BUTTER CHICKEN

Phil and I really enjoy this version of butter chicken... I usually try to do half fresh tomatoes instead of all canned tomatoes - better tate and better for you!
really good with garlic naan! Garam Masala is a must! You can buy it any grocery store in the spice section. Is is a powder spice blend that is needed in a lot of indian cuisine.... so if you like indian, this is a good spice to have in your shelf!

4 servings
Ingredients
Spice Blend :
• 1 tablespoon garam masala seasoning
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
Sauce:
• 3 tablespoons butter (Must be butter not margarine!)
• 1 large onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
• 2 teaspoons jarred minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes in juice
• 4 cooked chicken breasts, choppped
• 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
• Hot basmati rice, for serving
• Cilatnro, for garnish



Directions
To make the spice blend: Stir the ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside. To make the sauce: Melt the butter in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until the pieces just begin to turn gold, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, tomato paste and spice blend, and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly to prevent burning. The spices will be fragrant. Add the tomato sauce and diced tomatoes and stir will. Add the chicken pieces, spoon the sauce over the top and bring to a simmer. Turn the heat to low and cook, uncovered, until the chicken is warmed through and the sauce is flavorful, about 10 minutes. Stir frequently. Remove the chicken to a serving dish and cover to keep warm. Add the cream to the sauce in the pan, stir well and heat through. Do not boil. Spoon the sauce over the chicken. Serve with rice and warmed pita bread.
Variation: If you prefer shreds of chicken to whole pieces, remove the skin from the chicken and pull the meat into large chunks by hand. Add to the pan along with the garlic, tomato paste and spice blend. Cook for 3 minutes and then add the tomato sauce and continue with the recipe. Serve over basmati rice. Sprinkle cilantro over top.

Baked french toast

Makes 8 servings

1 baguette
6 large eggs
3 cups milk
1/2 t. freshly, grated nutmeg
1 t. vanilla extract
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
2 cups frozen blueberries (Or any frozen berries)
1 cup frozen blueberries (Or any frozen berries)
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 T. fresh lemon juice

Butter a 13 x 9 inch baking dish. Cut 24 1-inch slices (or chunks) from baguette and arrange in one layer in baking dish. In a large bowl whisk together eggs, milk, nutmeg, vanilla and 3/4 cup brown sugar and pour evenly over bread. Chill mixture, covered, until all liquid is absorbed by bread, at least 8 hours, and up to 1 day. ( I usually soak it over night)

Preheat temperature to 400 degrees.


Sprinkle 2 cups blueberries evenly over bread mixture. Cut 1/2 stick butter into pieces and in a small sauce pan heat with remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar, stirring until butter is melted. Drizzle butter mixture over bread and bake mixture 20 minutes, or until liquid from blueberries is bubbling.
Make syrup: In a small saucepan cook 1 cup blueberries and maple syrup over moderate heat until berries have burst, about 3 minutes. Take off heat and stir in lemon juice. Syrup may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Reheat syrup before serving.

I have done this with apples and with all types of frozen berries… pretty much everything works…. If you want to make it richer, cut up about ½ cup of cream cheese and place in chunks all over pan before putting in oven.

You can use this with any bread… but we found baguettes kept it’s shape the best…. Other bread kinda turns into mush…

Cheesy Mashed Potatoes

A very yummy twist on mashed potatoes... We had this for thanksgiving mashed potatoes this year... now a holiday tradition!


4 pounds russet potatoes peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 stick butter, melted plus 1 tablespoon at room temp
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan, divided use
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 chopped fresh flat leaf Italian parsley
2 tablespoons plain dry bread crumbs


Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking dish with the 1 tablespoon of room temp butter and set aside.
Cook the potatoes in a large pot of boiling salted water until they are very tender, about 15 minutes. Drain; return the potatoes to the same pot and mash well with a potato masher. Whip with hand held mixer. Whip in the melted butter and milk. Whip in the mozzarella, 3/4 cup of the Parmesan. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper and add in parsley. Transfer the potatoes to the prepared baking dish. Stir the bread crumbs and remaining 1/4 cup of Parmesan in a small bowl to blend. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture over the mashed potatoes. Recipe can be prepared up to this point 6 hours ahead of time; cover and chill.

Bake, uncovered, until the topping is golden brown, about 20 minutes.
Serving Yield: 6 to 8