Indian Chicken with Spinach

Saag Gosht
Serves 4-6

SPY - I forgot to seed the tomatoes, so the sauce was extra watery.

Onion Paste
1 large red onion
1.5 tablesppons of ginger
2-3 cloves of garlic

Tomato Mixture
2 medium tomatoes
2 hot green chilies

4-6 tablespoons of ghee or butter, oil
1 cassia leaf or bay leaf
4 green cardamom pods
1 cinnamon stick
3 whole cloves
4 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
.5 teaspoon turmeric
6 tablespoon of whole milk yogurt
1.5 pound of lamb or chicken thighs
2 cups of hot water
1 teaspoon salt
1.5 spinach
1.5 tablespoon dried fenugreek leaves or kasoori methi
3-4 heavy cream or crème Fraîche
.5-1 teaspoon garam marsala
3 tablespoon cilantro

1. Make onion paste. Paste onion, ginger, garlic into blender and puree until smooth. Transfer to bowl and put aside. Without washing, put tomatoes and green chilies and puree until smooth.
2. heat oil in dutch oven over med high heat. whe hot add cassia leaf, cardamon pods, cinnamon, cloves. Cook until fragrant 15 secs. add onion paste an cook until fried 12-15 minutes. Stir tomato mixture for 10 minutes until oil separates.

3. toss in coriander, cumin, turmeric and stir 1 minute. reduce heat and stir in yogurt 2 tablespoon at a time until mixed. Raise heat and add meat, sear 5 minutes. Add hot water adn salt and stir. bring to boil and reduce heat to med low. cover and simmer for 1.5 hours for lamb, 1 hour for chicken.
4. stir cooked spinach, fenugreek leaves, heavy cream, and simmer 3-4 minutes. transfer and sprinkle with garam masala and cilantro. server with hot rice or bread.

Orange Roughy with Indian spice tomatoes

Very simple to make, got some galam marsala around and dashed it in there. I have a costco sized bag of orange roughy at my disposal and I need ways to eat it and not get bored.
Verdict : Super easy to make and the mister liked it . I however, liked the ingredients on paper, but not so much together. Felt bland.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/106415
Ingredients
4 6-ounce orange roughy fillets or red snapper fillets (each about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick)
3 teaspoons garam masala
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter

1 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes with mild green chilies, undrained
4 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup plain yogurt
Preparation
Sprinkle fish on both sides with salt and pepper, then with 1 teaspoon garam masala, dividing equally. Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add fish and cook until opaque in center, about 2 1/2 minutes per side. Transfer fish to platter (do not clean skillet).

Add tomatoes with juices, 2 tablespoons cilantro, and remaining 2 teaspoons garam masala to same skillet. Simmer over medium-low heat until slightly thickened, scraping up any browned bits, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon sauce over fish. Top with yogurt and sprinkle with cilantro.

Chicken Au "Champagne" another French women recipe

Chicken Au Champagne - Another French Women don't get fat recipe.
a) Champagne is expensive, even at Costco. Substitute with some American substitute for $7.00 a bottle. Same thing, and you are boiling it to death in an oven.

b) shallots are a nice hidden surprise in the breast, though the color can give a false alarm that the chicken is rare. Don't alarm your guest

c) I chucked in sprigs of cilantro with the chicken because I had some left over. This is not so appealing after baking. Leave out or it looks like kelp.

d) Very simple and cheap, though something about baking "champagne" emits a foul vapor whenever the door is opened and stings your eyes like onions on crack.

e) Next time must stuff with garlic and a hidden cheese surprise!

http://www.mireilleguiliano.com/chickenauchampagne.htm
Ingredients

4 chicken breasts (with skin and bone)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Chervil, tarragon, or thyme (optional)
1 shallot, quartered
1 cup Champagne (Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label Brut recommended)

1. Place the chicken breasts in a roasting pan, and season them. Pour 1/2 cup of the Champagne over breasts. Make a slit in each breast and insert a piece of shallot.

2. Place the pan under the broiler, skin-side down, for 3 minutes, until the skin is nicely browned. Turn and broil the other side for 5 minutes.

3. Remove the chicken from the broiler, baste with the pan juices, and add the remaining 1/2 cup of Champagne. Adjust the oven temperature to 475 degrees and bake the chicken for 30 minutes, basting once or twice.

4. Serve over brown rice. Sautéed mushrooms add a special touch and go beautifully with Champagne. (In a warm frying pan with a touch of olive oil, add clean, roughly chopped mushrooms, and cook for a few minutes. Add a few drops of lemon juice, freshly chopped sage, seasoning to taste, and 1 tablespoon of butter.) Pour the cooking juices from the chicken over the meat and rice. Serve the remainder of the bottle of Champagne (about 6 glasses) with the meal.

French women don't get fat Ratatouille

I read the book and there are many easy, simple, filling recipes that are good for you and can help you lose weight. Ratatouille is my first attempt. Things I would change.
a) peel the eggplant
b) use fresh parsley
c) chicken stock? maybe a cup.

link to book site
Ingredients
3 pounds Each of tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini
12 cloves of garlic
1 bunch of parsley
oil

1. Use equal amounts of tomatoes, eggplant and zucchini. Wash and cut into thick slices
2. lay in a heavy stock pot like Le Crueset pot, arrange as one layer after another.
3. Fill to rim, alternate tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, garlic and parsley, also salt and pepper
4. cook and cover over low heat for 2.5 hours
5. Cool for 20 minutes. eat like a soup. add olive oil in and grate fresh parmesan cheese

Leftovers
Use and cook with chicken or meat and then on a pizza. I haven't tried this yet.

Verdict

Delicious and healthy! Use fresh veggies, no canned at all.