Tikka Masala

Helloooo, everybody!  Our Farmer's Market makes me SOOOOO excited! Fresh, local food!

Maria and Jose Martinez always have a great crop of sweet onions, garlic, and beets.

                                Fehrenbacher Farms has lamb meat and wool.

 Our Daily Bread bakery and Zerba Farms have the bread and honey covered...

I'm so ready for some fresh, local food. It seems like this winter  has been extra, extra long. We try to eat locally as much as possible after I read a book called "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" (the web site is here).

 

This book changed the way I saw my family's eating habits, the way we planted our garden, what we bought at the grocery store, and made me aware of how my own eating choices changed the world around me.
  So, YES, Farmer's Market, here we come!! But first... one last random dish. Locally grown chicken. Some spices. Some canned tomatoes. You know... DINNER.

Tikka Masala (I can't say it without thinking of the Lion King song and if you want to have it stuck in your head, go ahead and click the video link. :)

Ingredients. Lots of jars and processed foods and *gasp* white rice. But that's okay, because the FARMER'S MARKET is tomorrow!! (In case anybody forgot and needed reminding.)

So, mix in a heated skillet
2 TBS olive oil
2 tsp garlic, chopped
1/2 an onion
MMMMMMMMMMMM! Smelling good!
Add

Chopped chicken breast into the skillet. Brown.

Mix in 1 tsp  Garam Masala seasoning
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cumin
2TBS lemon juice
Now it's REALLY smelling YUMMY!

One large can of tomato sauce, simmer and stir constantly for about five minutes so all the spices are mixed well.

Turn up the heat and add 2 cups rice and 2 cups water. Get it to a rolling boil, then turn it down to a simmer. You can either let the rice cook without the lid, or put on the lid. I prefer the lid-less method because I tend to forget about the food and it burns. Yuck.

Serve with fresh lettuce and tomatoes. That black stuff sprinkled on top? Red pepper. This is hubby's plate and it just won't have any flavor without some red pepper.

All right everybody! I can't wait to see what we find tomorrow. Something fresh, delicious, LOCAL. MMMMMM!
 Stay tuned!

Until then, you can gaze at this lovely picture of one of my little guys. He was drinking hot chocolate and gave himself a uni-brow. I think it's quite charming. I might give myself the coffee version. I can be a literary Frida Kahlo.

 

You know she did a lot of her painting laying in bed? I think I'll start writing in bed. But I'm afraid my eyes will be closed most of the time, which might defeat the purpose.

Until next time!