Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala

Ingredients

1. 1 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes
2. 1 medium onion, chopped
3. 2 cloves garlic, chopped
4. 2 tablespoons tomato paste
5. 2 teaspoons garam masala (Indian spice blend)
6. kosher salt and black pepper
7. 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 8)
8. 1/2 English cucumber, halved and thinly sliced
9. 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
10. 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
11. 1 cup basmati or some other long-grain white rice
12. 1/2 cup heavy cream

Directions

1. In a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker, combine the tomatoes, onion, garlic, tomato paste, garam masala, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Place the chicken on top of the vegetables, cover, and cook until the chicken is tender, on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours (this will shorten total recipe time).
2. In a small bowl, toss the cucumber and cilantro with the lemon juice and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for up to 8 hours.
3. Twenty minutes before serving, cook the rice according to the package directions.
4. Just before serving, stir the cream into the chicken tikka masala. Serve over the rice with the cucumber relish.

* Total Time ranges from 4 hours, 10 minutes to 8 hours, 10 minutes

Triple-Cheese Chicken Enchiladas

• Makes: 10 servings
• Yield: servings
• Prep: 20 mins
• Cook: 10 mins
• Slow Cook: 4 hrs on low

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 pounds ground chicken
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 Cubanelle peppers, seeded and chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
• 1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can (15 oz) pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack
• 2 cups shredded cheddar
• 1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
• 13 corn tortillas

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, onion, peppers and garlic. Cook 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Stir in tomato sauce, beans, chili powder, cumin and salt. Simmer 2 minutes. In a large bowl, combine cheeses.
3. Line a round 4-quart slow cooker bowl with a slow cooker liner. Coat liner with nonstick cooking spray.
4. Fit 2 1/2 tortillas into bottom of slow cooker; top with 1 1/2 cups of the chicken mixture and 3/4 cup of the cheese mixture. Repeat layering three times. For the final layer, fit 3 tortillas into slow cooker. Top with remaining chicken mixture and cheese.
5. Cook on LOW for 4 hours. Let cool at least 30 minutes before cutting into wedges.

Tip

• For easy cleanup: Line your slow cooker with a disposable slow cooker liner. Add ingredients as directed in recipe. Once your dish is finished cooking, spoon the food out of your slow cooker and simply dispose of the liner. Do not lift or transport the disposable liner with food inside.

Nutrition Information for Triple-Cheese Chicken Enchiladas

Servings Per Recipe: 10
PER SERVING: 468 cal., 26 g total fat (11 g sat. fat), 94 mg chol., 1002 mg sodium, 30 g carb. (7 g fiber), 30 g pro.

Sweet Potato and Turkey Shepherd's Pie

• Makes: 10 servings
• Yield: servings
• Prep: 15 mins
• Cook: 38 mins
• Bake: 1 hr at 350°F

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups diced yellow onion
• 3 cups quartered button mushrooms
• 2 pounds ground turkey
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 2 teaspoons turmeric
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper
• 8 ounces tomato sauce
• 10 ounces frozen spinach
• 2/3 cup grated Parmesan

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees . Place sweet potatoes in a medium pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook until fork-tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and return to pot over low heat. Add sugar, butter and 1/2 tsp of the salt. Mash sweet potatoes and mix until ingredients are incorporated.
2. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and 1/2 tsp of the remaining salt; cook 5 minutes. Push onions to edge of pan. Pour in another 1 tbsp of the oil and add mushrooms. Cook 2 minutes without stirring, allowing mushrooms to brown. Mix with onions; cook 2 minutes more. Transfer to a plate.
3. Add remaining 1 tbsp oil to pan. Stir in turkey, breaking up meat with a spatula. Season with remaining 1/2 tsp salt, the garlic, smoked paprika, turmeric, cumin and chipotle. Cook 4 minutes. Stir in onions and mushrooms, tomato sauce, spinach and 1 cup water. Bring to a simmer and cook 10 to 15 minutes, until mixture thickens.
4. Spread turkey mixture into a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Spread mashed sweet potatoes over the top in an even layer. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour, uncovered.

Nutrition Information for Sweet Potato and Turkey Shepherd's Pie

Servings Per Recipe: 10
PER SERVING: 360 cal., 18 g total fat (6 g sat. fat), 85 mg chol., 670 mg sodium, 28 g carb. (4 g fiber), 23 g pro.

Haute Dogs

This recipe exemplifies the kind of high-low combination of ingredients represented throughout Christina Tosi's "Milk Bar Life": store-bought hot dogs, handmade "bun." It's decidedly unpretentious, and most likely a retro crowd-pleaser. The toppings are rolled and baked inside.

You may find, as the tester did, that more flour is needed than the 3 cups called for in the original recipe.

Make Ahead: The dough needs to proof in the refrigerator overnight.

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Servings:

Tested size: 8 servings

Ingredients

• 3 to 3 3/4 cups flour, plus more for the work surface
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• Generous 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
• 1 3/4 cups plus 1/2 teaspoon warm water
• Toppings such as ketchup, mustard and/or Sweet-and-Sour Red Onion Jam (see related recipe)
• 8 all-beef hot dogs, such as Nathan's Famous Original Coney Island Natural Casing Beef Frankfurters
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons sesame or poppy seeds

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Directions

Combine the 3 cups of flour, the salt and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough-hook attachment. Add the 1 3/4 cups of water; beat on the lowest speed for 3 minutes, adding flour as needed to form a smooth and somewhat cohesive "wet ball" consistency. Knead on the lowest speed for about 4 minutes; the dough should bounce back softly when pressed.
(Alternatively, stir those initial ingredients together in a large mixing bowl, then gradually add the water, stirring, until the mixture has come together in a shaggy mass; add flour as needed and then knead by hand on a lightly floured surface.)
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone liners. Lightly flour a work surface.
Transfer the dough to the work surface; divide into 8 equal portions. Roll out each one into a rectangle about the length of the hot dogs you're using, and wide enough to fully wrap around the dog (say, 8 by 5 inches).
Spread the dough with about 2 tablespoons of any condiment/any combination of fixings you like. Place a hot dog on top of each piece of dough and wrap up like a baby in a blanket. Arrange the dough-wrapped dogs seam side down on the baking sheet.
Whisk together the egg and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of water in a small bowl. Brush each blanketed dog with egg wash and sprinkle with some sesame or poppy seeds. Bake for about 25 minutes or until the bread blankets puff slightly and take on a golden hue.
Serve hot or at room temperature.

Rate it

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Recipe Source

Adapted from "Milk Bar Life," by Christina Tosi (Clarkson Potter, 2015).

Asparagus Bread Pudding

Servings: 6 Prep 15 mins Total Time 1 hr

Ingredients

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 4 cups Weekend-Prepped Toasted Bread Cubes
• 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 4 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese, cut into small cubes
• 8 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups reduced-fat milk
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• 2 1/2 cups mixed salad greens
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Lemon wedges

Make It

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat an 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray. In a large bowl toss bread cubes and asparagus, then spread in the prepared dish. Dot with cream cheese cubes.

2. In a large bowl whisk eggs, milk, 1/8 tsp. salt and pepper until well combined. Pour egg mixture over bread and asparagus mixture. Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake 15 to 20 more minutes, or until lightly browned and set (160 degrees F).

3. Toss the greens with the olive oil and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Serve with lemon wedges.

Nutrition Facts

Servings Per Recipe: 6; Amount Per Serving: cal. (kcal): 336, Fat, total (g): 16, chol. (mg): 267, sat. fat (g): 6, carb. (g): 31, Monounsaturated fat (g): 7, Polyunsaturated fat (g): 2, Trans fatty acid (g): , fiber (g): 3, sugar (g): 5, pro. (g): 18, vit. A (IU): 1144, vit. C (mg): 18, Thiamin (mg): , Riboflavin (mg): 1, Niacin (mg): 1, Pyridoxine (Vit. B6) (mg): , Folate (µg): 73, Cobalamin (Vit. B12) (µg): 1, sodium (mg): 539, Potassium (mg): 364, calcium (mg): 161, iron (mg): 4, Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Strawberry Panzanella

Servings: 4 Prep 15 mins Total Time 15 mins

Ingredients

• 4 cups Weekend-Prepped Toasted Bread cubes
• 2 1/2 cups mixed salad greens
• 1 15 ounce can low-sodium cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard
• 12 ounces strawberries, hulled and sliced (about 2 cups)
• 2 ounces goat cheese, crumbled

Make It

1. In a large salad bowl combine the bread cubes, mixed greens, cannellini beans and mint.

2. In a small jar combine the oil, vinegar, and mustard. Cover and shake until the vinaigrette is emulsified. Pour vinaigrette over the salad and toss to coat. Gently stir in the strawberries. Sprinkle goat cheese on top.

Weekend-Prepped Toasted Bread Cubes

Ingredients

• 1 1 pound loaf crusty bread
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Make It

1. Cut the bread into bite-sized cubes. Spread on two baking sheets and toss with 2 Tbs. olive oil. Bake in a 350 degrees F oven for 20 minutes, tossing once. Cool completely, and store in an airtight container.

Nutrition Facts

Servings Per Recipe: 4; Amount Per Serving: cal. (kcal): 474, Fat, total (g): 22, chol. (mg): 11, sat. fat (g): 5, carb. (g): 56, Monounsaturated fat (g): 13, Polyunsaturated fat (g): 2, Trans fatty acid (g): , fiber (g): 8, sugar (g): 6, pro. (g): 16, vit. A (IU): 668, vit. C (mg): 52, Thiamin (mg): 1, Riboflavin (mg): , Niacin (mg): 1, Pyridoxine (Vit. B6) (mg): , Folate (µg): 43, Cobalamin (Vit. B12) (µg): , sodium (mg): 575, Potassium (mg): 428, calcium (mg): 108, iron (mg): 5, Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Couscous with Summer Pesto

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups pearl couscous
• 2 cups packed basil leaves
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
• 1 clove garlic, halved
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 cups shredded chicken breast
• 1 pkg (10.5 oz) cherry tomatoes, halved
• 4 ounces smoked mozzarella, cubed

Directions

1. In a medium pot, bring 2 1/2 cups water to a boil. Add couscous, cover and cook 10 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water.
2. Meanwhile, make pesto. In a blender or food processor, combine basil, pine nuts, garlic and lemon juice. Process, slowly streaming in oil until smooth. Remove to a large bowl and stir in Parmesan and 1/4 tsp of the salt.
3. Mix couscous, chicken, tomatoes, mozzarella and remaining 1/2 tsp salt into pesto. Stir well to combine.

Nutrition Information for Couscous with Summer Pesto

Servings Per Recipe: 6
PER SERVING: 500 cal., 22 g total fat (5 g sat. fat), 95 mg chol., 520 mg sodium, 36 g carb. (3 g fiber), 39 g pro.