FOOD-FEATURE FRIDAY: TIM

I'm starting a new series that features friends of mine-- some I've known for years and others I've gotten to know over the inter-web. I've hand picked my entries and I want you all to get inspired by their cooking.

I'll be featuring appetizers, desserts, breakfast quickies, entrees, breads and more. If you want to bless us with your cooking, please shoot me an e-mail at steph {dot} ilene {dot} johnson {at} gmail {dot} com.

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Today my buddy is blessing us with some dinspiration (clever, right? dinner + inspiration = dinspiration). Tim was unfortunate enough to work with me to plan and serve our entire menu for a work retreat of 45+ people. I'm glad he put up with me because I learned a lot from him! Tim is hilariously witty and smart. He's an amazing example of someone who knows what he wants and goes for it. Watch for his name in politics because I wouldn't be surprised if he ended up being the winning campaign manager for one of our future presidents. Because my readers are mostly (okay, probably entirely) women, it looks like it's just Tim and the girls!

Chicken Tikka Masala

Tim used this recipe from the Food Network-- I wish I was there when he made it. 

Ingredients

Marinade:

1 cup plain yogurt, whisked until smooth

3 tablespoons Ginger-Garlic Paste, recipe follows 

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts poked with a fork, and cut into large bite-sized chunks

Sauce:

2 teaspoons olive oil

3 tablespoons butter

1/3 cup Ginger-Garlic Paste, recipe follows (or 6 cloves garlic and 2-inch thumb ginger minced)

2 serrano peppers, minced (seeds removed if you don't want it spicy)

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 teaspoon garam masala

2 teaspoons paprika

8 Roma tomatoes, diced

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 to 2 cups water

Oil, for grilling

1 tablespoon dried fenugreek leaves (optional)

1/2 cup heavy cream

Minced fresh cilantro, for garnish

Cooked rice, naan, or crusty piece of bread, for serving

Ginger-Garlic Paste:

1/2 cup cloves garlic, whole

1/2 cup fresh ginger, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch slices

1/4 cup canola oil

Look at this list of ingredients... a GINGER-GARLIC paste? I'm drooling right now. I love that this dish sets me up for a challenge. It's not something I would typically make. 

Get full directions by clicking on the link above--

here are Tim's tips for the recipe: 

Make sure you pay close attention during the sautéing of the garlic-ginger paste, Serrano peppers, tomato paste and spices. It's the most important part of developing the flavors for the dish, so don't skip doing each ingredient separately like the recipe asks. Keep the heat lower than you think you need because it's easy to burn these components which has a bad effect on the whole dish. 

Also, the recipe calls for grilling the chicken, which is great if you have one, but if you don't, a skillet or frying pan with just a small amount of Pam works too. 

Lastly, I like to simmer the chicken for about 30 minutes in the sauce, covered, just to make sure it's cooked through. 

Ummm, a man who can cook? Yeah, he'll make a lucky-lady very happy.

I'm nervous to cook with curry. 
I LOVE it. I've never cooked with it. Is it something I should try?

What are you making for dinner this weekend? 
I hope it something half as good as Tim's dish.