I was watching "America's Test Kitchen" on the Create channel one night, and they were demonstrating how to make a few popular Indian dishes. This one struck my fancy because whenever I go to "Masala Wok," it's one of the things I usually order. Now both Masala Wok and this recipe are probably geared toward American taste buds, but hey, it works for me.
I searched for the recipe on America's Test Kitchen website, but they only post their more current recipes online for free. But luckily, I found it through other means. Thanks, Amy Scott, whoever you are! Here's the recipe: http://amyscott.squarespace.com/journal/2008/11/5/chicken-tikka-masala.html
Let me warn you- this is not something you can whip up for your family on a busy weeknight. It's pretty time-consuming and requires some preparation as well as procuring ingredients I did not have on hand- garam masala what??? I thought the best thing about the dish was that I was able to make chicken breast taste good. Usually I am a fan of the dark meat, but after you coat the chicken in spices, yogurt, and oil, it seals in the moisture and doesn't dry it out! Brilliant!
It was a recipe of "firsts." First time making masala sauce, first time making basmati rice (mine ended up a little soggy), and first time broiling chicken.
We invited our small group over to partake in the Indian food, and it was quite a feast. There were some last minute contributions to the meal (including appetizers, curry, and rice from a local Indian restaurant, and naan the size of my head (okay bigger than my head), I kid you not, leftover from Edwin's lunch. Perfect timing!
Every time my sister or sister-in-law throw a party, there is cheese. Large amounts of cheese. I am a cheese-lover myself but pale in comparison to these lactose-loving ladies. So because of their fondness for cheese, specifically BRIE, I was inspired to make this recipe...Brie en Croute.
Whenever I saw people bring this dish to parties, I was impressed and also intimidated because I thought it was difficult and time-consuming. Boy was I wrong! I brought this appetizer to a New Year's Eve party, and no one believed that the prep work was literally 10 minutes. The ingredients are simple and the process is quick.
I used a Paul Deen recipe, but there are a ton out there with lots of slight variations: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/brie-en-croute-2-recipe/index.html
I did not use butter (gasp! Don't tell Paula), found some sliced almonds, and substituted apricot preserves for the raspberry jam. I thought the combination of flavors was great. Pair it with some crackers and you have a delicious-looking dish! I think Edwin and I ate half of the wheel ourselves. :/
