This recipe has a lot of steps and an intimidating list of ingredients, but chicken saagwala is one of my favorite Indian dishes so I was excited to give it a try. I bought most of the spices at Whole Foods in the bulk spice section for a total of $0.61. With a glass of wine, and good friends to keep me company in the kitchen, it was fun to cook a dish which was well outside my comfort zone.

I was really pleased with the end result, and will definitely make this again. The whole peppercorns were slightly pungent though, so I may substitute freshly ground black pepper next time.

2.5 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken pieces
1 10 oz. bag fresh spinach
3 T oil
5 peppercorns
4 cloves
1 t cardamom
2 large onions, sliced thinly
2 T minced garlic
1 T ginger powder
1 t cumin
1 T garam masala
2 medium tomatoes chopped fine, or 14 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained

Wash the spinach well and chop. Put into a pot with 1/2 c. water and boil until cooked. Grind the spinach into a paste in a food processor and set aside.

Heat 2 T oil in a pan on a medium flame and fry the chicken pieces till well browned. Remove and set aside.

Heat 1 T oil, then add the whole peppercorn and cloves. As the spices turn slightly darker, add the cardamom, onion, ginger and garlic and fry until the onions are pale golden in color. Add the cumin and garam masala and fry for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes. Add the chicken to this masala, mix well and add half a cup of water. Cook until the chicken is almost done. Add the spinach and mix well, and continue to cook until most of the water evaporates.

-Recipe adapted from About.com; Photo courtesy of Dave Goldberg

This is one of my favorite recipes for leftover turkey. I am posting it today so you can get the ingredients and have them on hand for the weekend.

1/2 c. chopped onion
1/4 c. flour
2 1/2 c. chicken broth
1 c. shredded cheese
1 c. fat-free sour cream
3 c. chopped turkey
6 flour tortillas

Saute onion in a pan coated with cooking spray until tender. Place flour in a bowl and gradually add broth, stirring until well blended. Add mixture to pan, bring to a boil, and cook 3 minutes or until thick. Remove from heat and stir in cheese and sour cream. Combine 1 c. cheese mixture and turkey. Spread 1/2 c. turkey mixture in each tortilla and roll up. Place in a sprayed 13×9 dish and pour remaining cheese sauce over filled tortillas. Bake at 350F for 20 minutes.

-Adapted from Cooking Light

Our cooking club theme this month was ‘Cook What You Fear’. Turns out, we all had different fears, and dinner included Stuffed Artichokes, Clams, Roasted Chicken, Twice Baked Potatoes, and Chocolate Layer Cake.

I had never cooked a whole chicken before; reaching inside the chicken to clean the cavity definitely scared me. It was time to overcome my fear, and this is the recipe I used. As everyone promised me, it was easy, and the chicken was moist and flavorful.

1 (3-3 1/2 lb) whole chicken
2 T oil
2 T melted butter
1 1/2 T salt
1 t garlic powder
1/2 t black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Rinse the chicken inside and out well under cold water, then pat dry using a paper towel. In a small bowl mix the oil and melted butter until blended, then rub all over the chicken. Using clean hands rub the inside and outside of the chicken with salt, garlic powder, black pepper and cayenne. Place the chicken into a baking dish (you can place the chicken onto a small roasting rack if desired).

Roast the chicken at 450F for 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 400F and continue roasting for about 40 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches about 175F to 180F. Cover with foil and let sit for 15 minutes before slicing. Do not slice before that time or the juices will flow out.

-Adapted from RecipeZaar (Kittencal)

I had a request to use shrimp in a recipe, and I’ve also been wanting to try to make Pad Thai. I was overwhelmed by the number of Pad Thai recipes out there, and many of them were quite different. Some used ingredients I couldn’t easily find (tamarind paste) and others used ingredients that didn’t seem to fit (ketchup). I finally settled on this recipe, and tweaked it just a bit from the original.

While I was happy with the final product, this recipe was a lot of work. I was constantly moving, trying to keep up with all the various steps. My kitchen was a disaster by the end of the project. Also, I drained the noodles too early, and they became a sticky mess, so I needed to add quite a bit more of the liquid ingredients (soy sauce, rice wine, and lime juice) to resolve that issue.

What I liked about this recipe was that it had just the right amount of spice, tempered by the lime juice. It was also a good opportunity to cook shrimp, which is something I enjoy but don’t make very often. However, I will try another Pad Thai recipe, perhaps one that uses chicken and peanuts, so that I can compare. And next time I will see if I can bribe a Kitchen Assistant to come help!

1 1/2 T vegetable oil, divided
1 T garlic, minced
1 T ginger, minced
16 large shrimp, peeled
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 T soy sauce
1 T oyster sauce
1 T rice wine vinegar
1/2 t red pepper
7 ounces rice noodles, cooked according to package directions
1/2 c. bean sprouts
3 scallions, sliced
1 T lime juice

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a wok or a large frying pan. Add the garlic and ginger, and saute until golden brown. Add the shrimp and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until pink, tossing from time to time. Remove and set aside in a bowl. Heat 1/2 tablespoon of oil in the same pan and add the eggs. Stir to scramble the egg into small pieces, remove and set aside with the shrimp. Heat the remaining oil in the pan and add the soy sauce, oyster sauce, rice wine, and red pepper. Stir briefly, add the drained noodles, and cook for 5 minutes. Add the bean sprouts and chopped scallions. Mix well and continue to cook until noodles are heated through, adding the shrimp mixture just before serving. Season, if necessary, with a little more soy sauce, sprinkle in lime juice, and serve while hot.

-Adapted from Danny Boome Ltd (Food Network)

This is a great twist on traditional meatloaf. I think it would be even better topped with tomato sauce.

1 c. coarsely chopped mushrooms
1/4 c. chopped onion
1 (10 oz.) package spinach, thawed and drained
1/2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese
1 lb. 97% lean ground turkey
3/4 c. Quaker oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
1/2 c. skim milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 t Italian seasoning
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper

Heat oven to 375F. Lightly spray skillet with cooking spray. Cook mushrooms and onions over medium low heat until onion is tender; remove from heat. Add spinach, 1/4 c. mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese; mix well. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine turkey, oats, milk, egg, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper; mix lightly but thoroughly. Spoon 2/3 turkey mixture down center of loaf pan. Form indentation in middle and fill with reserved spinach mixture. Top with remaining turkey, forming a loaf and sealing edges completely. Bake 30-35 minutes, and sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese. Return to oven for 2 minutes, and let stand 5 minutes before slicing.

-Recipe from Quaker Oats

I had friends over for dinner last night, and served this as the main dish. I doubled the sauce ingredients and used 4 chicken breasts (about 2.5 lbs.) and there was plenty of sauce leftover. I really liked the recipe overall, and the wine definitely adds a lot of flavor. One of my friends had a camera, and we took this shot just before we sat down to eat. My first food photo!

5 t all-purpose flour
4 chicken breast cutlets, trimmed
5 t canola oil, divided
1 c. thinly sliced shallots
2 c. halved seedless green or red grapes
1 c. white wine
1 c. reduced-sodium chicken

Heat 3 teaspoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken until golden on the first side. Reduce heat to medium, turn the chicken and cook until the other side is golden, 2 to 4 minutes more. Transfer to a plate. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil to the pan and heat over medium heat. Add shallots and cook, stirring, until just starting to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add grapes and cook, stirring occasionally, until just starting to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle with 5 teaspoons of flour; stir to coat. Add wine and broth; bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally and scraping up any browned bits, until the sauce is reduced and thickened, about 8 minutes. Return the chicken to the pan, turning to coat with sauce, and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes. Serve with the sauce.

-Adapted from Eating Well

Fresh cranberries are now in the grocery store, and this is one of my favorite seasonal recipes.

2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 (16 oz) bag, whole cranberries
1/3 c. sugar (or sugar substitute)
1 c. fat free Catalina dressing

Cover cranberries with water in a medium saucepan; add sugar. Cook berries over medium heat until they pop. Add dressing, stir well and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 9 x 13″ baking dish with cooking spray. Place breasts in dish; salt and pepper to taste. Pour hot cranberry sauce over breasts. Bake, uncovered, for 40 minutes or until breasts are cooked through.