It all kinda reminds of me curry...but this was Tikka Masala!

I was in the mood for curry but didn't want curry.  We usually make green curry but something less soupy sounded better.  I don't usually make Indian food but since I was craving it, I decided to make it. It was a bigger process than I had expected but it was still pretty easy.  There are 2 steps to making tikka masala: the marinade and the sauce.  

For the marinade:

plain yogurt

lemon juice

cumin

red pepper

black pepper

cinnamon

salt

I cut the chicken into pieces and discarded the fat.  All of the ingredients were mixed together and I added the chicken.  This sat in the fridge for a few hours.  

For the sauce:

butter

garlic

jalapeno

coriander

cumin

paprika

garam masala

salt

tomato sauce

cream

To finish the dish, the butter is melted and then jalapenos and garlic are added to the pan.  Once it's been cooking for about a minute, the spices are added to the pan along with the tomato sauce.  

Allow this to simmer for 15 minutes and then add in the cream.  This will cause the sauce to thicken in about 5 minutes or so.  

In a different pan, I added the chicken and let it cook through.  Once it was done, I removed it from the pan and added some sliced carrots and mushrooms.  These weren't part of the recipe but I thought they sounded good so I decided to add them.  I also had some potatoes so I cut those into chunks and boiled them separately, then added them to the mix. 

Once these were both softened and cooked through, everything was added to the pan and allowed to combine.  I let it go to a simmer just to make sure it was all heated through and the flavors had come together.

 For the final product, I added some yogurt that had been mixed with lemon juice and some garlic powder.  I served the chicken on top of quinoa and with bread.

The veggies did an awesome job of soaking up the sauce.  It was really similar to a stew but Indian.  It came out a lot spicier than I thought, maybe because I decided to add a lot of spice to it since the jalapeno didn't seem that spicy at first.  Don't let it fool you though b/c after cooking for a while the spice definitely comes out.  Luckily, we had extra yogurt so that calmed it down some and the bread and quinoa also helped.  This dish hit the spot!  It's great for a cold day due to the heat.  It has great flavor and gets even better when leftover.  I'm pretty sure it got better each day.

The Dreaded Post

I have been really dreading this post b/c there are so many steps and so many ingredients.  However, this meal was delicious so instead of skipping it and acting like it didn't happen, I feel the need to share it. This is the infamous Julia Child's Boeuf Bourguignon. So let's start with the long list of ingredients shall we?

For the stew:

solid chunk of bacon

stewing beef

olive oil

carrot

onion

bay leaves

salt 

pepper

red wine

flour

beef stock

tomato paste

garlic

thyme

For the onions:

pearl onions

butter

olive oil

beef stock

bay leaf

thyme

parsley

salt and pepper

For the mushrooms:

mushrooms

butter

olive oil

See! I told you the list was long. 

So to start, I chopped up my carrots, onions, and bacon.  I added more onions and carrots than the recipe needed just b/c they're so delicious.  Once the bacon was cut, it was simmered in some water, then dried.  

At the point, the oven was turned to 450 degrees and some olive oil was put into my dutch oven.  I LOOOVEEE using my dutch oven when it's cold out (which is when this was made). The bacon was added and browned then removed with a slotted spoon.  Then the beef was added and browned, then removed and placed with the bacon. 

In the same oil/fat, the carrots and onions were softened.  Once they're done, pour the fat out and then return the meat to the pot.  Everything gets tossed with salt and pepper and then sprinkled with flour.  At this point, the pot goes into the oven for a few minutes, uncovered.  Give everything a toss and then put it back into the oven for a few more minutes.  

  

The oven goes down to 325 degrees.  The wine and beef stock are added just to cover the meat.  Then the tomato paste, garlic, and herbs are added.  On the stove, all of this goodness needs to come to a simmer.  Now the pot goes in the oven, covered, for 3-4 hours. 

So I let this sit in the fridge overnight to marinade in the juices.

Before dinner time, I started making the onions and mushrooms.

For the onions, heat oil and butter in a pan.  Once it's sizzling and hot, add the onions and cook them until they're browned, preferably as evenly as possible.  Add the stock and herbs and simmer until the onions are tender and liquid has evaporated.  This will take at least 40 minutes so don't get impatient :) Take the herbs out and set the onions aside.

In the same pan, heat more oil and butter and when it's hot and sizzling, add the mushrooms.  Cook them until they're lightly browned, making sure to toss them frequently.

At this point, grab the pot from the fridge and strain the meat and liquid into a saucepan.  You want to keep the liquid since it will become your sauce.  Clean out the pot and put the meat back in.  I also kept the carrots and onions just b/c they were so yummy at this point I didn't want to waste them! Add the mushrooms and onions to the mix as well.  I basically just separated the sauce from everything else and took out the bay leaves.

So I stuck the pot back in the oven while the sauce was thickening.  While it's cooking in the pot, skim the fat off the top.  I ended up with a little over 1/2 cup of liquid.  Once it was down to consistency, the sauce was added to the pot and they were both cooked on the stove until simmered, giving a toss every few minutes to incorporate.

I poured mine over mashed potatoes but I bet bread or rice would be good too.  

Yum Yum Yum!!! This was so good!! It took FOREVER and lots of steps but I think it was worth it.  I don't know how often I will make this but it was so good!  It had a good balance of sweet and tangy.  I'm glad I left all the veggies in the dish b/c they soaked up a lot of that juicy goodness.  The best thing about this meal is that the longer it sits in the fridge, the better it gets! Everyday we had these as leftovers was another day that it just became more delicious.  Definitely plan out some time for this meal b/c it will take up some time but once you set your mind to it, it can be done!!