Saturday, December 18, 2010

Tikka Masala


My sister introduced this to me and I LOVE it! It's a super easy way to get a taste of Indian food without actually having to know how to make Indian food! I use Patak's but I know there are other brands out there. Patak's has lot of different sauces, too. I have only tried the Tikka Masala and the Mango Curry and I loved both. The Mango Curry was a little sweeter and not as spicy as the Tikka Masala. You can find these sauces at just about any grocery store. I've bought them at Broulim's and Walmart. Anyway, all you do is saute some chicken, pour in the sauce and let it all simmer together 10 minutes or so. I serve it over rice and with Na'an. Na'an is an Indain bread that is sssoooooo yummy! If you don't want to make Na'an, you can use tortillas. Here is the recipe I use for Na'an:
Ingredients
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1/4 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1 egg, beaten
2 teaspoons salt
4 1/2 cups bread flour
2 teaspoons minced garlic (optional)
1/4 cup butter, melted
Directions
In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand about 10 minutes, until frothy. Stir in sugar, milk, egg, salt, and enough flour to make a soft dough. Knead for 6 to 8 minutes on a lightly floured surface, or until smooth. Place dough in a well oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and set aside to rise. Let it rise 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in volume.
Punch down dough, and knead in garlic. Pinch off small handfuls of dough about the size of a golf ball. Roll into balls, and place on a tray. Cover with a towel, and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
*During the second rising, preheat grill to high heat.
At grill side, roll one ball of dough out into a thin circle. Lightly oil grill. Place dough on grill, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until puffy and lightly browned. Brush uncooked side with butter, and turn over. Brush cooked side with butter, and cook until browned, another 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from grill, and continue the process until all the naan has been prepared.
*I made this last night and since it was 10 degrees outside I didn't want to grill outside... so I did it in the oven. This is how I did it:
Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Put a cooling rack on a cookie sheet. Using my hands and fingers I streched and pulled the ball into a thin circle - not too thin or it will be crunchy. I do it about how I'd do a scone. Brush both sides with melted butter and place on wire rack on cookie sheet. Bake 3-4 mintutes per side. While cooking last side turn the broiler on high and cook until bread has a nice brown color.
That's it. This is so easy and such a fun change to the everyday meal. I hope you enjoy it!

Friday, December 17, 2010

Steak Burritos


This is a super easy slow cooker recipe. I had a cheap steak in my freezer that needed to be used up so I tossed it in the crock pot along with a couple chipotle peppers in adobo sauce - careful, they are pretty spicy so go easy on 'em - and a can of diced tomatoes and let it go. It was a thin steak so I only cooked it on low for 6 hours or so. When it was done I removed the peppers and diced them. Then I shredded the steak right in the crock pot, returned the peppers and mixed it in with all the yummy cooking juices and tomatoes. Then, because the steak was small, I cooked a little bit of white rice and heated up a can of black beans. Top with lettuce, cheese, sour cream, etc. and your done!