Balti Butter Chicken

Butter chicken is one of the most popular Balti chicken dishes, especially in the West. Cooked in butter, with aromatic spices, cream and almonds, this dish is amazingly mild and good!

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

1C plain yogurt
1/2C ground almonds
2t chili powder
1/4t ground cloves
1/4t ground cinnamon
2t Garam masala
4 green cardamom pods
1t minced ginger
1t minced garlic
2C canned diced tomatoes
1t salt

*mix all the above ingredients in a bowl

2lb cubed chicken

*add chicken to mix and set aside to marinate.

6T butter
1T vegetable oil
2 medium onions, sliced

* melt butter and oil in pan. Add onions and fry 3-5 minutes. Add chicken mixture and cook 7-10 minutes.

2T chopped cilantro
1/4C cream or milk

* stir in about half the cilantro and mix well. Pour cream in and stir. Bring to boil. Serve garnished with additional cilantro.

Compost Tea for your Garden Plants

Last January Ron helped me make a beautiful vegetable garden on our property. We have left much of our acreage native with trees so it was hard to find a flat spot that was clear enough to get 6-8 hours of sun. We tilled and augmented the soil with compost I make from kitchen scraps and garden debris. It was glorious! Glorious until we suffered from one of the worst droughts of recent time.

To find the silver lining in a bad situation, this all happened about the time I was diagnosed with my cancer. I was going to treatments daily and my immune system started to tank, so I couldn't work the garden if I wanted. Ron tilled once again and we added more amendments in hopes I could plant a fall garden. Needless to say that fell by the wayside as my surgery was scheduled and I focused on getting stronger for the big day.

Now it is January once again and I am ready to start all my little plants inside. I have wonderful trays full of dark, rich humus all over my house. I do all organic gardening and try to only purchase organic seeds and plants. It is so much fun to try to decide what to plant. I always have to have several different types of tomatoes, with the little yellow pear tomatoes being a favorite. I think this season I will try the lemon zucchinis and see if they grow well in my climate.

This year I will introduce my oldest granddaughter to the world of gardening. She will be two in March and she already likes to dig. Last year I let her pick and eat grape tomatoes, which came back out with a shudder! She has since found the delight in eating a sweet tomato so I can't wait for her to try them fresh from the garden again.


Here is a simple recipe for Compost Tea. Don't be intimidated, you can't fail!


Making Compost Tea


*Four cups compost
*2 tablespoons of molasses
*4-5 gallons non-chlorinated water
*oxygen supply
*5 gallon bucket

The quickest way to improve your soil is to use compost tea. I like to make aerobic tea, or tea made with oxygen. Also, you need to feed the tea by adding molasses. I use a 5 gallon bucket, run tubing in the bottom of the bucket, throw in the compost water and molasses, and wait 24 hours.

**if your water has chlorine in it, you need to allow the water to sit for 24 hours before starting. The chlorine will kill all the organisms in the compost!**

An easy source of oxygen is an aquarium pump. Not having an aquarium pump, I use my air compressor and a tube that we poked holes in. You want vigorous bubbles to keep the water well aerated.

When the tea is ready for spreading, you can use a Sprayer or a watering can.

Spray or pour compost tea on plant leaves, lawns, vegetable gardens, shrubs, everywhere! You will be amazed at the results with continued use.

Enjoy!

Ratatouille

Comfort food is described as any food that makes you feel good or evokes times of happiness or nostalgia. The term was first used in 1977 according to Webster's dictionary.  It makes me wonder what we called it before that? Home-cooked food? Peasant food? Working man's meal? Sometimes when we think of comfort food we automatically go toward fat-laden, guilty pleasures.  But the trends these days in restaurants is to offer comfort food from our pasts that are made from higher-quality ingredients and more carefully prepared for our health.  I back that all the way!

We as consumers can copy what the top chefs do by attending local Farmer's Markets to buy the freshest ingredients possible.   Think how long that head of lettuce has been sitting on a pallet at your local store.   One market I attended sold 'live' lettuce, where they harvested it right in front of you! You can't get any fresher that that!

A comfort food I regularly make in my home is ratatouille.  It is a no-fail dish that anyone can make.  Julia Child insisted on making the classic French version where the zucchini and the eggplant were sauteed separately and layered in a dish with the tomato sauce poured over and baked.  This is the version the little rat Ratatuoille made in the movie.  My version is also a classic way to make the dish, but is much more simple and, in my opinion, much more versatile.  I have used this recipe to fill tortillas, to dress panini sandwiches, and to top chicken or pork cutlets.  This recipe makes quite a bit.  You can easily freeze any leftovers.  Please feel free to add or change the list of veggies to suit your tastes.  Just remember the rule of eating a rainbow.  The more colors you can eat, the better health you will have!

Ratatouille

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup extra vergin olive oil
• 1 medium eggplant, cubed                   
• 3 Yukon Gold potatoes, cubed
• 1 sweet potato, cubed
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 onions, coarsely chopped                   
• 2 zucchini, cubed
• 2 medium yellow squash, cubed
• 2 bell peppers, any color, seeded and cubed
• 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
• 2 cups fresh, chopped spinach
• 4 roma (plum) tomatoes, chopped -or-
• 1 large can diced tomatoes (in BPA-free can)
•  1 T Herbs de Provence (to taste)                  
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary or 1T dried rosemary
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• salt and pepper to taste
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Heat 3 tablespoon of the oil in a largeskillet or pot over medium heat. Add the eggplant, potatoes, onions and garlic and cook until just starting to brown.
2. Add the remaining olive oil, zucchini, yellow squash, peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms, spinach and seasonings to the pan, reduce heat and saute 15-20 minutes.              
3. Check and adjust seasonings.  Stir occasionally                

At this time you can add prosciutto or ham for additional flavor, but it is not necessary.

Plate and garnish with fresh Parmesan cheese.

Enjoy!

I have been a chef for the past 20 years having worked as a caterer, teacher, private chef and restauranteur. I have always been focused on natural, organic and chemical free living and eating while still trying to maintain a budget-friendly home. I have been called a Renaissance Woman, Mother Earth, Food Police, and Health Fanatic; all of which I wear proudly!

Having said all this, last August I found out I had stage 3 rectal cancer. In a nutshell I underwent chemo and radiation, followed by horribly invasive surgery and fast forward to today, I am cancer free! God graced me with wonderful doctors and with having the constitution of an old mule! I did not want to be a statistic and with the pending birth of my second beautiful granddaughter; not fighting was never an option. From the very beginning of treatment my doctors said I was in a favorable place because of good eating and living habits. Trust me when I say I am no saint. I love my smoked ribs, really good margaritas, and ooey-gooey chocolate anything just like anyone else. And that is where this blog begins.

I will be sharing my tips, recipes and knowledge gleaned during my journey through life so far. Feedback is welcome from anyone willing to share.

So I leave my first Post by saying enjoy your life, take nothing for granted and give thanks for what you have.

Enjoy!
Paula