last minute

I have to admit, I may have been a little ahead of myself last weekend because I was hoping this baby would be born by now ... which means I didn't do a whole lot of grocery shopping. Just the minimal stuff here and there, and then I figured we'd be eating out of our freezer (which is really well stocked) and people from church (bless their souls!) would be feeding us most dinners. But, alas, she's not born yet, and I've been scraping by with the minimal ingredients we have. I'm too stubborn to go out and get more stuff, so I've had to improvise a lot. Well, tonight was no different. Except somehow I had a lot of ingredients for one of my favorites, my mom's Butter Chicken curry. Of course I was missing a lot of stuff, too, so I had to make it up as I went, and I was actually really pleased. I added a ton of heat in hopes that I'll go into labor;) And these measurements are just approximations because I threw stuff in. So make adjustments as you like.

My last minute Tikka Masala, or Butter Chicken Curry
Serves 6
2 large chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 can coconut milk (my uses heavy cream, which is delicious, too)
1 can petite diced tomatoes
1 large onion, sliced thin
2 bay leaves
1.5 t cayenne pepper (give or take, depending on how hot you want it)
1 t crushed red pepper flakes
2 t paprika
1 T cumin
1 T curry powder
2 t fenugreek seeds
1 t ground coriander
1 T fresh grated ginger
3~5 cloves garlic, minced or grated
2~4 T butter (or more, if you're feeling extra heavy. mmmm)

rice, to serve

1. In a large heavy-bottom pot, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add onions, season lightly with salt, and stir until softened. Add bay leaves, cayenne pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, paprika, cumin, curry powder, fenugreek, coriander, ginger, and garlic. Stir until onions are evenly coated and the spices become very fragrant.
2. Add chicken and tomatoes. Let simmer on medium with lid on until chicken is cooked through, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.
3. Add coconut milk, and let simmer until slightly thickened. Serve over rice or with naan. (which I think I'm going to attempt soon-ish. Just you wait!)
   

*fresh cilantro is a great addition to this, too. I love the color is adds, and of course the amazing flavor! You can also add toasted nuts such as cashews or sliced almonds, and even some toasted coconut would be great. Have fun experimenting!