Heavenly Butter Chicken without Butter or Cream

I have never eaten much authentic Indian food.  But, when one of my friends suggested her low-fat method for something she loves, called Butter Chicken, I decided to investigate.

Butter Chicken, it seems, is traditionally made, not only with butter, but with heavy cream.  My goodness - that doesn't sound like something I would ever try, but I do trust my friend's judgment and take her food recommendations very seriously.

It turns out this dish is absolutely delicious and the chicken practically melts in your mouth.  There is ample sauce so I serve it over brown rice or barley, and in a bowl.  Farro or wheat berries might work nicely, too.  I think that quinoa or couscous would get lost in the heavy, rich tasting sauce.



Butter Chicken without Butter or Cream
Makes 2 hearty servings

• 1 cup onion, sliced vertically
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp coconut oil
• 2 - 4 ounce chicken breasts, raw, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 14 ounces (1/2 large can) canned, crushed tomatoes
• 200 ml (1/2 can) light coconut milk
• 1 Tbs Patak's Butter Chicken Curry Paste

1. Saute onions and garlic in oil till soft.
2. Add diced chicken breasts and cook through.
3. Add crushed tomatoes.
5. Add coconut milk.
6. Add 1 Tbs of Patak's Butter Chicken Curry Paste.
7. Bring to a boil and then turn down to low and let simmer until ready to serve.
8. Serve over grain of choice.

Make sure to use all the sauce.  The grains will soak it up.

Per serving, not including the grains.
Weight Watchers P+ = 6.
Calories 247; Protein 26g; Carbohydrate 22g; Fat 6g; Fibre 4g.

Note:
If I don't have crushed tomatoes on hand, I use diced, and whiz them with my immersion blender.  Works just as well in this recipe.

The Captain likes a few salted cashews on top of his.

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Saucy and Simple

This is more of a method than an actual recipe.  I like to have a simple tomato-vegetable sauce when we have The Noodle King's home made whole wheat pasta for dinner.  I pretty much use whatever we have at the time and the only 3 requirements are tomatoes of some kind, onions, and garlic.

I like it much better with the addition of a variety of other vegetables which might include bell peppers, mushrooms, zucchini, celery, and even fresh spinach.  And, I use either olive oil or a blend of olive and canola oils to cook the veggies.  I have learned that we get more nutrients out of the vegetables if we eat them with a healthy oil... this was a tough one for me after years of 'no/low fat' brainwashing.

Here is how it goes:

1.  Wash and cut the vegetables you are going to use into chunks
     about 1/2 inch square.  I like to have about 1 to 1-1/4 cups of
     vegetables for each person.
2.  Peel the garlic cloves and mash and mince them - at least one
     clove per person.
3.  Measure 1 tsp of oil for each serving of sauce into a large fry
     pan and heat on medium to medium-high setting.
4.  Add the vegetables and the garlic, and cook till soft.  Watch
     the heat, and turn  down if the vegetables start to brown.  They
     may take 15 or 20 minutes to cook.

5.  Add your tomatoes of choice.  I like to use about 1 cup of tomatoes per

     person.  If I am using fresh tomatoes, I just cut them into chunks.  If I am

     using canned diced tomatoes I might whizz them a bit with my
     immersion blender.  Sometimes I use tomato sauce or even canned
     crushed tomatoes. 

    
     Just use what you would prefer to have. If you are using fresh tomatoes,

     you might want to use a bit of tomato paste and water to make a sauce.



6.  After the tomatoes are heated through, add your seasonings.  I use
     a good heaping Tbs of a spaghetti seasoning for each person.  Let it
     simmer till it is as thick as you would like it.

7.  Stir to blend in the seasonings, and cover.

8.  Turn heat to low. and let simmer while you cook your pasta of choice. 

9.  When pasta is cooked, drain it and rinse with hot water to remove
     the extra starch.
10. Plate the pasta and put the sauce on the top.
11. I like to add a bit of light freshly grated parmesan cheese on top.

Tonight, for 2 servings, I used:

• 2 tsp canola/olive oil blend
• 1/4 cup chopped white onion
• 1/2 cup each yellow and red bell pepper
• 1 cup green zucchini
• 2 large white button mushrooms
• 3 large cloves garlic
• 2 cups canned diced tomatoes, whizzed with immersion blender
• 1/4 cup spaghetti seasoning
• 2 Tbs light parmesan cheese

Per serving.
Weight Watchers P+ = 4.  This doesn't include the pasta.
Calories 150; Protein 6g; Carbohydrate 20g; Fat 6g; Fibre 4g



Just look at that beautiful home made whole wheat linguini!  The texture is magnificient.

Sometimes I think my whole life is spent chopping vegetables!

Pretty in Pink

The Captain spotted a recipe in a local food market flyer this week and thought we should try it.  It looks lovely but I needed to make a few changes.  The original can be found on the Thrifty Foods web site. 

This is my version - less fat, less jam, less honey, and without the mint. 



Grilled Chicken with Raspberry Sauce
Makes 2 servings

• 1/4 cup raspberry jam
• 1 Tbs raspberry vinegar
• 1 tsp honey
• 1 tsp reduced sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 grated orange zest
• 1/2  cup fresh or frozen raspberries
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 2 (4 oz.) boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1. Preheat your grill to medium-high.
2. Place the first 6 ingredients in a small pot. Bring to a simmer and cook and stir until the jam is melted and well incorporated with the other ingredients.
3. Stir in the raspberries and mint; season with salt and pepper.
4. Cover and reserve sauce on low heat.
5. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
6. Grill 4 minutes per side, or until cooked through.
7. Plate the chicken, top with sauce and serve.

Per serving.
Weight Watchers P+ = 7.
Calories 361; Protein 22g; Carbohydrate 36g; Fat 6g; Fibre 3g


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