Recipe: Butter Chicken

I have been asked for this recipe numerous times so, at long last, I decided to post it since I made a batch last week. However, because I'm not used to taking pictures for recipes, I forgot to take a photo, so the only picture I have is from the very first time I made this dish. Butter chicken isn't the most appetizing looking dish but it sure does taste good. Enjoy!

Butter Chicken

 Adapted from Trish Magwood's Butter Chicken

Ingredients

• 1 cup (250 mL) yogurt, fat-free Greek style
• 1/4 cup (60 mL) lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons (10 mL) ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons (10 mL) ground coriander
• 1 1/2 teaspoons (10 mL) cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon (5 mL) garam masala
• 1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) ground turmeric
• 2 tablespoons (10 mL) minced fresh garlic
• 1 tablespoon (15 mL) minced fresh ginger
• 2 teaspoons (10 mL) kosher salt
• 3 pounds (1.5 kg) chicken thighs, boneless and skinless
• Fresh lime wedges
• 3 tablespoons (50mL) butter or ghee
• 1 cup (250 mL) cashews, ground to a paste
• 1 medium onion, minced
• 2 teaspoons (10 mL) cumin seeds, whole
• 1 serrano chili, minced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 can - 213mL tomato sauce
• 2 cups (500 mL) heavy (35%) cream
• 1/4 cup (50 mL) fresh cilantro, chopped roughly

Directions

1. Combine yogurt, lemon juice, cumin, coriander, cayenne, garam masala, turmeric, garlic, ginger and salt (to taste) in a medium bowl. In a re-sealable bag, add chicken and cover with yogurt marinade and squeeze juice from half a lime over top. Seal bag and toss to coat chicken. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
2. In a high-sided sauté pan, heat butter or ghee over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until translucent. Add garlic, cumin seeds and minced chili and cook until fragrant. Add tomato purée and cashew paste. Season with salt, stir and lower heat to a simmer. Add cream and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and blend until smooth (an immersion blender is handy here).
3. Add the chicken and all of the yogurt marinade to the sauce. Stir to coat chicken with sauce and simmer on medium for 25-30 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked. Garnish with chopped cilantro leaves. Serve with basmasti rice and naan.
4. You can also cook this in a slow cooker on high for 5-6 hours.

Mushroom arugula pizza

Yesterday I was at home with M. (for a variety of reasons, not least of which it was -30 C without wind chill!) and needed something quick and relatively healthy for lunch. I'm a big fan of the white mushroom pizzas from places like Without Papers, Una, and Double Zero but I didn't want to make dough, don't have truffle oil, and oh yeah, I don't have a pizza oven in my kitchen. So, in the spirit of using what I have, here is what I came up with.

Mushroom Arugula Pizza

1 plain naan or thick pita shell
Olive Oil
Black truffle salt
Mushrooms, chopped
8 year aged cheddar
Arugula

Preheat oven to 350. Place naan on a cookie sheet. Drizzle olive oil on your naan, brush all the way to the edges and sprinkle some black truffle salt on top. Put a couple slices of 8 year aged cheddar down and then sprinkle your chopped mushrooms on. Slide into the oven and cook for 10-12 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling. Broil for a couple minutes to get some colour on the cheese. Toss some arugula on the pizza and let sit for a couple minutes. Enjoy!

The aged cheddar is quite strong so if you aren't a fan of the flavour, use a milder cheese. However, because the pizza as a whole is pretty mild, the cheese really adds some kick.

What is your favourite homemade pizza?

Rullupylsa & Molasses Brown Bread

Every Christmas for as long as I can remember, my Amma made two things that were essential to the Walker family Christmas - rullupylsa and molasses brown bread. Rullupylsa is an Icelandic cured meat dish that is traditionally made with lamb flank (we use beef flank and always have). It is seasoned and tenderized and then left to cure in the fridge for a week. You then boil it for several hours and store it in the fridge. It will last for weeks - if it doesn't get eaten first.

My Amma passed away in 2003 so the responsibility for making this traditional food went to my Dad. My sister learned to make it a couple of years ago but strangely, it took until this past Christmas for me to learn (and cross an item off my life list!). Aside from loving to eat rullupylsa, I'm really happy that I can now carry on this tradition and introduce my own family to the delights of rullupylsa.

At the beginning of December we went out to my Dad's for a lesson and marathon assembly session (I think we made 11 total). I took some pictures to show the basic process and will also include the recipes for anyone wanting to try their hand at making it.

Rullupylsa

2 lb. flank steak, beef or lamb
3Tbsp Morton's Tender Quick meat cure salt
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp black pepper
1 medium onion, chopped fine (almost pulverized)

Heavy thread
Heavy duty needle
Kitchen string
Plastic wrap
Tin foil

Lay the flank out flat. There is a thin membrane on one side of the flank - lay that side down so that when you roll the flank it is easier to sew closed. Mix the salt and spices and rub 3/4 of the mixture all over the flank. Spread chopped onion over 2/3 of the flank.

Roll the flank up starting from the end with onions - rolling will push the onions over the whole flank. Using the heavy thread and needle start sewing from the middle down to one end. Tie it off and return to the middle to sew the other side. Rub the remaining spices over the outside of the flank. Wrap your cylindrical flank tightly with kitchen string.

Wrap in two layers of plastic wrap and store in the fridge for 5 to 7 days, turning daily.

Boil for 2-3 hours, continually replenishing the water to keep the flank covered. Press with a pile of books or other heavy objects until cooled. Wrap with plastic and tin foil and freeze until needed.

Brown Bread

Makes 3 medium sized loaves

1 Tbsp yeast, dissolved in 1/2 cup warm water and 1 tsp sugar
6 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp salt
1 1/2 to 2 Tbsp cooking oil
1/2 cup cooking or blackstrap molasses (NOT fancy)
3 cups warm water
4 to 5 cups white flour
4 to 5 cups whole wheat flour

Place the liquid in a large bowl with the sugar, salt, oil and molasses. Stir in 2 cups of flour and beat to form a smooth batter. Stir the yeast mixture well and stir into batter. Beat until mixture is very smooth and elastic. Work in remaining flour (you may not need it all) and knead until smooth, springy, and slightly sticky. Cover and let rise to double its size. Knead and let rise again. Shape into 3 medium sized loaves, place on parchment paper covered baking sheet, cut slits in the tops, and let rise for a final time. Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes. Turn temperature down to 325°F and bake for another 30 minutes, depending on size of loaves. Loaves should be a nice golden colour.

This is quite a dense bread with the nice molasses flavour. Cut off a slice, butter it, and serve with a slice of rullupylsa on top. (We ate all the rullupylsa before I remembered to take a picture.)

Enjoy!

Is there something your family eats every Christmas?

Pinterest Challenge : Autumn edition

A lot of the projects that I've worked on around the house lately have been inspired by Pinterest, but the things I had planned to do this past weekend coincided perfectly with the second Pinterest Challenge that was hosted by Sherry, Katie, Ana, and Erin. Check out their projects - they are pretty awesome!

Since it was Halloween on Monday it was the perfect chance to try out some of the pumpkin designs I had pinned. My sister and I took M. to the Calgary Corn Maze over Thanksgiving and we picked out four lovely pumpkins. A. was in charge of two of them (M. coloured on one and then we carved a design) and I took the other two. The designs that peaked my interest the most were the pumpkin village {original source: Disney Family Fun} and the drilled holes {original source: Martha Stewart}. A. make a happy face using some cut out parts and we carved a monogram on M's coloured pumpkin.

I think they turned out pretty great although I should have stuck with one chevron row and used a bigger drill bit so more light got through. As it was, I had to leave the lid off on the little one so enough oxygen got in for the candle to burn.

The pumpkins were the main project I had planned for this challenge, but as luck would have it, we completed two others as well.

With winter fast approaching and snow in the forecast, we really needed to get some raised garden beds built so that I could plant my garlic, winter onions, and chives.  I had pinned many different raised bed ideas (like this, this, and this) but the design A. decided he liked the best was this cedar raised bed {original source: Sunset}.

I wanted two beds so we went with 6' x 4' so that it was easy to cut on a 12' board. Now, cedar isn't cheap so we could have done this project for less money if we had gone with pressure treated wood, but cedar is naturally rot resistant and we didn't want to run the risk of any of the chemicals from pressure treated boards leaching into our soil. Plus, cedar is beautiful and smells amazing!

A. built two 6' x 4' boxes in the garage in about an hour. It took another hour to dig trenches in our rock hard ground to settle the beds in to and about another hour to fill them with black garden soil. (I ordered a Big Yellow Bag from Eagle Lake Turf here in Calgary.) We did the digging and filling after M. went to bed. Now we are the weird neighbours who garden in the dark! All told we spent about $300 for the two beds - the cedar and supplies were about $150 and the bag of soil was $150 delivered. Seems expensive but the amount of money we will save on produce during the summer (fingers crossed) will pay off the beds in no time.

Last, but not least, I made these cranberry granola balls {original source: Sweet Potato Chronicles} for a Birth & Babies Halloween gathering we hosted on Sunday.

They were really easy to make and taste delicious! Sunflower seed butter is great if there are any nut allergies in the group and has a nice flavour but you could substitute any nut butter you want.

Did you complete a project recently that was inspired by Pinterest?

Sunday pancakes

Growing up, pancakes on Sunday mornings were something of a tradition. Every Sunday morning I would get up with my dad and help make pancakes. Plain, banana, berry or cheese - we liked them all! When my Dad moved to Yellowknife ahead of us to find a house and start his job I took over the pancake making role at the ripe old age of ten. There was a period of time in my teens when I went off pancakes. I'd simply had too many of them and was sick of pancakes. Now that I have my own family, pancakes are making a comeback as a Sunday tradition. And, without fail, my husband requests cheese pancakes. Cheese pancakes may sound weird, but I promise you, they are the perfect blend of sweet and savoury.

The recipe that I have been faithfully following for the past 20+ years comes from my Mom's old Five Roses cookbook. It produces a flavourful and, most importantly, fluffy pancake.

Click to see the larger image.

Some pancake cooking tips:

• make sure your baking powder is fresh. You should hear a fizzing sound when you mix the wet ingredients into the dry. If you don't, your baking powder is too old and the pancakes won't be light and fluffy.
• I reduce the sugar by 1 tablespoon. I don't like overly sweet pancakes. Plus, if you add fruit that will make up for the missing sugar.
• Flip the pancakes when bubbles stop forming on the surface and when the edges are starting to solidify and look cooked. After 20 years I can also tell they are ready to flip by smell. They smell like cooked pancakes. :)
• Without a doubt, I have had best results using my electric frying pan. I get consistent heat and know what the product will end up like every. single. time. I set mine to 350 F and always get perfect pancakes.
• To make cheese pancakes I add a good handful of grated old cheddar - about 1 cup.

 

Bubbles have stopped forming and the edges are looking cooked. Ready to flip!

 

Deeeelicious!

My favourite part of being designated pancake cook? Chef's choice! I always reserve the last bit of batter to make a pancake of my choosing. Today I made several mini pancakes.

Enjoy!!

Does your family have a Sunday breakfast tradition?

I'm loving...

These Hibiscus Stay On Coasters from Dimmalimm. I think these will make great Christmas gifts. (Yes, I'm already thinking about Christmas.)


The Serena drum chandelier from Oly. When we were picking out lighting for the new house I fell in love with this chandelier. I thought it would just the right amount of sparkle and romance to the dining nook. Too bad it was waaaaay outside my price range. Damn, good lighting is expensive! I also love this Round Old Silver iron pendant. It was more affordable at $500 but I couldn't find anyone that supplied it to the lighting store we were working with.


When we get into our new house I hope to do an art wall featuring all of the places A. and I have traveled and this DC Love print by Art Shark Designs would be the perfect addition.


I'm in the middle of reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver and it has been transforming. I've been thinking more about what we feed our family and have been especially wary of conventionally grown produce. With this in mind, we purchased a half-share with Oxyoke Farms. I don't think I've eaten so many salads in my life but, it has been fantastic and I would gladly eat garden lettuce all year if I could!

It's like coming home

While living in Vancouver, A. and I discovered the most wonderful (and tasty!) invention thanks to my sister. Canned Thai curries! B. found them while house-sitting for me and when I returned from working overseas she promised me they were delicious. At first I turned my nose up because my sister is not known for her cooking skills and will generally just find something quick and easy (love you B.!) but when I tried it, I was in love!

Aroy-D makes several different varieties of canned, ready-to-eat curry but our favourite is the green curry. (It's especially tasty with pineapple, cilantro and pistachios, served on basmati rice - a rip-off of the green curry at Earl's.) We usually add an extra can of bamboo shoots because really, who doesn't love extra bamboo shoots?

Unfortunately, when we moved to Calgary we discovered that Aroy-D curry was one of the items we couldn't find here, despite Calgary being a culturally-diverse city. However, the Thai curry gods smiled on us when A. spied the familiar cans on the shelf at our newly converted Wal-Mart Supercentre. Now we don't have to bring a case of the stuff back with us from Vancouver! I don't think we've ever been happier to see a specific food item.

Thai Chicken Pizza

So, in order to generate more content, I decided to take pictures and post the recipe for one of A's favourite dinners. As you will see, I need to practice taking pictures for recipes, but here is what I have. :)

Thai Chicken Pizza

This is adapted from a pizza served in a Vancouver restaurant. Emma and Laurel first introduced me to it and I have since adopted it as my own.



What you need:
- Chicken, diced (My rule of thumb is approx. 1/2 breast per person. 2 breasts is enough for 4 pita bread rounds. If I'm making a big pizza, I'll try to use three breasts. We like a lot of chicken. I usually use fresh chicken breasts but I was lazy this time and used the pre-cooked chicken. I really like the Grillhouse strips.)
- Peanut sauce (I use Asian Family Satay Peanut Sauce, it's nice and spicy.)
- Peanut butter (Optional. A. likes it mixed with the peanut sauce for the base.)
- Mozzarella (Fresh is best.)
- Bell pepper (Whichever colour you like.)
- Bean sprouts
- Cilantro
- Pizza crust (I like the recipe for basic pizza crust from The Pioneer Woman.) or whole wheat pita shells
- Sheet pan aka cookie sheet
- Olive oil
- Kosher or sea salt
- Sriracha (Optional. This is a HOT chili sauce. Use sparingly! Unless you want to sear off all of your taste buds.)



What to do:
1. Preheat over to 375 degrees F.
2. Make your crust ahead of time or use a store bought crust. We also use whole wheat pita bread for individual pizzas.
3. Cook your chicken and toss with some of the peanut sauce.



4. Drizzle some olive oil onto your sheet pan and spread around. Roll or stretch out your dough and put on pan. Lightly sprinkle some salt on the dough.
5. Slather your peanut sauce/peanut butter concoction on the dough as your base.



6. Put your mozza on top of the sauce base.



7. Toss on your bell pepper, bean sprouts and cooked chicken. Finally top off with your chopped cilantro.
8. Put in your preheated oven and bake for 15-17 minutes until the crust is golden brown.



9. Drizzle on the Sriracha and enjoy! Have a cold drink handy.

Bacon...

food of the Gods! One question though - fat back, what the heck is that?



Seen on Dooce.

Salad Rolls

Last night was again capped off with a delicious low GI meal of lemon parsley chicken. For an appetizer to tide us over while the chicken was cooking I made some Vietnamese salad rolls and they were absolutely amazing! I thought some of you would like to try them so here is another recipe:

Vietnamese Vegetable Salad Rolls

Medium sized rice paper rounds
1 red pepper cut into thin sticks
1 cucumber (seeded) cut into thin sticks
1 carrot cut into thin sticks (I used my vegetable peeler and made strips)
1 avocado cut into thin sticks
Bean sprouts and any other vegetable you would like
Lettuce torn into chunks
Vietnamese mint
Cilantro

Soak the rice paper rounds, one at a time, in warm water for approx. 20 seconds and lay on a flat surface.

Lay some lettuce chunks in the middle of the wrapper. Place a few leaves of mint and a sprig of cilantro on the lettuce and then place a few pieces of each vegetable on top of the greens. Fold in the ends of the wrapper and then roll, pressing firmly on the seam to seal.

If you make these ahead of time they can be kept in the fridge under a damp paper towel for up to two hours.

Cut in half for appetizer sized pieces and serve with your favourite Asian dipping sauce (I like a spicy peanut sauce.)

This recipe was taken, and slightly modified, from the New Glucose Revolution Low GI Vegetarian Cookbook

Low GI

I bought a vegetarian cookbook (A. had mentioned he wanted to try more vegetarian dishes) on the weekend that is full of healthy low GI recipes and so far it has turned out wonderfully.

Sunday night I made a pasta dish that had semi-dried tomatoes, bocconcini, fresh basil and pine nuts and last night I made a vegetable curry with cumin-flavoured rice and both were fairly easy to make and quite delicious. However, the recipe I'm most impressed with so far is one for a banana mango smoothie that I made for breakfast this morning. (The mango I bought wasn't ripe yet so I substituted frozen mixed berries instead.) You don't really need a recipe to make a smoothie but I am going to reproduce it here anyway.

Banana Berry Smoothie

1 ripe banana cut into pieces
1 cup frozen mixed berries
2 tbsp wheat germ
1 cup low fat milk (or soy milk)
1/2 cup low fat natural yogurt
2 tsp natural honey
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Blend and enjoy!

This recipe was taken, and slightly modified, from the New Glucose Revolution Low GI Vegetarian Cookbook