This is something I invented.  It’s pretty much a caprese salad on bread, grilled on the panini maker.  This time I put some prosciutto on there because I had it, but you can also use leftover chicken.

The salad was sliced garden tomatoes, roughly chopped basil, some of those cute little fresh mozzarella pearls, a little extra virgin olive oil, a splash of red wine vinegar, S&P.  I put the prosciutto on a nice big slices of sourdough bread, topped with the salad, put another piece of bread on top, and grilled them up until they were crispy and the cheese was melted.

The best part was that I didn’t use all the salad in the sandwiches.  I meant to save it for lunch the next day, but what I actually did was eat it while cleaning up the dishes.

We were on a tight schedule last night, so I made a very swift dinner.  I seared one of those marinated pork tenderloins (garlic herb flavor, I think) in a cast-iron pan, then roasted it in a 400F oven until it was 160F inside.  On the side we had couscous with pine nuts, Miles’s all-time favorite, and asparagus that I quick-steamed in the microwave.

Ta-da.

I don’t cook Indian-style food very often.  It intimidates me.  Besides, when I go to the local Indian food buffet, I can try lots of different things without having to cook ten different dishes.  I saw this recipe in the Penzey’s catalog, though, and I realized I had almost all the ingredients.  I decided to give it a try with a few minor changes.

I served it with Jasmine rice.  I was looking in the pantry for my saffron, because I thought I’d make some saffron rice, and I found a jar or something called “Indian Saffron Rice Seasoning Blend” or something.  I used it.

The verdict:  It was really good.  Denny and I each had multiple helpings, and he’ll take leftovers to work tomorrow.  I made extra cashew paste (because how can a person really effectively blend a tablespoon of cashews and a tablespoon of water in a blender?  I went with 1/4 cup of each and froze the rest), so next time it’ll be easier.

Chicken Tikka Masala

• 2 Cups boneless/skinless chicken breast chunks (about 1 lb.)
  
• 1 TB. plain yogurt (I used sour cream because I had it)
  
• 11/2 TB. minced fresh ginger
  
• 11/2 TB. minced fresh garlic
  
• 1 TB. GARAM MASALA or SWEET CURRY POWDER (I used the latter)
  
• 1 TB. TANDOORI SEASONING
  
• 11/2 tsp. GROUND CUMIN
  
• 2 TB. lemon juice (juice of 1/2 lemon)
  
• 1 TB. vegetable oil
  
• 4 tomatoes, diced
  
• 1/2 tsp.  FRESHLY GROUND PEPPER
  
• 4 TB. cream
  
• 1/4 Cup water
  
• 1 TB. cashew nut paste (grind 1 TB. cashews with 1 tsp. water in a blender)
  
• 2 TB. butter
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
  

In a medium bowl, combine the chicken, yogurt, GINGER, GARLIC, SWEET CURRY POWDER, TANDOORI SEASONING, CUMIN and lemon juice. Mix to combine. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight.

Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large, heavy pan. Add the chicken and cook, stirring constantly, until the meat is white and almost cooked through, about 4-5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and mix well. Add the PEPPER, cream, water and cashew nut paste. Reduce heat to low and cook until the chicken is tender, 5-7 minutes. Stir until the sauce thickens. Add the butter,  salt, and cayenne pepper, and mix well. Garnish with fresh cilantro if desired.

Prep. time: 15 minutes plus marinating time
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Serves: 2-4