Chicken Tikka Masala, Sort Of

Tonight Scott and I made The Kitchen Bible’s Chicken Tikka Masala recipe that he found through Cookstr.com.  Had I taken a close look at the recipe initially, I probably would have realized that though it was pretty tasty, it wasn’t too authentic.  The final dish had a very acidic taste, probably from the boat load of lime juice involved in the sauce and marinade.  It was also lacking in the spice department.  It contained plenty of cilantro, some red chili, and a bit of turmeric and cumin.  A classic Garam Masala spice blend would have been a better choice.  Anyway, the final dish was pretty tasty, but hardly a knock-out, and not all that much like what I expect Chicken Tikka Masala to taste like.  Next time I try for Tikka Masala, I think I am going to try Pioneer Woman’s version, which came highly recommended by my littlest sis, Cait.

Marinade Ingredients

Marinade Before & After Puree

Marinating Chicken

Making the Sauce

Finished Dish: Chicken Tikka Masala

Cajun Chicken Pasta & Cajun Spice Mix Recipe

Tonight, I took on a recipe from The Pioneer Woman.  This spicy chicken stir fry is meant to be served over pasta, but it works well as a wet, soupy stir fry too.  Perfect for me and Scott Bobleo, who is currently on a low carb kick.  I cooked up some pasta on the side and we both had it our way.  The spice of this dish is totally adjustable, depending largely on the Cajun Spice Blend you are using.  I like it to be pretty hot, so when I blended my spices it was with a heavy hand on the Cayenne Pepper.  I even went so far as to toss in some Red Pepper Flakes toward the end.  Mwa ha ha.

Here’s the blend I created for this dish.  Naturally, I didn’t use all the spice, so I stored the rest in an empty spice jar that I had cleaned out and set aside last week.  Now next time I need some Cajun Spices they’ll be just a reach away.

Cajun Spice Blend

Cajun Spice Mix

Scheming the Spice Blend

• 1/8 cup Salt
• 1 tbsp. Cayenne Pepper
• 2 tsp. Black Pepper
• 2 tsp. White Pepper
• 1 tbsp. Paprika
• 1 1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder
• 2 tbsp. Onion Powder
• 1 tsp. Basil
• 1/2 tsp. Chili Powder
• 1/8 tsp. Thyme
• 1/8 tsp. Clove Powder
• 1/8 tsp. Mustard Powder

When you blend your own spices make sure to mix them well.  Many spices can clump up or settle to the bottom.  I throw mine into a mortar and pestle to make sure they are well blended.  You could also use a kick-ass blender or food processor. (Like a Magic Bullet.)

Due to necessity I had to change a few things from Pioneer Woman’s original recipe, but it still turned out really delicious.  It has a rich flavor that sings even under the heavy blanket of spice.  No fresh tomatoes, so I used a can instead. (I drained them as well as I could though)  And, sadly, I had no fettuccine, but I did have some angel hair.

Cajun Chicken Pasta

This particular meal was so good that Scott Bobleo has asked me to mark down his fondness for it.  That way, he’ll know what to call it next time he wants to eat it.  Oh and he wanted me to relay a huge “thank you” to The Pioneer Woman for inventing his new favorite meal.