Menu planning and my recipe for Chicken Tikka Masala

 I don’t know about you all but my kids get really crazy right around 5pm.  The whining, the arguing and the annoyingness really ramps up.  That’s usually when I completely blank about what to make for dinner and (sometimes) order pizza.   I have food, just no ideas at that time and would rather take the easy way out for dinner. 

Who among us hasn’t done that?  We’re the hero, everyone loves our dinner for a change….it’s just my pocketbook can’t handle all the eating out.  So what’s a Mama to do? 

There are some weeks when I do plan ahead and have a dinner list on my fridge.  When I do that, I don’t have to think about dinner.  Solving the “what’s for dinner” dilemma is really that simple.   I’ve also started keeping a list of ALL the dinners and side dishes that I cook.  That helps my menu planning. 

I have currently:

1# bacon

1# breakfast sausage

1.5# Italian sausage

3# beef roast

3# chicken thighs

2# cut up chicken breast (for chicken tortilla soup on Friday)

4# chicken legs

1 package cheese raviolis

 

So, we have food, as I said.  One day is planned.  Honestly, it’s only planned because it’s for a potluck at Church.  I have fresh tomatoes…so I guess that with the bacon can be BLT’s..I think I’ll make a fresh corn salad to go with it.    Wednesday is done.

Thursday will be roast chicken legs with sweet potatoes.

Friday is chicken tortilla soup.  

Saturday can be chicken tikka masala with the chicken thighs. 

Sunday will be pot roast…….(now I’m on a roll).

Monday will be cheese raviolis with the Italian sausage.  I’ll get some sweet peppers to add to the sauce…yum.

 

Thanks for bearing with me with the menu planning.  I feel much better now. 

 

Here’s my recipe for Chicken Tikka Masala (Saturday’s dinner)

 

Marinade (can be marinated for an hour before cooking, better if at least three)

3# chicken thighs

1 cup plain yogurts (go ahead and use sour cream if you don’t have it)

3 tsp ground cumin

3 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp ground ginger

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

Combine all ingredients.  I just mix it all in the bag the frozen thighs come in, and they’re still partially frozen when I do this.  I let it sit for up to 6 hours. 

When ready to cook chicken:

2 ½ tablespoons fresh finely chopped ginger

2 tablespoons fresh finely chopped garlic

½ cup diced onion

3 tablespoons butter

 

Sautee these in a heavy bottomed pan over medium heat until the onion begin to lighten in color.  Add:

1 teaspoon garahm masala

4 teaspoons cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

5 teaspoons paprika

1 teaspoon salt (more or less to taste)

½ teaspoon fenugreek powder (it can be left out if you don’t have it or can’t go to an Indian grocery  to get it)

Stir the spices in until they are well combined and add:

2- 8oz cans of tomato sauce

1 cup of chicken broth

 Keep stirring until it’s all well combined.  Turn the heat down between low and medium.  The sauce should be at a low simmer. 

 

When the sauce is going, I heat a grill pan.  I grill the chicken thighs so that there are grill marks on each side.  Then I add them to the sauce.  Keep going until all the chicken is grilled and in the sauce.  Let it all bubble together for 20 minutes or so.  Stirring so nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan.  The chicken will finish cooking in the sauce.  I then take my Pampered Chef scissors and cut the meat into bite sized chunks while it’s still in the sauce. 

 

1 cup heavy cream is added at this point.  Don’t try and substitute with milk…the results are not the same!!! 

Fresh chopped cilantro goes on top. 

 

The marinade on the chicken, the grill flavor….melds with the sauce. Simmering together…now I’m hungry.  Serve this with plenty of rice and naan bread.  Naan is an Indian flatbread and Aldi’s sells it now. 

 I hope this helps someone. 

 

P.S. 26 Days until school starts for my darlings.

This Chicken Tikka Masala is so good you don't care about a wimpy paper plate.