Modern Wife

Tag: lemon

  • Chicken Tikka Masala Indian Meal

    Chicken Tikka Masala Indian Meal

    My husband introduced me to Indian food when we first started dating. It was love at first bite. I believe my first was The Clay Oven in Portland, Maine, soon followed by forays into Indian Row in New York City. When we moved to California, we went to Kulbir’s India Palace in Alameda faithfully for over a decade.

    I remember being a new mom, apprehensive because it had been three days and I still didn’t have any breastmilk. My daughter was under a bilirubin light in Children’s Hospital in Oakland. My husband and my parents managed to convince me to take a break and go out to eat. I had a bit of raita and it was like a dam broke. My milk had arrived! From then on, I became a believer in the medicinal power of raita.

    Raita

    Combine 1 cup of whole milk organic plain raw yogurt, 1/2 cup shredded cucumber, 1/2 cup shredded carrots, 2 tablespoons chopped mint or cilantro, and 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice. Season with cumin, salt, and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to eat. I usually do this before anything else. The longer it chills, the more the flavors come together.

    The entree in this Indian meal is a Western favorite: Chicken Tikka Masala on basmati rice. On the side, we have naan, raita, tamarind chutney, and sweet mango chutney.

    We are lucky to have naan in our grocery store. If you don’t, there are easy recipes online for making it from scratch. Last resort, you could always get it at Amazon. Also in our grocery store ethnic aisle are tamarind chutney and sweet mango chutney. They also have hot mango chutney, but the sweet mango chutney has enough spice to make me happy. The tamarind chutney comes in a concentrated paste that needs to be diluted and sugared to taste.

    I start the Chicken Tikka Masala in a crockpot early in the day. Believe me it’s worth it.

    Chicken Tikka Masala

    Ingredients:
    1 pound organic chicken tenders
    15 oz organic tomato sauce
    1 medium onion, minced
    1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
    3 garlic cloves, minced
    1 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
    1 teaspoon ground turmeric
    Pinch cayenne pepper
    Salt and pepper
    1 cup whole milk organic plain raw yogurt
    Green onions or cilantro for garnish

    Combine all ingredients except yogurt in a crockpot. Set on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours. Ladle a cup of sauce from the crockpot into a medium bowl. Whisk the yogurt into the sauce until smooth. Stir back into the crockpot. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve on a bed of basmati rice and topped with cilantro or green onions.

    Basmati Rice

    Before I add yogurt to the Chicken Tikka Masala pot, I get started on the Basmati Rice to make sure everything is served warm altogether. Melt 1 tablespoon unsalted butter or ghee in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add 1 1/2 cups basmati rice and stir it about until rice is translucent and slightly toasty, about 5 minutes. Stir in 2 1/4 cups water, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 cinnamon stick, and a bay leaf. Bring to a simmer. Reduce heart to low and cover for about 14 minutes until liquid has been absorbed and rice is tender. Fluff rice with a fork.

    And serve.

    Chicken Tikka Masala on basmati rice with side of naan, raita, tamarind chutney, and mango chutney

  • Honey Lemon Ginger Tea

    Honey Lemon Ginger Tea

    It’s a lifesaver. Ginger is known to alleviate headaches, stomach aches, nausea and many other pains. In addition, raw honey is an antibacterial elixir and lemon is rich in vitamin C, which boosts the immune system.

    Ginger Lemonade

    Here’s the recipe for Honey Lemon Ginger Tea (or Ginger Lemonade, if you like it cold):

    sliced organic ginger
    juice of 1 organic lemon
    raw honey to taste

    Heat 1 quart of water to just before boiling point. Add ginger slices and let it steep for 20 minutes. Add lemon juice and sweeten with raw honey.

    Serve warm right away. Store the rest refrigerated in a quart jar.

    I like to keep the ginger slices in so it steeps even longer and brings it a stronger ginger flavor day after day.

    If reheating for tea, take it off the burner just before it boils. It’s also delicious served cold.

  • Honey Lemon Garlic Tea

    Honey Lemon Garlic Tea

    Every year I revisit this recipe, from Dr. Aviva Jill Romm’s book, Vaccinations: A Thoughtful Parent’s Guide: How to Make Safe, Sensible Decisions about the Risks, Benefits, and Alternatives. The recipe is listed as Garlic Lemonade, but I call it Honey Lemon Garlic Tea. Sounds sweeter (trying to just sneak in the “garlic” in there, so it doesn’t turn off my vampire husband and garlic-squeamish kid).

    My daughter has been spending a lot of time outdoors. Recess everyday consists of sled rides down the snowy slope. Last night I heard the beginning of a cough. It sounds dry right now, but I want to nip this cough in the bud. If the cough gets any worse I will have to give her minced half a clove of garlic in honey syrup. Blech! She knows the Honey Lemon Garlic Tea is a more palatable option.

    All three ingredients: honey, lemon and garlic are known to boost the immune system and are particularly awesome at taking care of the respiratory system. Here’s the recipe:

    Garlic Lemonade

    3 medium-sized garlic cloves, chopped
    (blogger’s note: instead of chopping, I pounded the garlic in a mortar and pestle)
    Juice of 1 lemon
    Raw honey to taste.

    Place the garlic in a 1-quart jar and fill the jar with boiling water. Let the garlic steep for 20 minutes and then strain it out. Add the lemon juice and sweeten with raw honey.

    Give 1/2 to 2 cups daily, the lower dose to prevent illness and for younger children and the greater quantity for older kids who feel like they are coming down with a cold.

    Don’t give the lemonade every day; just use it as needed.

    It’s fine to serve it cold in the summertime. But since it’s winter I heat it up to just when it steams (not boiling) and serve warm.

    Previously posted on Garlic Lemonade and Lemon Garlic Tea.

  • Lemon Sorbette

    Lemon Sorbette

    What do you do with an abundance of lemons in the summer? Lemon Sorbette!

    I tried this recipe from The Ciao Bella Book of Gelato and Sorbetto: Bold, Fresh Flavors to Make at Home. Here’s my version:

    Ingredients:
    2 cups water
    2 cups organic sugar
    1 cup freshly squeezed organic lemon juice (from about 6 large lemons), strained and chilled
    1 tablespoon finely chopped grated organic lemon zest

    Directions:

    In a medium saucepan, bring to a boil water and sugar over medium-high heat. Whisk often to dissolve the sugar. Simmer on medium-low for 4 minutes, still whisking to dissolve the sugar completely. Remove from heat and cool. Transfer to a bowl or container, cover and chill for at least an hour.

    Prepare ice cream machine according to manufacturer’s instructions. Combine lemon juice, sugar syrup and lemon zest in the ice cream machine. Let it churn until the sorbette is of the desired consistency. I spent an hour at least letting it churn. Transfer to an airtight container and freeze for at least 2 hours before serving.

    I sprinkle a little bit more lemon zest on top when serving.

    Lemon Sorbette

    Enjoy this excellent palate cleanser after your meal!