Skinny Chicken Tikka Masala

Skinnytaste.com is one of my favorite sites to get delicious low fat recipes. This was definitely a keeper, and a nice change from our usual dishes. As usual, I made a couple minor changes.

Skinny Chicken Tikka Masala

2 tsp. butter
1 small onion, diced (optional: I used 1 Tbsp. dried minced onion instead...J doesn't like the real deal)
1 Tbsp. fresh ginger grated
3 cloves garlic crushed
1 1/2 C. crushed tomatoes
4 oz. fat free yogurt (You can use greek yogurt, too! I did!)
1/2 C. milk
1 Tbsp. cumin
1 Tbsp. garam masala (this is a spice you can buy at Whole Foods...or from Amazon.com)
1/2 Tbsp. chili powder
salt to taste
16 oz. (about 2) boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
4 Tbsp. fresh cilantro (or to taste) {side note: I completely forgot to add this...and it was still yummy without it!}

Heat oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until golden. Add the crushed ginger, stir for a few minutes then add the garlic and cook another minute. Add cumin, garam masala, chili powder, and salt; mix well until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, yogurt and milk. Simmer on low heat until sauce thickens, about 10 minutes. Add chicken and simmer for 10 - 15 minutes or until cooked through. Add a generous amount of chopped cilantro {or don't...I didn't}.  You can serve this with basmati rice, naan bread, or (what I served it with) coconut rice.

Coconut-Lime Banana Bread

I am a sucker for a good Banana Bread...there are a few recipes that will probably be making my cookbook. 

This just happens to be one of them. 

This is a non-traditional banana bread, but delicious none-the-less. It was gone within a few hours.  Literally.

I made a few slight changes to the original recipe. Thank you MADE!

Coconut-Lime Banana Bread

Bread:
2 Cups All-purpose Flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

1 cup sugar
1/4 cup softened salted butter
2 eggs
1 to 1 1/2 cups smashed bananas (about 3 bananas)
1/4 cup yogurt (vanilla, plain, strawberry, whatever flavor)
3 Tbl applesauce
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup coconut flakes
1 Tbl coconut to sprinkle on top of bread
Glaze:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
Appx 1 1/2 Tbl fresh lime or lemon juice (appx 1 lime; you may substitute store-bought lime or lemon juice if needed)

First, mix the first 3 dry ingredients in the small bowl (the flour, baking soda, and salt) and set them aside.

Mash up the bananas with a fork (like you're making baby food) and set them aside.

Crack two eggs into a large bowl (or into your mixer). Next, add a 1/2 stick of real salted butter.

ADD the SUGAR and beat everything on medium speed for about 1 minute.
Then add the rest of the ingredients.....the bananas,the yogurt (use whatever kind you have in the house. I used vanilla but strawberry or other flavors would also work it will just add a different flavor),the applesauce, the vanilla, the coconut. Mix it up until blended.

Then, add the dry ingredients. Mix it until just moist.

Butter and sugar your bread pan (or use Pam...but it won't work as well as butter and sugar).  If you've never done this before, do this just like you would flour a cake pan before baking.

Pour batter into bread pan. Sprinkle the top of the batter with coconut. Bake at 350 degrees F for approximately 1 hour.

While bread is baking, prepare glaze. Pour lime juice into small bowl.  Add 1/2 C. powdered sugar (more if needed) to lime juice and mix.  Glaze should be slightly runny and pourable.

When bread is done let it cool on a rack for about 5 minutes (but not completely) before removing from the bread pan. Drizzle the glaze over the warm bread.

Enjoy!

Cauliflower Fritters

Thank you Gina from Skinnytaste.com for providing healthier options that taste good! I only changed the recipe slightly.

These reminded me of hashbrowns.  Delicious with ketchup!


Cauliflower Fritters

4 C. steamed cauliflower roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic crushed (I use the jarred, minced variety...and then smash it with the back of a spoon)
1 C. whole wheat flower
2 eggs
1/2 C. Pecorino Romano (or Parmesan Cheese) grated
1/4 C. parsley finely chopped (I used dried parsley and did about 1/2 as much)
1/4 C. hot water
salt and pepper
Cooking spray (like Pam or something...I use the olive oil kind)

In a large bowl, combine cauliflower, flour, garlic, eggs, grated cheese, parsley, salt and pepper. Add water so that batter becomes slightly more dense than pancake batter.

On medium-low heat, spray a light coating of cooking spray in a large skillet coating bottom of the pan. Use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to form fritters. You can fit several fritters at a time. Cook until golden brown, turn and cook another few minutes. Add a little more cooking spray to the pan if necessary, and repeat with remaining batter.

Georgia Peach Pound Cake

I made this a while back (at the beginning of August actually) for J's birthday. It was yummy! A definite make again kind of recipe. 

They don't call it pound cake for nothing! I almost gained a pound just looking at it! 

Thank you Dent Norton & Allrecipes.com!

GA Peach Pound Cake

1 cup butter or margarine, softened

2 cups white sugar

4 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups fresh peaches, pitted and chopped

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Butter a 10 inch tube (aka: bundt cake pan) pan and coat with white sugar.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well with each addition, then stir in the vanilla. Reserve 1/4 cup of flour for later, and sift together the remaining flour, baking powder and salt. Gradually stir into the creamed mixture. Use the reserved flour to coat the chopped peaches, then fold the floured peaches into the batter. Spread evenly into the prepared pan.
3. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Allow cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely.

***I made this a 2nd time! We ate it with a peach syrup and whipped cream! The peach syrup was made by blending peaches with sugar until smooth and then adding larger chunks of peaches.  Heat everything on the stove to dissolve sugar and serve warm.

Peanut Butter Cookies

Delicious cookies from The Sister's Cafe site!

Ultimate Peanut Butter Cookies

1 ¼ cup flour
¾ tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
¼ salt
½ cup butter, softened
1 cup peanut butter
¾ cup sugar
½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 Tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla
½ cup peanut butter chips
½ cup chocolate chips
Sugar in a bowl for dipping
Preheat oven 350 degrees
In a large bowl, combine the flour, the baking soda, and the baking powder, and the salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat the butter and the peanut butter together until fluffy. Add the sugars and beat until smooth. Add the egg and mix well. Add the milk and the vanilla. Add the flour mixture and beat thoroughly. Stir in the peanut butter chips and chocolate chips. Drop Tbsp size rounded cookie dough into bowl of sugar to coat. Place on ungreased cookie sheet leaving several inches between for expansion. Slightly flatten cookies with back of spatula. Bake for 10-12 minutes. The cookies will look underdone. Cool for 1 minute on pan then remove to a rack to cool completely. Yum!!!

Thai Chicken Wraps

I first had this dish on the 4th of July at my sister's house.  Kind of funny eating Thai food on the United States' Independence Day, but I had no trouble swallowing the idea...lol.

Then, I made this myself for some neighbors (and for us--I wasn't about to give it all away!).

Serve with Coconut Rice (from previous post).  Put chicken and coconut rice in your choice of lettuce wrap or tortilla. Use 1 or both sauces.

Thai Chicken Wraps


Chicken Marinade

1 1/2 cans coconut milk (14 oz. cans)
1/4 C. soy sauce

1/4 C. Asian fish sauce {advanced warning--do NOT smell this stuff--it's not pleasant, but makes things taste good}

6 garlic cloves minced {I use the pre-minced jarred variety and do 1 Tbsp.}

2 Tbsp. fresh ginger grated (using a fine cheese grater) into a pulp

1/4 C. sugar

1/2 C. chopped cilantro

1 C. lime juice

About 8 chicken breasts.

Combine all ingredients in a ziplock bag and add chicken.  Scale the recipe up or down depending on the number of chicken breasts you are working with.

Marinate chicken overnight (or even longer).  Grill chicken.  Cut chicken into bite sized pieces.

Thai Peanut Sauce

1 Tsp. fresh ginger grated (using a fine cheese grater) into a pulp

1/2 jalapeno seeded and minced

1 clove garlic minced (or 1/2 tsp. pre-minced, jarred variety)

2 green onions (both green and white parts) trimmed and minced

1/3 C. chunky peanut butter

1/3 C. coconut milk

2 tbsp. Asian fish sauce or soy sauce (or more to taste) {I did half fish sauce and half soy sauce}

1 tbsp. lime juice or more to taste {my sister's family usually adds about 2 more teaspoons}

2 tsp. Sugar or more to taste

¼ C. Chopped fresh cilantro

Combine everything in a small heavy sauce pan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring well to mix. Then, reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Should be thick but pourable. Thin with coconut milk if needed. Remove from heat and taste for seasoning. Should be highly seasoned.

Tip: Do not reheat this sauce in the microwave.  Reheat on the stove and thin with coconut milk of necessary.

Yakatori Sauce

1 C. soy sauce

1 C. sugar

3 garlic cloves minced (or 1 1/2 tsp. of the pre-minced, jarred variety)

1 tsp. (maybe a little more) ginger grated (with a fine cheese-grater) into a pulp

2 green onions sliced

1 piece lemon zest (1 inch by 1 inch piece) don't zest--just use the yellow part

Optional step: Put soy sauce, sugar, garlic, ginger, and green onions into a blender and blend well. {My husband hates chunky garlic and onions and ginger, so blending does the trick}. 

Combine all ingredients. Bring to boil watching carefully. This sauce tends to boil over very quickly if you don't keep an eye on it. Reduce. Let simmer for 15 minutes. Remove lemon zest when done.

Kneaders Raspberry Bread Pudding

OH MY!

That's about all I have to say.  This recipe was SO GOOD!

My sister Jennifer told me about this recipe from The Sisters Cafe and told me about a few changes she makes.  I made a few of her changes, but I made a few of my own as well.  My version is lower calorie (but still not low-calorie...trust me...it's BAD).  

Allison's Version of Kneaders Raspberry Bread Pudding 

Cream Mix

1 loaf french bread
1 pint heavy cream
2 C. whole milk
3 C. sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. almond extract

Cut your french bread up into 1" cubes and leave out for a night so the bread will become stale.

{Because I never like waiting a whole night before making anything, I sped this process up by chopping my bread and then puting it in a food dehydrator on the highest setting for about 20 minutes--worked like a charm}

In a large bowl, combine cream, milk, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and almond extract.  Add stale bread to cream mixture, coating bread well.  Let stand for 30 minutes stirring every 5 minutes to allow cream to absorb completely.


Fruit Filling

5 C. frozen raspberries (I used 4 cups raspberries and 1 cup blackberries because that's all I had on hand--Delicious!)
1 C. sugar
1/2 C. apple juice

Combine raspberries, sugar, and apple juice. Stir until sugar is dissolved.

Layer a 9x13 dark baking dish 3/4 full with bread mixture, pour fruit filling over bread mixture, spreading evenly, top will remaining bread.  Bake 40 minutes at 375 degrees F (or until "pudding" sets up). Serve warm.  Top with Vanilla Cream Sauce.


Vanilla Cream Sauce

2 Tbsp. salted butter
2 1/2 Tbsp. flour
2 C. whole milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. almond extract
3/4 C. sugar

Over medium heat melt butter.  Add flour and stir for about 3 minutes or until mixture has a nutty aroma, do not brown. Add cream and sugar and boil until mixture thickens. Remove from heat adding vanilla and almond extract. Serve sauce cold. {Sauce can be thinned with additional milk until it reaches your desired consistancy)

Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

The Nabisco company just THOUGHT that the Oreo was milk's favorite cookie.  Truth is, the Oreo is only the middle part of the cookie that milk likes best!

This recipe was an instant winner with my husband! But, I could have guessed it would be!

I have quite a few recipes to post on here, but I leave you with this one for now!  I have a very busy couple of days ahead of me and don't have time to post more.  Wish I could.

Thank you Picky Palate for your crazy, delicious, combination creations!

Here's a picture of mine!

Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 sticks softened butter
3/4 Cup packed light brown sugar
1 Cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 Tablespoon pure vanilla
3 1/2 Cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
10 oz bag chocolate chips
1 bag Oreo Cookies, (Picky Palate used the double stuff--I used regular)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a stand or electric mixer cream butter and sugars until well combined. Add in eggs and vanilla until well combined.
2. In a separate bowl mix the flour, salt and baking soda. Slowly add to wet ingredients along with chocolate chips until just combined. Using a cookie scoop take one scoop of cookie dough and place on top of an Oreo Cookie. Take another scoop of dough and place on bottom of Oreo Cookie. Seal edges together by pressing and cupping in hand until Oreo Cookie is enclosed with dough. Place onto a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet and bake cookies 9-13 minutes or until cookies are baked to your liking. Let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack. Serve with a tall glass of milk, enjoy!
Makes about 2 dozen VERY LARGE Cookies