and enjoy! serve with spicy sour cream (sour cream mixed with ground chili paste)

Basil Parmesan Stuffed Chicken

Basil Parmesan Stuffed Chicken Breast, Sauteed Squash, and Pasta Marinara

this was very delicious, but then again..what isn't ? :)

First preheat oven to 350 - take one chicken breast and butterfly it into 2 pieces then pound out until even.

Add a little bit of minced garlic, basil, and fresh shredded parmesan (or cheese of your choice -asiago would be a very good substitute)

Roll them and tie them up with bakers twine - season with salt and pepper- stick them in the oven for about 25 minutes

dice up some squash add 2 tablespoons butter, salt and pepper, about 2 tablespoons of water, bring to boil and simmer until time to serve.

make some angel hair pasta and marinara sauce for a side dish (i added fresh basil, oregeno, garlic, and red wine to jarred sauce)

perfectly cooked and oozing with cheese
Plate up and enjoy!