saucy chicken tikka meatballs

 Our first Defined Dish recipe and it's a keeper!

Ingredients

For the Meatballs:

• 2 pounds ground chicken preferably dark meat
• 1 egg
• ½ cup almond flour 
• 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• ¼ cup minced cilantro leaves and tender stems
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

For the Tikka Sauce:

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• ½ cup finely diced yellow onion ½ onion
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 1 teaspoon grated ginger
• 2 tablespoons curry powder
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper or to taste
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
• ½ cup chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice or 1 lemon
• ¼ cup freshly chopped cilantro
• Prepared Rice or Cauliflower Rice for serving
  

Instructions

Make the Meatballs:

1. Preheat the oven to 375°Fand line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, combine the ground chicken, egg, almond flour, salt, pepper, cilantro, garlic powder, and cumin. Using your hands, mix until well combined.
3. Roll the meatballs into 1-inch rounds and place on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil, and transfer to the oven and let bake until just about cooked through and lightly browned, about 15 minutes.

Make the Tikka Sauce:

1. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger. Cook, stirring, until tender, about 4 minutes.
2. Add the curry powder, garam masala, turmeric, cumin, and cayenne pepper and toss, toasting the spices until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.
3. Stir in the tomato paste until well combined with the spices. While whisking, slowly stir in the coconut milk until it is well combined and there are no lumps. Add the broth and salt and bring to a simmer. Simmer, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until the sauce has reduced slightly. Taste and add more salt and/or cayenne, if desired.
4. When the meatballs are cooked through, transfer them to the sauce and carefully toss to coat fully. Reduce to medium-low heat, cover, and let the flavors meld for about 5 minutes.
5. To finish, stir in the lemon juice and top with fresh cilantro. Serve over rice or cauliflower rice, and enjoy!

curried chicken salad

This is great lunch recipe either plain or on a pita or naan from Ina Garten. I follow the recipe exactly but use golden raisins instead of regular.

Ingredients

• 3 whole (6 split) chicken breasts, bone-in, skin-on
• Olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups good mayonnaise 
• 1/3 cup dry white wine
• 1/4 cup chutney
• 3 tablespoons curry powder
• 1 cup medium-diced celery (2 large stalks)
• 1/4 cup chopped scallions, white and green parts (2 scallions)
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1 cup whole roasted, salted cashews

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the chicken breasts on a sheet pan and rub the skin with olive oil. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until the chicken is just cooked. Set aside until cool enough to handle. Remove the meat from the bones, discard the skin, and dice the chicken into large bite-size pieces.

For the dressing, combine the mayonnaise, wine, chutney, curry powder, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Process until smooth.

Combine the chicken with enough dressing to moisten well. Add the celery, scallions, and raisins, and mix well. Refrigerate for a few hours to allow the flavors to blend. Add the cashews and serve at room temperature.

bombay joes

I love this Indian inspired recipe from Food Network and the family will occasionally eat it too. I usually serve it with pitas or naan instead of on buns.

Ingredients

Sauce:

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon minced ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 serrano chile, seeded and finely minced (save the other half for the turkey)
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 cup water

Turkey:

• 3 to 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
• Small handful shelled pistachios, about 1/4 cup
• Small handful golden raisins, about 1/4 cup
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1/2 large white onion, finely diced
• 1 red bell pepper, seeds and membrane removed, finely diced
• 1/2 serrano chile, seeds intact (don't chop it up unless you like things spicy!)
• Kosher salt
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1/2 teaspoon honey
• 1/4 cup half-and-half
• Small handful chopped fresh cilantro (soft stems included)
• 4 to 6 gluten free hamburger buns

Directions

Begin by making the sauce: Warm the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, until it shimmers. Add the ginger, garlic and serrano pepper. Saute until the ginger and garlic brown a little. Add the garam masala and paprika and saute for 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato sauce and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until thickened, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile for the turkey, in large skillet, warm 2 tablespoons of oil. When shimmering, add the pistachios and raisins. Cook until the raisins swell up and the pistachios toast slightly. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Return the pan to medium heat, add 1 to 2 more tablespoons of oil, and warm until shimmering. Add the cumin seeds and allow them to sizzle for about 10 seconds, or until some of the sizzling subsides. Stir in the onions and bell pepper; saute until softened and starting to brown. Add the serrano pepper. Saute for another couple of minutes, seasoning with a little salt. Stir in the turkey, breaking up the big lumps. Cook until opaque, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, your sauce should be ready. Pour the sauce into the skillet with the turkey. Stir and bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until the mixture has thickened slightly, about 10 minutes.

Once the turkey is cooked and the sauce has thickened a little, remove the serrano pepper (unless you want to eat it whole, like my Dad does!). Add the honey, half-and-half, pistachios and raisins. Stir through and taste for seasoning. Before serving, garnish with fresh cilantro.

Toast the buns, fill with the turkey mixture and serve. Eat (with your hands!) and enjoy!

chicken tikka masala

This was a great recipe for lunches from the kitchn. I did freeze several individual portions and the reheated really well. The chicken thighs did completely fall apart in the crock pot, but it was still amazing.

Serves 4 to 6

Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala 1 to 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1-inch piece whole ginger, peeled and grated
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 to 2 tablespoons garam masala
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
3/4 cup heavy cream or coconut milk
Fresh cilantro, chopped
2 cups cooked rice, to serve
Cut the chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces and transfer them to a 3-quart or larger slow cooker. Stir in the onion, garlic, ginger, tomato paste, 1 tablespoon of garam masala, paprika, and kosher salt until the chicken is evenly covered with spices. Stir in the diced tomatoes with their juices.
→ If you have the time: Marinate the chicken in 1/2 cup yogurt for up to 6 hours. Shake to remove excess yogurt before transferring to the slow cooker.
→ If you have the time: Sauté the onions and garlic in a little olive oil over medium-high heat in a skillet until softened, then stir in the ginger, tomato paste, and spices until fragrant. Transfer to the slow cooker with the chicken and diced tomatoes. This will give your tikka masala more depth of flavor.

Cover the slow cooker and cook for 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low. Fifteen minutes before the end of cooking, stir in the heavy cream. If you prefer a thicker sauce, leave the slow cooker uncovered for the last 15 minutes. Taste and add more garam masala or salt to taste.
Serve over rice with fresh cilantro sprinkled over the top of each serving. The tikka masala can be refrigerated for 3 to 4 days or frozen for 3 to 4 months.