What’s for dinner: leftover edition

What’s for dinner: leftover edition        

   

I pride myself on creating delicious meals on a limited budget. When I plan my dinner menus I secretly play a game with myself. To win the game, I must make a meal for all four of us for under $10.  Nine times out of ten I am successful.  I only lose the game when I am feeling self-indulgent and really want to get fancy and splurge on salmon or filet mignon.  Yes, I’m a lame-o!  Doesn’t take much to get me excited!

Last week I scored some great deals at the local independent markets (10lbs. of onions for $1, 2 lbs. of jalapeños for $1, 6 boneless chicken breasts for $5 and some great inexpensive Indian spices) so I decided to use all of those goodies to try a new recipe: Tandoori Chicken.

Apparently my eyes were bigger than my tummy! I coated all 6 chicken breasts with the lovely spice rub. Not surprisingly, we had leftovers (duh!).  I packed up my chicken and went to bed wondering what I could do with the leftovers the next evening.

This morning, the light bulb above my head switched on and I decided to use the leftovers to make a tandoori chicken quesadilla with cilantro rice. 

The combination was wonderful!  I have successfully added a new menu item to my repertoire! 2 meals for under $10 – I win!

If you ever get a hankering for some spicy Indian chicken two nights in a row, give these a whirl!

Dinner 1: Tandoori chicken:

6 boneless skinless chicken breasts

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/2 cup chopped brown onion

2 tablespoons chopped garlic

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon chopped jalapeno pepper,

1 tablespoon paprika

11/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon garam masala

1/2 teaspoon cayenne

1/2 cup plain yogurt

1 tablespoon lemon juice

In a blender/food processor, combine the oil, onion, garlic, ginger, pepper, and process on high speed to a paste. Add the paprika, salt, cumin, coriander, garam masala, and cayenne, and process till blended. Add the yogurt and lemon juice until all ingredients are fully incorporated.

Cut long slits into the chicken (to allow marinade to absorb) and place chicken in a baking dish or bowl and pour the marinade over.  Allow at least 4 hours to fully absorb – turn chicken repeatedly.

Cook chicken on indoor grill or bbq 8-10 minutes each side.  Baste as needed. 

Alternatively – you can bake the chicken at 425 for approximately 30-35 minutes.

Dinner 2: Tandoori Chicken Quesadillas 

Tandoori chicken cut into strips (2 breasts)

6 Flour tortillas

2 cups grated cheese combo (jack and mozzarella)

1 brown onion sliced and caramelized

Cilantro/jalapeño sauce

            1/2 cup sour cream

            1 jalapeño diced

            1/2 bunch cilantro

Place cilantro and jalapeño in the food processor and blend.  Add ½ cup sour cream and blend until all ingredients are incorporated.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Warm griddle or pan while assembling the quesadillas.

Spread each inner side of the tortillas with the cilantro mixture.  Add grated cheese, chicken and caramelized onions and top with second tortilla.  Place tortilla on griddle and warm to a golden brown.  Flip and warm on the second side.  Serve with a dollop of sour cream.  Makes 3 Quesadillas.

Maintenance for your soul

Do you ever feel guilty for wanting more?  I’ll admit, I do!  Don’t get me wrong, I love and appreciate all that I have and I recognize I am blessed with so much abundance but often times I feel that there is something askew.

The nineteen year old me would kick my thirty something ass.  Granted, what does a nineteen year old really know? At an age where you can afford to be idealistic and grandiose about the world, your dreams, and your life, you have no practical sense of reality; a mortgage, child birth, civic responsibility, parenting and TAXES!  Life at that age is almost a fantasy.  The world is, in a very real sense, a blank canvas.  You are the artist and your experiences, dreams, and passions are the paint.

Somewhere along the road I forgot how to paint.  My canvas has become bland and boring.  I forgot how to LIVE!

My modus operandi, for years, has been to survive, hoping that one day I would find the (time/money/energy /Insert excuse here) to follow my dreams.  One of these days!  Sadly, that day never comes and for many, they die with a lifetime of regret.  They mourn the “life” they could have had instead of loving the life they lived.

In high school, my art teacher would always tell me “Amanda, there is no creativity in fear”.   After twenty years I finally understand.  With my new found self-awareness I am dusting off my paintbrushes, breaking out my paints, and taking a bold swipe at the blank canvas.   

I can no longer be defined by my titles: Mother, daughter, employee, partner.  I will no longer be afraid to create life.  I am more and have more to offer the world; the world has more to offer me.  The bounds of my creativity are endless and all I have to do is try. ^{DO  (“Do or do not, there is no try” Yoda)}

I have no way of knowing what the future holds but nothing will come to me if I am stagnant.  To get out of my rut I must move forward, one step at a time (baby steps count).  Life is always moving forward.  It is an inner drive we all possess.  Reach deep inside and connect with your soul.  Push the fear away and let it carry you forward.

A toddler doesn’t go from crawling to running in one fell swoop.  Bored with their current state of being they say  “I’m tired of sitting in one place, I want to explore!”  They muster all that is in them to stand.  Sometimes they have to use a table or someone’s hand to pull them upright.  Then they leave that comfort zone and take a small step towards the unknown.  Sure, they fall down.  They may even bash their head open on the coffee table a time or two but they ALWAYS get back up and try again.  One step becomes three, three steps become ten and in no time they are off and running  pulling books off  the shelves, grabbing at pots on the stove and wreaking havoc all over the place!

Once you learn how to walk you find all sorts of wonderful methods of transport: bikes, skateboards, cars and planes! Just think; if you never learn how to walk, you will never learn how to fly.

This is me "doing"  Combining my passion for
motherhood and creativity in my daily life.  Baby steps.

We have all experienced the sting of the burn.  Our hearts have been blistered by the pain of failure.  Wounds heal.  Reach for the pot.  You never know, it just might be your first step to becoming the next iron chef!