High Protein Diet Meal Prep Week 2

One of the biggest lessons I've learned on the road to eating healthy is that preparation is key. If you're working early in the morning or late into the evening, you often don't have the energy to prepare meals when you get a breather. You'd rather relax and kick up your feet for a few moments. Even if you manage to cook once or twice a week, having fresh, homemade, healthy meals every day for every meal is pretty difficult for your average American. Even being a SAHM (stay at home mom), I find it difficult to prepare healthy meals for all three of my family members for every meal.

High Protein Diet Meal Prep Week 1

My husband recently started a new high protein diet regimen. At first, I was very dubious because all he spoke about was "protein" and lots of it. Having taken a basic nutrition class in college, I was concerned about the lack of the fruits and veggies - the most important part of any diet. But, he insisted I look it up so that I could be on board with his routine.

Penne Chicken Tikka Masala

On my 21st birthday, S took me to a great little restaurant in Chicago called Tandoor Char House. It is a Pakistani restaurant that has some pretty unique items in the "fusion" section of their menu. "Penne tikka masala" immediately jumped out to me from the menu. I had to order it and we both fell in love at first bite.

I knew I had to recreate this recipe when S started asking for it at least once a week. So here's my take on this clever fusion dish - penne chicken tikka masala. I hope you give it a try and please share if you do! I'd love to hear from you.

Penne Chicken Tikka Masala

(serves 4-6)

Marinade-

1 lb chicken breast, cut into thin strips

1/3 cup yogurt

1 tbs melted butter

1 tbs heavy cream

1/2 tsp ginger paste

1/2 tsp garlic paste

1/2 tsp red chili powder

1/2 tbsp cumin powder

1/2 tbsp coriander powder

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

1/4 tsp garam masala

1 tsp salt

1 tbs chicken tikka masala powder (optional)

Other ingredients-

1 lb box penne pasta (I used whole grain 13.25 oz box, which was great too)

2 tbs butter

2 tbs oil

1/2 tsp garlic paste

1/2 tsp ginger paste

1 onion, finely chopped

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp chili powder (optional or to taste)

1 inch cinnamon stick

1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce

1 1/2 tsp sugar

1 cup (minus the 1 tbs used in the marinade) heavy cream

1/2-1 cup of hot water (optional)

cilantro for topping

grated paneer cheese for topping (optional)

Combine the marinade ingredients together until fully combined. Stir in the chicken until fully coated. Keep covered in the fridge for 4 hours or upto overnight. Remove from fridge 30 minutes before cooking to allow it to reach room temperature.

Melt 1 tablespoon of butter with 1 tablespoon of oil in a grill pan or nonstick pan. Fry the chicken pieces in it for 5-7 minutes on medium-high heat or until fully cooked. Set aside.

Boil the pasta according to box directions. You want to leave it al-dente.

Melt rest of butter and oil in a large pot (I used the same one I boiled the pasta in). Add the chopped onion and sauté for 5 minutes or until it starts to turn golden brown. Add in the garlic and ginger paste and cook for 1 minute or until aromatic. Add in salt, chili powder, and cinnamon and cook for 1-2 minutes while stirring constantly.

Add the tomato sauce and cook at a high heat for 5 minutes, constantly stirring, until the oil starts to show through. Add sugar and heavy cream and cook on a low heat, a low simmer, for 2-3 minutes. Add hot water to the pan to thin the sauce to the consistency you like. I added around 3/4 cups of water. Add the chicken and all its juices to the pan.

Cook for a few additional minutes until you are sure the chicken is fully cooked through. Add pasta back to the pan and stir until fully combined. Turn the heat to low and cover and cook for 10-15 minutes so the flavor can infuse into the pasta. Serve with cilantro and freshly grated paneer on top. 

Enjoy!

You may also be interested in this dessert I posted a few weeks back - mango cheesecake. This was what we ordered for dessert from this restaurant. Delicious!

Asparagus, Chicken, & Quinoa Casserole

Good afternoon, lovely readers.

This blog, that I have been writing for 5 years, is a chronicle of all of my cooking adventures. I've been through quite a few phases of different styles of cooking for my family. When I was living with my parents, I shared many large, family friendly, and healthy dishes. When I got married, I started cooking a lot of "dinner for two" recipes, romantic and adventurous dishes. 

Chicken Kati Roll (Indian Street Roll)

Kati rolls are a very popular Indian street food and there's a reason why.

You are going to want to stuff your face with these rolls. Two of them barely cut it for me. Whoever thought of combining spicy and flavorful chicken, zesty lime, cilantro chutney, and homemade chapati to make a roll is a genius.