Hello again! It's time for shrimp vindaloo!

wow, it's been a long time! Thanks for hanging in there with me this summer. I had an amazing time living in New York City for June and July and I finally feel like I'm settled back in at home, and I've started cooking again! Tonight I'm actually roasting a chicken (my easy go to dinner when I'm lost) but today I'm going to share with you my husband's favorite thing I make. In fact, the first time I ever cooked for him, this was the dinner we had!

It's a delicious Indian dish that does not use curry. So if you want to try some more ethnic flavors, but don't particularly like curries, here's your ticket! I devoured mine on a bed of fresh spinach and I do not regret losing the rice! For those who don't cook seafood often, remember that shrimp will cook completely in only about 3-4 minutes! As soon as they are curled up and pink, they're done. It's really easy to leave them for just 30 seconds more and they end up being chewy and tough.

Welcome back, and enjoy!

Shrimp vindaloo

• 2 tsp minced ginger (use this amount in step 1)
  
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp dry mustard
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1/4-1/2 tsp ground red pepper (cayenne) depending on the heat level you want
• 1/5 tsp cinnamon (trust me!)
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves (again, trust me!)
• 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 Tbsp canola oil
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
• 2 Tbsp minced fresh ginger (yes, ginger is in the list twice. This instance is for step 2)
  
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 2 Tbsp golden raisins
• 1 pound shrimp, deveined, and without shells (you can leave the tail cause it looks cute)

1. Combine first 9 ingredients (ginger through cloves) in a small bowl. Add vinegar to form paste.
2. heat oil in large skillet at medium high heat (about a 6 on a scale of 1-10). Stir in 2 Tbsp minced fresh ginger and all garlic for 20 seconds.
3. Add spice paste to skillet, stir constantly for 30 seconds.
4. stir in brother and raisins.
5. simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.
6 Add shrimp and cook for 3-4 minutes, just until shrimp is curled and looks pink.

Carb options
As with any good Indian food, jasmine/basmati rice and naan are delicious for soaking up sauces. A crisp, sweet white wine like a riesling or Gewürztraminer pairs perfectly with the Indian spiciness.

Chicken Tikka Masala

I've just returned from a 5 day trip to New York City! What a place to be. There's an unmatchable energy there, and you can't help but lose a few pounds walking around just taking in the sights, sounds and people who are there.

One of the greatest things, in my opinion, about the City is the food! Any thing at all you can imagine can be delivered right to your door almost any hour of the day. There's delivery sushi, ice cream, bar-b-que, and the topic of the night-- Indian food. As most of you have (hopefully) learned while being on a diet, cutting out carbs and fat does NOT mean cutting out flavor! Some of the greatest spices in the world have no calories at all, but create such a flavor in food, I can't imagine not using them. Tikka Masala is one of my most favorite Indian dishes. In restaurants, it will be made with heavy cream and lots of butter; however, here is a lightened version for anyone who wants to close their eyes and imagine being in New York City or Mumbai.

Of course, most people would eat this on top of rice and with a thick peice of white flour naan bread. I actually REALLY enjoy my tikka on a bed of fresh baby spinach! It gives a crisp texture to your bite that rice can't fulfill. Unfortunately, we're all out of luck for the naan right now! There's just nothing that can replace it!

Chicken Tikka Masala
marinade

• 1 cup plain nonfat yogurt
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp ground cayenne (or less, according to taste)
• 2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 Tbsp minced (or grated) fresh ginger
• few pinches of salt, to taste
• 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces

sauce

• 1 Tbsp canola oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp paprika
• salt, to taste (about 1/4 tsp)
• 1 8oz can of tomato sauce
• 1 cup lite cream or 1% or 2% milk (I don't recommend skim because it would take a long time to thicken up)

1. In a large bowl, combine yogurt, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, black pepper, ginger, and few pinches of salt. Stir in chicken, cover, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, but can do overnight or while at work.

2. Cook chicken until done. This can be done on a grill after skewering meat on a bamboo skewer OR by sauteing in a large skillet. I usually saute after draining most of the marinade off the chicken bits. No need to rinse chicken before cooking

3. Heat oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic and jalapeno for 1 minute. Season with 2 teaspoons cumin, paprika, and 3 teaspoons salt. Stir in tomato sauce and cream or milk. Simmer on low heat until sauce thickens, about 20 minutes (more if using milk), stirring occassionally and making sure to scrape the bottom of the skillet. Add cooked chicken, and simmer for 10 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter, and garnish with fresh cilantro, if desired.

Carb options
As mentioned before, most Indian food is served with rice and naan. Plus, if you can find real Indian chutney, and can handle the high sugar content, it is a delicious appetizer with naan or papadam.