Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala

We needed a break from our standard meals, so when I found this recipe in the Real Simple magazine, The Chef agreed to make it.

We have tried Indian food before, while eating out or visiting friends. However, trying this at home was a new adventure. We thoroughly enjoyed it  — it was easy to make and tasted wonderful.

You can see our version of the dish in the picture below the recipe. There is a chicken mixture, which is served over rice, and a cucumber relish, which accompanies the dish.

This recipe has been added to our favourites list. The only problem with this recipe is that I work from home, so I had to smell it all day. And it smelled unbelievably good! I was ready to eat about 2 PM, but managed to wait until suppertime.

Ingredients

• 1 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 2 cloves of minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons garam masala (Indian spice blend)
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs ( about 8) ( We used a mixture of thighs and breasts
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup long grain rice such as basmati (We used sticky rice)
• 1/2  English cucumber halved and sliced thinly
• 1/4 cup  fresh cilantro leaves
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Directions

1. In a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker, combine the tomatoes, onion, garlic, tomato paste, garam masala, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
2. Place the chicken on top of the vegetables, cover, and cook until the chicken is tender, on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours.
3. In a small bowl, toss the cucumber and cilantro with the lemon juice and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for up to 8 hours.
4. Twenty minutes before serving, cook the rice according to the package directions.
5. Just before serving, stir the cream into the chicken tikka masala.
6. Serve over the rice with the cucumber relish.

Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala with Cucumber Relish

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Corn Oil Tea Muffins

In the comments for the Minute Magic Tea Biscuits recipe, Shirley asked if I had the Tea Muffins recipe, from the same St. Lawrence Corn Oil cookbook.

Good new, Shirley — I found the recipe, and here it is. There is also a variation for Apple Muffins, and it sounds good too.

Tea Muffins

• 1-3/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 1/4 sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup corn oil

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Sift together the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder.
3. Combine egg, milk and corn oil, and add all at once, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened.
4. Fill oiled muffin tins or oiled paper cup-cake cups in muffin tins 2/3 full.
5. Bake at 400°F for 20 minutes.

Makes 12 muffins.

Apple Muffins:

Add 2 medium apples, peeled and finely chopped, to the dry ingredients, just before adding the liquid. Bake muffins at 400°F for 25 minutes. Serve warm.

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Sliced Baked Potatoes: Microwave

This potato recipe is quick and easy to make, and is absolutely delicious. Watch out though – it’s a bit high in fat, so don’t serve it too often! I like to make this for a dinner party, because it doesn’t require much attention, and fills the house with a wonderful aroma as it cooks.

The potatoes can be cooked in the microwave, which is handy, if the oven is full. If the oven is on, and there’s room for another dish, cook the potatoes in there, to save energy. They’re delicious, cooked either way.

You can also make this recipe with peeled potatoes, instead of leaving the skins on.

Sliced Baked Potatoes

• 6 baking potatoes
• 4 slices bacon, diced
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 2 tbsp Parmesan cheese

1. Wash potatoes. With sharp knife, make lengthwise cuts 1/4” apart, slicing only 2/3 of the way down but not through to bottom.
2. In shallow casserole (large enough to hold potatoes without cramming) microwave bacon and butter for approximately 4 minutes.
3. Roll potatoes in bacon and butter mixture to coat, then arrange, cut side up, in casserole.
4. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
5. Bake at 350° for 50 minutes or microwave on high for 15 minutes.
6. Baste again with butter and sprinkle with Parmesan.
7. Continue baking for 10-15 minutes or microwave 5 minutes, until potatoes are tender.

Makes 6 servings.

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St. Lawrence Corn Oil Apple Pie

In the comments for the Minute Magic Pastry recipe, Jackie asked for the apple pie recipe, from the same Cooking with oil cookbook.

Fortunately, my copy of the recipe still has all the ingredients! So, for Jackie, here is the apple pie recipe, and I hope she enjoys it for Christmas. Maybe I’ll make one too – it would be a delicious way to use up some of the apples in the cold cellar.

Apple Pie

Ingredients

• Minute Magic Pastry for a 2-crust pie
• 6 to 7 medium apples
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup Sugar
• 2 tbsp corn starch
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon*
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg*
• 1/3 cup Bee Hive golden corn syrup
• 1 tbsp lemon juice*

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450°F.
2. Prepare the Minute Magic Pastry.
3. Pare, core and slice apples into a pastry-lined 9" pie plate.
4. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over apples.
5. Cover with top crust; seal and flute into a high edge.
6. Bake at 450°F for 15 minutes.
7. Reduce heat to 375°F and continue to bake about 30 minutes longer, until pastry is golden and apples are tender.

*Note: For very flavourful early apples, reduce cinnamon, nutmeg and lemon juice by half.

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Slow Cooker Korean Beef Tacos

We were looking for something a little different for dinner this week, so I suggested that The Chef try this recipe for Korean Beef Tacos. He made the recipe in half the original quantity, which was plenty for our dinner, and a couple of lunches the next day.

Here is The Chef’s revised recipe, which makes 3-4 servings. We didn’t get much heat in the original recipe, so instead of using only half the jalapeño, we’re using the full pepper.

The original recipe said to serve on tortillas, with rice and shredded cabbage salad. We put the rice on the tortillas first, then the beef, and topped with shredded cabbage. I sprinkled on a little salt, and Sriracha hot chili sauce. A picture is at the end of this post.

• 2 lb beef roast (we used a boneless blade roast)
• 1/4 c brown sugar
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 1-1/2 tbsp minced garlic
• 1/4 onion, diced
• 1/2" ginger root, peeled and grated
• 1 tbsp seasoned rice wine vinegar
• 1/2 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 whole jalapeño, diced (handle carefully!)

1. Put all the ingredients into a slow cooker, and cook on low heat for 8-10 hours.
2. Before serving, use two forks to shred the beef – it should fall apart easily.
3. Serve on 6" flour or corn tortillas, with layers of rice, then beef, then shredded cabbage salad (recipe below). For extra heat, sprinkle with Sriracha hot chili sauce .

Sticky Rice

Make 2 servings of sticky rice, according to package directions.

Asian Shredded Cabbage Salad

• 1/2 bag shredded coleslaw
• 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Just before serving, put all ingredients in a large bowl, and toss gently.

How It Looked

Here’s how our tacos looked, with Sriracha hot chili sauce sprinkled on top, for a bit of extra heat.

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Slow Cooker Osso Buco

One of our favorite winter meals is Veal Osso Buco. It simmers all day in the slow cooker, and fills the house with a wonderful aroma. It’s a delicious and filling meal, with a lovely tomato sauce.

This recipe is adapted from The American Heart Association Cookbook and takes a bit of preparation, but is worth the effort. We also make an oven version, if you prefer that method: Oven Osso Buco.

Below the recipe, you can see a picture of our dish. We didn’t have any lemon, so used orange zest instead – it was just as tasty!

• 1.5 lb veal shanks
• Can of diced Tomatoes (14 to 19 oz. )
• Tbsp of olive oil
• One large carrot, grated or finely chopped
• 2 celery stalks chopped
• 1 large sweet onion diced finely
• 2 cloves of garlic ( I use 1 tsp from jar of minced garlic )
• 1 tbsp oregano
• 2 tsp basil
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• ¼ cup of flour
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 2 Lemon peel strips
• 1 cup of beef broth
• ½ cup red wine
• Rice or pasta

1. Combine flour, salt and pepper in flat bowl and dredge the veal shanks
2. Put the carrot, celery and onions in the bottom of the slow cooker and mix up
3. Add garlic, oregano, basil, thyme, salt and pepper to taste, and lemon strips to slow cooker and mix with other ingredients.
4. Heat non-stick fry pan on high and add olive oil.
5. Brown veal shanks on both sides
6. Add veal shanks to slow cooker on top of vegetables.
7. Cover with diced tomatoes and add beef broth and wine
8. Cook for 30 to 40 minutes on high, then set the slow cooker to low for 4 to 6.5 hours
9. Prepare rice or pasta according to package instructions
10. Prior to serving trim Osso Buco and cut into bite size pieces
11. Serve Osso Buco and vegetables over bed of rice or fine pasta ( angel hair )

 

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Corn Oil Chiffon Cake

I haven’t made this cake yet, but Chris saw my Cooking With Corn Oil recipe for Minute Magic Pastry, and asked for this chiffon cake recipe, from the same cookbook.

Her grandmother was looking for the Chiffon Cake recipe that used to be on the back of the corn oil bottle. I hope this is the recipe that she wanted!

Chiffon Cake

• 1 1/8 cups sifted cake or pastry flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup corn oil
• 2 egg yolks
• 6 tbsp water
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 4 egg whites (1/2 cup)
• 1/4 cup sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350° F
2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and the 1/2 cup sugar
3. Combine corn oil, egg yolks, water and vanilla.
4. Beat egg whites until they form soft peaks. Gradually add remaining 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tsp at a time and continue beating until meringue is very stiff and glossy
5. Add the oil mixture all at once to the dry ingredients and beat by hand just until smooth.
6. Fold meringue into cake batter gently but thoroughly. Pour into an unoiled 8" or 8-1/2" tube cake pan 3 1/2" deep or into a 5" x 10" x 3" loaf pan.
7. Bake at 350° F, 40 to 45 min. or until top springs back when touched lightly.
8. Immediately turn pan upside down and suspend so that cake does not touch anything.
9. Allow to cool completely before removing from pan

Makes 8 to 10 servings

Orange chiffon cake

1. In the basic Chiffon Cake recipe, substitute 1/4 cup frozen orange juice concentrate for 4 tbsp of the water, or substitute fresh orange juice for all the water.
2. Add 1 tsp grated orange rind.
3. Bake 45 to 50 min.
4. Frost with Fluffy Lemon Frosting or drizzle with Lemon Glaze

Fluffy white frosting

• 1/2 cup  plus 2 tbsp corn syrup
• 1 egg white
• 1 tbsp water
• 1/2 tsp vanilla

1. In a small sauce pan, bring corn syrup to the boil
2. With an electric mixer at high speed, beat egg white until stiff, but not dry.
3. Gradually pour boiling syrup into egg white, beating continuously until frosting is fluffy and peaks when beaters are lifted.
4. Thoroughly beat in water and vanilla.
5. Swirl frosting over cooled cake

Sufficient frosting for 10-inch chiffon cake

Fluffy Lemon Frosting

Substitute 2 tbsp lemon juice for the water and 1 1/2 tsp grated lemon rind for the vanilla.

Lemon glaze

• 1 1/2 tsp corn oil
• 1 tbsp corn syrup
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp grated lemon rind
• 1 cup sifted icing sugar

1. Heat liquid ingredients and lemon rind
2. Add to icing sugar and stir until smooth
3. Cool, then drizzle over 8 inch chiffon cake

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Jerk Pork Tenderloin with Tropical Fruit Salsa

We get a magazine from Sears each quarter and we found this recipe in their spring edition.

I was off for a 9 AM tee time and read the recipe to see if I had to get anything on the way home. There were a couple of ingredients I needed but the recipe also called for it to be marinated and refrigerated for at least 8 hours. A bit of scramble, but got it prepared and made the tee time.

The recipe includes a mango salsa, which called for red onion and red pepper, which I like, but is not as popular with my major client. I made my own version without those ingredients.

The original instructions are for oven cooking, but I cooked ours on the BBQ. Both cooking methods are shown below, so you can choose.

Jerk Pork and Salsa

Ingredients

• Pork Tenderloin

• 2 tbsps orange juice
• 1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 2 tsps pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tsp dried thyme leaves
• 1 tsp canola oil
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 pork tenderloin about 1 pound

Tropical Fruit Salsa

• 1 cup mango peeled, pitted and chopped
• 1 cup pineapple chunks
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 1/4 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp ground coriander

Directions

Ahead of time

1. In a large sealable bag combine orange juice, soy sauce, garlic, pumpkin pie spice, thyme, canola oil and red pepper flakes.
2. Add tenderloin seal bag squezing out the air and massage the pork to coat with marinade.
3. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.

Oven Method

1. Preheat oven to 450°F.
2. Heat a well oiled ovenproof skillet over medium high heat.
3. Remove pork tenderloin from bag reserving the marinade.
4. Add to skillet turning often for about 6 minutes or until browned on all sides.
5. Drizzle remaining marinade on the pork.
6. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast for 10 to 15 minutes until the pork reaches 160°F in the thickest part of the tenderloin.

BBQ Method

1. Preheat BBQ to medium high.
2. Brown pork on all sides.
3. Drizzle remaining marinade on the pork.
4. Reduce heat and grill until until the pork reaches 160°F in the thickest part of the tenderloin

Salsa and Serving

1. Meanwhile in a serving bowl combine tropical fruit ingredients and stir until well mixed.
2. Remove pork to cutting board and tent loosely with tinfoil for about 5 minutes.
3. Slice diagonally in 1/2 inch slices.
4. Serve with salsa

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Scallops with Pasta

This recipe is from a magazine “Taste of Home Comfort Food Diet Cookbook” I got on my birthday from my Son and Daughter in Law and this just the latest of the recipes we have tried from it with no complaints yet. With my primary client following Weight Watchers points plus it is very helpful as it has all the nutritional information at the bottom of each recipe. This one has an 8 point value. While scallops have always been one of my favourites my client is not a seafood aficionado but she did enjoy this recipe.

Ingredients

For four servings ( I reduced and made for 2)

• 8 ounces of spaghettini nests (2 to three each) ( recipe called for angel hair)
• 3/4 pound small sea scallops ( recipe called for bay scallops)
• 2 tsps olive oil divided
• 1 small onion chopped
• 1 clove of garlic ( recipe called for 2)
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 2 tbsps of lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper (recipe called for 1/8)
• 2 tsps of cornstarch
• 2 tsps of water
• 1/4 cup of minced fresh parsley

Directions

1. Cook the scallops in a non stick frypan, coated with cooking spray in a tsp of oil until firm and opaque remove and keep warm
2. Meanwhile start the pasta according to package directions
3. In the same frypan as in 1 above saute onion in last tsp of oil
4. Stir in broth, wine, lemon juice salt and pepper and bring to boil
5. Add garlic and cook 1 minute longer
6. Combine cornstarch and water until smooth
7. Gradually add cornstarch water mixture to pan
8. Bring to boil again and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened
9. Stir in parsley and add scallops back in until heated through.
10. Drain pasta and serve with scallops and sauce
11. Sprinkle with parmesan

Chocolate Banana Cake

We had this cake for dessert on Mother’s Day, and everyone loved it. It’s quick and easy to make, and cleanup is easy because it mixes up in one bowl.

We served it right out of the cake pan, and the parchment makes it easy to slice and serve. Strawberries were on sale this week, so we topped each serving with a scoop of sliced berries. Delicious!

Ingredients

• 2 cups of mashed, very ripe bananas (about 5)
• 1/2 cup skim milk
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 2-1/3 cups all purpose flour
• 1-1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1-1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1-1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• Icing sugar (optional)

Directions

1. Line 13” x 9” pan with parchment paper
2. In a large bowl blend together bananas, milk, oil, lemon juice, eggs and vanilla
3. Stir in flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt
4. Using electric mixer, beat gently for two minutes
5. Gently stir in chocolate chips, just until mixed.
6. Scrape into prepared pan
7. Bake in 350° oven until toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean, approx. 30 minutes
8. Transfer to rack to cool
9. Sprinkle with icing sugar if using

Cut into 15 large pieces.

Per serving: 10 g fat, 40 g carbs, 4 g protein, 3 g fibre.

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