Tag Archive for 'crock pot'

Chicken Tikka Masala – Recipes for the Slow Cooker or the Skillet

Published on March 29, 2012 in Recipes. 5 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , .

 

I can’t say that I know much about Indian cuisine, but after discovering Chicken Tikka Masala I most definitely want to try more. This dish will just melt in your mouth – it’s one of those uber-satisfying dishes that make you close your eyes and say “mmmm” as you take that first bite. Really.

I first came across this dish in a weeknight skillet version in The Best Simple Recipes by America’s Test Kitchen. It was fantastic and easy enough, but then I came across this slow cooker version by Rebecca at Foodie with Family and decided to incorporate some adjustments from her version into mine. By far, the best adjustment is the use of chicken thighs which I just happened to have on hand that day. You could use chicken breasts, but they won’t be nearly as tender. Below I will share with you both my slow cooker and my skillet version, though I must say it’s been months since we’ve ventured back to the skillet with this dish.

The slow cooker version is easily a family favorite. The chicken thighs just fall apart. The mouth-watering smell of cinnamon and cumin wafting from the crock pot as it simmers all afternoon are enough to make you go mad. This is definitely one kid-tested and approved dish. And to top it off, it freezes wonderfully. One batch usually makes enough for my family to eat twice. We freeze the leftovers and just warm on the stove later on for a quick weeknight dish. Note: the rice dish is sized for 4 while the masala is sized for leftovers – you may want to resize the rice dish if you don’t anticipate leftovers.

For any of you who are more familiar with Indian cuisine, what are your favorite dishes? I’d love to add another dish to my arsenal.

Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala

Adapted from Foodie with Family

Serves 6

Ingredients:

For the chicken:
1 tbsp butter
5 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp coriander
2 tsp cumin

For the sauce:
1 medium onion, diced
2 tsp garlic, minced (about 3 to 4 cloves)
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tbsp garam masala
2 c diced tomatoes (or 1 14.5 oz can)
1 1/2 tsp raw sugar
1 jalapeno, washed, stem removed, and pierced several times with a knife
1/2 c heavy cream
1 tsp cornstarch

For serving:
Heaping handfuls of roughly chopped cilantro
Rice and peas, see recipe below
Na’an bread*

*We purchase ours at our local grocer, but one of these days I want to try my own hand at it.  I’ve included a link to a recipe in case you’re feeling ambitious. I brush mine with a little olive oil and brown on a cast iron griddle.

Preparation:

Toss the chicken thighs in a medium bowl with the spices and yogurt, and stir until the meat is evenly-coated. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large sauté or cast iron pan over medium high heat. Add the chicken and brown quickly, just a few minutes per side. Remove the chicken and place in the slow cooker.

In the drippings that remain in the pan, sauté the onion, garlic, ginger, salt, and garam masala until the onion is translucent. Turn the heat to high, and add the diced tomatoes and raw sugar. Bring the sauce to a boil, then remove from heat and add to the slow cooker.

<Now, you could skip the prep on the stove, and just throw everything together in the crock pot. But the browning on the stove is an essential step in my opinion, as it gives an added depth of flavor, and if you have all of your ingredients at the ready it really takes no time at all.>

Add the jalapeno – don’t worry, unless you open up the jalapeno and expose the sauce directly to the seeds, it won’t impart too much spice into the sauce. Cover and cook on LOW for 5 hours.

Remove the lid from the slow cooker, and use two forks to separate the chicken thighs into smaller chunks. Whisk the cornstarch into the heavy cream, and then add it to the slow cooker and stir it in gently. Cook 10-15 minutes more, and then serve atop rice garnished with a heaping handful of cilantro.

 

Buttered Rice & Peas

Adapted from Foodie with Family

Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 cup rice
2 cups water
1 tbsp butter (or more if you like – I prefer to scale back a bit)
2/3 cups frozen sweet peas

Preparation:
In a medium saucepan, combine the rice and water. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat to low. Keep covered, and simmer for 10-15 minutes until the water is absorbed and the rice is fluffy. Stir in butter and frozen peas, and let sit 5-10 minutes before serving.

Next time, I’m going to try adding turmeric based on this version over at Pioneer Woman Cooks – it gives a great burst of color, and I’d imagine another element of flavor.

 

Skillet Chicken Tikka Masala

Adapted from The Best Simple Recipes by America’s Test Kitchen

Ingredients:
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 lb), cut into 1 inch chunks
Salt and pepper
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped fine
1 tbsp garam masala
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp grated fresh ginger
1/2 c heavy cream
1/4 c chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation:
Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Cook the chicken until browned all over, about 3-5 minutes, and transfer to a plate.

Add onion to the empty skillet and cook over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garam masala, garlic, and ginger and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.

Stir in cream and browned chicken, along with any accumulated juices, and simmer until sauce is thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in cilantro. Season with salt and pepper. Serve over rice.

Enjoy!

 

Make Chicken Stock in Your Sleep

Published on March 20, 2012 in Recipes. 1 Comment Tags: , , , , , , , , , , .

As part of an effort to streamline our meal prep during the week, my husband and I have started roasting a whole chicken each weekend. We shred the meat for use in a quick meal later in the week – a salad, sandwiches, a soup, or other dish – the uses are endless. To make the most of the chicken and to eliminate one more processed item in our kitchen, we’ve begun making our own chicken stock in the crock pot.

It’s surprisingly easy – in a matter of minutes, I can throw everything into the crockpot and then literally set it and forget it until the next day. In fact, to make it even easier, I now chop up onions, carrots, and celery when I bring them home from the store and portion them into freezer bags along with a few sprigs of thyme and parsley. The prepared bags go in the freezer until I’m ready to use them. But honestly, you can make chicken stock with just bones and skip the vegetables altogether.

Can it get much cheaper? Aside from being cheaper than storebought, it’s healthier too. Bones contain collagen which forms gelatin when simmered for long periods of time. Gelatin gives a stock more body but also aids in digestion. If you include an acid in the stock, it will help break down the cartilage and connective tissue in the bones accelerating the formation of gelatin. Acid also causes minerals to leach from the bones infusing the stock with minerals such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, and phosphorus. The recipe below calls for apple cider vinegar, but don’t worry – the vinegar taste dissipates as it simmers, and you won’t even notice it.

For more info on the nutritional benefits of homemade stock, read about it at Kitchen Stewardship here.

Overnight Chicken Stock

Adapted from Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon

Makes 3-4 quarts, depending how long it simmers

Ingredients:
1 roast chicken carcass
2 carrots, coarsely chopped
2 celery stalks, coarsely chopped
1 onion, coarsely chopped
4-5 sprigs thyme
4-5 sprigs parsley
1 tsp whole peppercorns (optional)
4 quarts cold filtered water
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar or other acid

Preparation:
Place chicken carcass and vegetables in the crockpot. No salt necessary at this point – save it for later when you are preparing meals. (Note: you can just use a whole chicken and remove the meat afterwards, but the stock may sap the flavor from the meat, and I prefer the flavor imparted by the bones of a roasted chicken).

Cover the chicken and vegetables with cold filtered water, and add vinegar. Starting with cold water allows the fibers to open up slowly as it warms releasing more gelatin and more juices for flavor.

Soak for 1 hour, then set the crock pot to low and simmer for anywhere from 6 to 24 hours. It’s not necessary to be particularly exact since you’re just cooking at a low simmer. Some liquid may evaporate, but the longer you cook the stock, the richer and more flavorful it will be. I typically simmer mine anywhere from 12-24 hours.

When the stock is done simmering, place a wire mesh strainer in a large bowl and strain the stock. Portion the stock into covered containers for storage in the refrigerator. As it cools, the fat will rise to the top and can be skimmed off if you like when you’re ready to use it. The stock will last in the refrigerator for about a week or can be frozen for up to 1 year.

To freeze, consider ice cube trays for small portions to be added to sauces or gravies. For larger portions, stock can be frozen by the cupful in freezer bags. Place 1 or 2 cups of cooled stock in a freezer bag removing most of the air but leaving some room for the liquid to expand. Lay the bags flat on a cookie sheet or shelf in the freezer. Once frozen, they can be stacked flat.

Ways to use your chicken stock:

 

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