SIMPLE CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA

Curry is one of my husband's favorite meals to eat. I'm always excited when I can find a new way of changing it up for him. For awhile now, I've been wanting to make tikka masala (aka creamy tomato curry) and recently found this simple recipe that didn't involve grilling or 10 different spices. With a few minor alterations, I was absolutely pleased with the results! 

INGREDIENTS

1 lb. chicken thighs (bite-sized)

1 T honey

2 T ketchup

4 T Greek yogurt

2 T salted butter

1/2 medium-sized white onion (thinly sliced)

1 (14.5 oz) can of diced tomatoes (undrained and split into two parts)

3/4 C water

1 tsp salt

2 cubes of curry sauce (S&B Golden Curry-Medium Hot)

1/2 C whipping cream

2 tsp reduced sodium soy sauce

salt to taste

*optional: hand blender 

DIRECTIONS

Marinate the chicken thighs in ketchup, honey and Greek yogurt. Set aside.

Using a blender, combine one part of the diced tomatoes, water and salt until fully liquefied. Set aside. 

In a large saute pan, melt the butter on medium high heat. Toss in the onions and cook until soft and lightly browned.  Add in the chicken with the yogurt mixture and stir well.  

Once the chicken starts to turn color, add in the tomato mixture along with the remaining tomatoes. Add in the curry cubes and stir until fully dispersed. Simmer for about 5 minutes. 

*If you're not a huge fan of biting into onions like my husband, remove the chicken at this point and set it aside. With a hand blender, puree the sauce directly in the pan until smooth and then put the chicken back in.  

Slowly pour in the cream and then the soy sauce. Stir well and cook until it comes back to a boil. Remove from heat and serve over rice or naan. Enjoy!

SPICED ALMOND HOT CHOCOLATE

Sipping on a large mug of hot chocolate is one of my favorite things about winter. E loves it so much that he has a cup every night after dinner (we may or may not use it to bribe him into finishing his dinners). Lately, I've been trying something different than our usual Swiss Miss mix that we've been drinking for years.  A good friend recently gave me a few cartons of chocolate almond milk and I've been heating that up with some regular milk and cinnamon sticks. Not only has it been a healthier alternative, we found ourselves loving it more! It's much lighter and smoother. The richness is still there, but you don't feel like your hips and rear just gained 5 pounds after a cup. ;) 

The above picture includes all the ingredients I had planned to use. The only item not shown is the cardamom that I decided to add at the very last minute. 

* This recipe makes enough for two!

INGREDIENTS

2 C chocolate almond milk

1 C 2% milk

2 cinnamon sticks

a pinch of cardamom

marshmallows

1/3 C semi-sweet chocolate or your favorite dark chocolate (optional)

1/4 tsp ancho chili powder (optional)

DIRECTIONS

In a large saucepan, mix together the almond milk, regular milk, cardamom and cinnamon sticks on medium high heat.  Right before it starts to boil, turn the heat down to medium low and let it slowly simmer for another 5 minutes.  If you like your drink richer/sweeter, melt some semi-sweet chocolate morsels or your favorite dark chocolate (yummm) on a double broiler and add it into the milk mixture as well. Once the cinnamon becomes fragrant, remove from heat and pour the drink into your mugs. Serve with some toasted marshmallows!

I decided to try making marshmallows this week. My first effort was a total and utter FAIL. Went out and got a candy thermometer this time and tried again tonight. Will find out tomorrow to see how they turned out! 

WINTER UPDATE

It's been surprisingly cold for us already here in Texas. We went from a week of being in the beautiful 70s to an icy cold 24 degrees all in one night. Most of us spent the last few days being iced-in; luckily we didn't lose power. Although we've been stuck inside, it's been nice to slow down for a change and the boys are LOVING having daddy at home. :) 

Homemade chili and cornbread with cardamom honey butter... perfect comfort food for this kind of weather.



Spiced almond hot chocolate with marshmallows... E's daily request ;)

This is a repeat, but still enjoying this hymn as much as ever...

My God, my Portion, and my Love,
My everlasting All,
I’ve none but Thee in heav’n above,
Or on this earthly ball.
What empty things are all the skies,
And this inferior clod!
There’s nothing here deserves my joys,
There’s nothing like my God.

Be back tomorrow to share the recipe for the hot chocolate. Stay warm, everyone!

QUICK AND TASTY STEAK SALAD

I never could have imagined how tiring different it'd be going from one child to two. For those of you who have two or more kids - major hats off to you! :) Before the days of little brother, I use to get excited about looking for new recipes and prepping for meals. These days, I'm just happy if there's something edible and healthy on the table when my husband gets home. 

Lately I've been adding a lot of salads into our rotation. I forget how simple and delicious they can be. They're super versatile and can be made with so many combinations. Last week I made this yummy steak salad with a side of Trader Joe's organic tomato and roasted red pepper soup.  I don't really have a recipe to share, since it was pretty much thrown together with whatever was in our fridge.  But basically I use one source of protein (shredded rotisserie chicken, steak, beans, etc) and then add nuts (almonds, pecans, cashews), fruits (mandarin oranges, apples, craisins, tomato, etc.) and cheese (cheddar, parmesan, blue cheese, etc.) to the lettuce. Here's the combination I used that night in case you're curious...

INGREDIENTS
skirt steak
romaine lettuce, chopped
Roma tomatoes, sliced
honey roasted pecans
mandarin oranges
some type of sharp cheese (I used Trader Joe's Unexpected Cheddar), crumbled or shaved
green onions, sliced (optional)

Sauce for Steak Marinade
1/4 C reduced sodium soy sauce
1/3 C grapeseed oil
1 tsp sesame oil
1 clove of minced garlic
1/2 tsp minced ginger

***Set aside about 3 T of the sauce to drizzle on the salad (this can vary due to how much dressing you like on your salads).  

DIRECTIONS
Combine and whisk together all your sauce ingredients into a small bowl. Set aside some sauce to dress the salad. Toss the marinade and the steak into a ziplock bag and let it sit for about an hour before cooking. Once it's ready, sprinkle on a generous amount of black pepper and a light sprinkle of salt on both sides before cooking. Since I don't have a grill, I just cooked it on my cast iron pan for about 3-4 minutes on each side. 

Meanwhile place the lettuce and tomatoes into a salad bowl. Drizzle in the sauce and toss well. Add the remaining ingredients and lightly toss everything together. Top the salad with the steak and enjoy!

KOREAN SPICY RICE CAKES + RAMEN

Whenever I crave Korean food, Maangchi is always my go-to source for delicious recipes and easy-to-follow videos. Recently I've been craving this popular Korean street snack, otherwise known as rabboki.  It's a delicious combination of ramen plus rice cakes in a spicy sauce. I finally had an excuse to make it last week when a good friend and I decided to hold a Pride & Prejudice marathon at my house (the A&E version of course!). We had hot tea and snacks throughout the day and then this yummy dish among some other Korean dishes for dinner. Definitely our idea of a perfect day! ;)

Being that this was my first time making this, I can happily say that it was a success. I used Maangchi's dukbokki recipe with a few alterations (i.e. the ketchup and ramen). Hope you all enjoy it as much as I did!



Ingredients
4 C of water
10 dried anchovies
1 lb Korean rice cakes (cylinder-shaped)
1 pack of Korean ramen
1/2 lb fish cakes
2 hard boiled eggs, shelled
1/3 C hot pepper paste
1/3 C ketchup
1 T sugar
3 stalks of scallions, cut into 3" pieces 

Directions
Soak rice cakes in warm water for half an hour.  Drain and set aside.

In a large sauce pan, bring water to a boil. Drop in the anchovies, turn the heat down to medium high and let it slowly boil for another 10 min. Remove the anchovies.

Add the hot pepper paste, ketchup and sugar and stir well. Add the rice cakes, fish cakes, eggs and scallions (white parts) and bring to a boil. Stirring frequently, cook for another 8 minutes or until the rice cakes have soften and the sauce has thicken. Finally break the ramen into small chunks, add it into the pan and cook for another 2 minutes. Add up to an additional half cup of water if more liquid is needed. Right before it's done, add in the remaining scallions (green parts). Serve while hot.

PINEAPPLE CHICKEN AND SHRIMP FRIED RICE

*Instead of my usual Friday Treats, I will be sharing a recipe that I've been super excited about. :) 

Fried rice was never my thing. My earliest memories of it always involved mushy frozen peas and stale carrots chunks. It wasn't until a trip to this place a few years back that completely changed my mind. Their pineapple chicken and shrimp fried rice was a-m-a-z-i-n-g.  So amazing that I've been trying to re-create it ever since. About two weeks ago - with the help of this awesome recipe plus a few adjustments of my own -  I was finally brought back to that special day again.  Hope you all will enjoy it as much as I did!

Ingredients
2 T grapeseed oil 
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 red chili, chopped

2 eggs, lightly beaten

~Sauce
3 tablespoons chicken stock 
3 tablespoons fish sauce 
1 tablespoon curry powder 
1 teaspoon sugar 

3 cups cooked rice, refrigerated overnight
1/2 cup honey roasted cashews
1 cup cooked sugar snap peas, sliced
1 cup pineapple, bite-sized pieces 
1/4 cup craisins
1 cup cooked shrimp, pan-fried with salt and red pepper flakes
1 cup cooked chicken, bite-sized pieces
scallions, sliced (optional)* 

Directions
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large pan over medium high.  Add the garlic and chili and quickly stir-fry for about a minute.  Add the eggs and cook until lightly scrambled but not dry.  Set the eggs aside.  

Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil over high heat.  Add the cooked rice and start breaking apart any clumps with your spatula.  Slowly pour the sauce evenly over the rice. Add the eggs and stir-fry them with the rice until they are evenly dispersed. Add the cashews, sugar snap peas, pineapple, craisins and stir everything together for another few minutes. 

Lower the heat to medium high. With the flat surface of the spatula, press all the rice down into the pan and let it sit for about two minutes.  This will help the rice develop a nice crunchy crust.  

Add the shrimp and chicken (and scallions if you like them).  Toss everything together and serve while hot.  

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Trust Him when thy wants are many;

Trust Him when thy friends are few;

And the time of swift temptation

Is the time to trust Him too.

Trust Him when thy soul is burdened

With the sense of all its sin;

He will speak the word of pardon,

He will make thee clean within.

Trust Him for the grace sufficient,

Ever equal to thy need;

Trust Him always for the answer,

When in His dear name you plead.

Trust Him for the grace to conquer,

He is able to subdue;

Trust Him for the power for service;

Trust Him for the blessing too.

Trust Him when dark doubts assail thee,

Trust Him when thy strength is small,

Trust Him when to simply trust Him

Seems the hardest thing of all.

Trust Him; He is ever faithful;

Trust Him, for His will is best;

Trust Him, for the heart of Jesus

Is the only place of rest.

Trust Him, then, through cloud or sunshine,

All thy cares upon Him cast,

Till the storm of life is over,

And the trusting days are past.

Source: http://www.hymnal.net/en/hymn.php/nt/647#ixzz2fPoAHx7D

Much grace,

COPYCAT: PALIO'S THE "JIMMY"

Happy Monday! I'm here to share a meal that's perfect for those weeknights when you're completely exhausted or have unexpected company coming over. It takes less than 30 minutes to prep, costs less than $8 and can feed about three people. 

One of our family's favorite pizza is The "Jimmy" from Palio's Pizza Cafe. It's the perfect blend of spicy and savory. I recently found a quick and much less expensive way to copy this favorite. With the price of one there, I can easily make two pizzas and still have some change left over! All you need is a ready-to-bake pizza and a few simple ingredients. 

Before...

and after...

Ingredients

1 large pepperoni pizza (Papa Murphy's Take 'n Bake)

1 C frozen roasted corn (Trader Joe's)

2 jalapenos (unseeded, sliced or diced)

3 strips of bacon (cut into bite-sized pieces)

Directions
Preheat the oven at 425 degrees F.

The only items that need to be prepped ahead of time were the jalapenos and bacon. I roasted the jalapenos in the oven (or you can use a cast iron pan) first before slicing them. I also cooked the bacon and took them off the pan just before they got crispy. 

Toss everything evenly over your ready-to-bake pizza and bake it for 12-15 minutes. Enjoy!

*Side note: Make sure you use gloves when handling the jalapenos... unless you want your hands to be burning for a good four hours!

FRIDAY TREATS + ALL IN ALL FOREVER

Happy Friday everyone! I've been so bad about keeping up with my Friday Treats post. Mainly because I just haven't had much time to be browsing online these days. I did come across some amazing recipes though this week that I could not stop thinking about. This would be my ideal meal for today if dreams did come true...;)

I'd start off with this delicious chipotle chicken and corn chowder...

via Brown-Eyed Baker

Next would be this tasty main dish. My husband and I have been wanting to try paella ever since we saw it on PBS awhile ago. Seeing this one just makes our mouth water even more...

via I Am A Food Blog

Lastly I'd finish off with this beautiful dessert. Roasted plum ice cream... what's not to like?! :)

via A Cozy Kitchen

*    *    *    *    *    *    *    * 

   

Once it was the blessing,

Now it is the Lord;

Once it was the feeling,

Now it is His Word;

Once His gift I wanted,

Now, the Giver own;

Once I sought for healing,

Now Himself alone.

All in all forever,

Only Christ I’ll sing;

Everything is in Christ,

And Christ is everything.

Once ’twas painful trying,

Now ’tis perfect trust;

Once a half salvation,

Now the uttermost;

Once ’twas ceaseless holding,

Now He holds me fast;

Once ’twas constant drifting,

Now my anchor’s cast.

Once ’twas busy planning,

Now ’tis trustful prayer;

Once ’twas anxious caring,

Now He has the care;

Once ’twas what I wanted,

Now what Jesus says;

Once ’twas constant asking,

Now ’tis ceaseless praise.

Once it was my working,

His it hence shall be;

Once I tried to use Him,

Now He uses me;

Once the pow’r I wanted,

Now the Mighty One;

Once for self I labored,

Now for Him alone.

Once I hoped in Jesus,

Now I know He’s mine;

Once my lamps were dying,

Now they brightly shine;

Once for death I waited,

Now His coming hail;

And my hopes are anchored

Safe within the veil.

Source: http://www.hymnal.net/en/hymn.php/h/513#ixzz2bUGK94Tt

COPYCAT: JAMBA JUICE'S MANGO-A-GO-GO

I am back today with another tasty smoothie recipe to share! Mango-A-Go-Go has always been my favorite drink to get whenever I'm at Jamba Juice. Heaps of mangos blended with passionfruit juice and pineapple sherbert - what's not to like?! :) 

As yummy as this was, I sometimes found it a little too sweet by the time I made it down to half the cup.  In my version here, I added some honeydew and apple to lighten and mellow out the flavor a bit. 

Ingredients
1 C frozen mango chunks
1 C frozen honeydew chunks
1/2 C frozen pineapple chunks
2 scoops of mango sorbet
1/2 a fuji apple
1 C peach mango orange juice
1 C ice 

Directions
Throw everything into the blender in the order listed with the ice at the end. Blend it all together until you get a smooth but thick consistency. Enjoy!

CHERRY MELON SMOOTHIE

I've recently been on a smoothie kick. Ever since we got our new blender, we've been experimenting with different ones everyday. I'm still trying to work out the right consistency, but as far as taste goes, this one has been one of our favorites!

Servings: Makes enough to fill 2 large mugs.

Ingredients

1/2 C frozen cherries
1/2 C frozen raspberries
1/2 C frozen honeydew
1/2 of a fuji apple
1 C peach mango orange juice
2 scoops mango sorbet
1 C ice cubes

Throw everything into a blender and enjoy! :)

Be back soon to share my copycat version of Jamba Juice's Mango-A-Go-Go!

Until next time,

SWEET & SPICY KOREAN DRIED SQUID

Happy Monday, friends! Hope you all had a restful weekend. Today I want to share with you an easy but tasty Korean side dish that I prepared for a friend last week.  As some of you may know, Korean food is one of my favorite cuisines. I love the spicy stews and all the small side dishes that accompany every meal.  My favorite side dishes usually include seafood, like the one pictured above, marinated in spicy sauces.   

(If you are not a big squid/seafood lover, you may not want to keep scrolling. ;)...)  

Ingredients

1/2 lb of dried squid

1/2 C hot pepper paste

1/4 C soy sauce

1 T sesame oil

1 tsp mirin

1/8 tsp finely grounded black pepper

1/2 C sugar (or Korean corn syrup for extra shine)

1/2 T grapeseed oil

1 T roasted sesame seeds


Directions
Using cold water, wash and rinse the dried squid in a large mixing bowl. Squeeze out any excess water. Set aside.

Mix together the rest of the ingredients (except for the last two) in a bowl. Pour and combine the sauce with the dried squid. Use plastic gloves and mix everything together until the dried squid is well coated with the sauce. 

Heat the grapeseed oil in a large pan over high heat. Once the oil is hot, toss in the squid and stir around for about 2 minutes. 

Now you can eat it hold or cold. My preference is cold, so I would let it cool and then store it in a sealed container in the fridge overnight. 

Sprinkle some sesame seeds on top before serving. 

E loves this dish as much as I do. It's spicy, chewy and extremely tasty! Hope you all will enjoy it too! Be back tomorrow to share a yummy smoothie recipe. :)

SWEET POTATO AND SPINACH MAC & CHEESE

Happy Friday everyone! This will not be my usual Friday Treats post, but I wanted to share this recipe that I recently found on Naturally Ella. Since E's a big fan of mac and cheese and I've been a big fan of one dish meals (especially as we're anxiously awaiting baby #2 to make his appearance soon), I was super excited when I came across this meal.  

I did simplify her recipe a little though and added panko for that extra crunch that our family loves on our mac & cheese. Hope you all will enjoy this dish as much as we did!

Ingredients

• 1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed
• 5 C farfalle pasta
• 4 T unsalted butter
• 2 T all-purpose flour
• 2 cloves garlic, finely grated
• 1½ C 2% milk
• salt (depending on the type of cheese you use (ie. parmesan), you may leave out the salt)
• 1½ C white cheddar + colby jack, shredded
• 2 handfuls baby spinach
• 1 C panko crumbs

Directions

Preheat the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Boil the sweet potatoes for about 15 minutes or until tender. I used a Japanese sweet potato which was white on the inside. Drain and then puree them in a food processor with 1/4 C of milk until smooth.  Set aside. 

Cook the pasta in salted water until al dente (do not overcook!) Rinse under cool water and set aside. 

In a medium-sized sauce pan, melt 2 T of butter over medium heat. Add the grated garlic and quickly move it around the pan until it's lightly browned. Slowly whisk in the flour to make the roux. Pour in the rest of the milk and whisk until the mixture starts to thicken. Add in the sweet potato puree and mix well until hot.  Remove the pan from the stove and stir in 1½ C of cheese. Salt to desired taste. 

In a large casserole dish, combine the pasta, sweet potato/cheese mixture and spinach. Sprinkle the remainder of the cheese over the top.  

Melt the remaining 2 T of butter in a small sauce pan. Remove from heat and pour in the panko crumbs. Mix well until the crumbs are well-coated and crispy.  Sprinkle the crumb mixture over the dish.  

Bake on the medium rack for 25 minutes until the crumb topping's golden brown. Enjoy!

*    *    *    *    *    *    *    *

God wants someone to love Him,

Not just someone to serve Him;

He wants someone to love Him

As His bride.

God wants someone to match Him,

Not just to imitate Him;

He wants a counterpart,

One from His side.

For this He came down to us,

He came to court, to woo us,

Away from everything, and unto Him.

Now we’re espoused unto Him,

Pledged and betrothed unto Him;

Yes, we are bound unto Him by His love.

God wants someone to love Him,

Not just someone to fear Him;

He wants a sweetheart who will

Be His bride.

God wants someone to know Him,

Not just to know about Him,

He wants someone who’ll look Him

In the eye.

Source: http://www.hymnal.net/hymn.php/ns/48#ixzz2SuKNaavz

COCONUT MOCHI CAKE

Although I love the flavor of coconut, I am not especially fond of biting into flakes of it. However, this yummy snack is the only dessert that I would make an exception for. I've been wanting to make this mochi cake for awhile now and finally found the motivation to the other night. 



*If you've never heard of or tried mochi before, be prepared for a very chewy and dense texture. 

Ingredients

1 box (16 oz.) of mochiko (sweet rice flour)

2 C sugar

1 tsp baking powder

5 large eggs, beaten

1 - 13.5 oz. can of unsweetened coconut milk

1 C of 2% milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 C coconut oil, melted

1 C flaked coconut, sweetened

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a 9 x 13 pan with parchment paper.

Combine the dry ingredients (mochiko, sugar and baking powder) together in a large mixing bowl and stir well.   

Combine and whisk the wet ingredients (eggs, coconut milk, 2% milk and coconut oil) together in another bowl and slowly add this mixture into the dry ingredients. 

Pour in the vanilla and coconut flakes and whisk everything together until there are no lumps.  

Pour it into your lined pan and bake for 1 hour.  Let it cool for 10 minutes before cutting. Delicious when served warm!

Another family favorite of ours is mochi ice cream... especially ones filled with mango and green tea ice cream!

via

Do any of you share our love for mochi?  :)