This is a curry for those of you who do not like things too spicy, but enjoy seasonings and rich flavors. The recipe here for this particular Tikka Masala curry has been tweaked a little according to my tastes. For example, I left out all cinnamon and cayenne peppers.

Most of my family members cannot handle spicy food well, and I personally do not like cooking with cinnamon. I also cut down the amount of salt recommended by the original recipe by more than half. If you find that, at the end, it tastes plain, or you would like to add more salt, then you can do so accordingly. Making this is not difficult. However, it does take some time to get it prepared, so I suggest starting a little earlier than usual.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup yogurt
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into bite-size pieces
• Pinch of salt for taste
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 cup basmati rice

1. In a large bowl, combine yogurt, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons cumin, black pepper, ginger, and pinch of salt. Cut up and stir in chicken, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
2. After an hour, begin to cook chicken on a skillet.
3. Boil water for the rice, and add on low heat. Simmer for 15 minutes.
4. While the chicken is cooking, you can begin to make the sauce. Melt butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic for 1 minute. Season with 2 teaspoons cumin, paprika, and 3 teaspoons salt. Stir in tomato sauce and cream. Simmer on low heat until sauce thickens, about 20 minutes. Add chicken, and simmer for 10 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter, and garnish with fresh cilantro.

The article Food Experiments: Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Vegetarian Baked Ziti is one of my favorite dishes to make. It is a delicious and filling pasta dish that goes well with cheese and garlic biscuits. Vegetarian Baked Ziti replaces real meat with soy imitation meat and uses vegetarian cheese that contains no rennet or animal enzymes.

I use Boca ground crumbles, which can be found at most grocery stores. Whole Foods’ 365 brand cheese specifies that it is vegetarian, unlike most cheese brands, even if they contain no animal enzymes or rennet. It is a great alternative to the original, non-vegetarian version.

The ingredients needed for this recipe are:

• 1 pound of dry ziti pasta
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 pound of Boca ground crumbles (or other brand of fake meat soy crumbles)
• 2 jars of spaghetti sauce (26 oz.)
• 6 oz. of sliced Provolone cheese
• 6 oz. of shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 ½ cups of sour cream
• 2 tbsp. of grated Parmesan cheese

First, lightly salt a large pot of water, and bring to a boil. Pour in the ziti pasta, cook until al dente for about eight minutes, then drain. In a large skillet, mix the onion and soy crumbles together and brown over medium heat. Then, add spaghetti sauce and simmer for 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), and butter a 9×13” baking dish. Then, layer as follows: one half of the ziti, Provolone cheese, sour cream, one half of the spaghetti sauce, the rest of the ziti, mozzarella cheese, then add the rest of the remaining spaghetti sauce. Sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese on top.

Bake this dish for 30 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Pull out of oven when done, let cool, then enjoy! The preparation time for this meal takes about 20 minutes. The cook time will take 35 minutes, and it will yield about 10 servings.

The article Vegetarian’s Choice: Baked Ziti appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.