Curry Stand Chicken Tikka Masala Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter)
• 1 onion, finely chopped  
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 (14 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 tablespoon white sugar  
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into bite-size pieces
• ½ teaspoon curry powder
• ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste (optional)
• 1 teaspoon white sugar, or to taste (optional)

Preparation

1. Heat ghee in a large skillet over medium heat and cook and stir onion until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic; cook and stir just until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir cumin, 1 teaspoon salt, ginger, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, and turmeric into the onion mixture; fry until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
2. Stir tomato sauce into the onion and spice mixture, bring to a boil, and reduce heat to low. Simmer sauce for 10 minutes, then mix in cream, paprika, and 1 tablespoon sugar. Bring sauce back to a simmer and cook, stirring often, until sauce is thickened, 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Heat vegetable oil in a separate skillet over medium heat. Stir chicken into the hot oil, sprinkle with curry powder, and sear chicken until lightly browned but still pink inside, about 3 minutes; stir often. Transfer chicken and any pan juices into the sauce. Simmer chicken in sauce until no longer pink, about 30 minutes; adjust salt and sugar to taste.

No-Knead Bread 2.0

Ingredients

• 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus additional for dusting work surface (15 ounces) or 3 cups for whole wheat use 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour and 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1⁄4teaspoon fast rise yeast
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons sea salt
• 7 ounces room temperature water
• 3 ounces beer
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar

(For whole wheat also include 2 tablespoons honey)

Preparation

1. Whisk flour, yeast, and salt in large bowl. Add water, beer, and vinegar. Using rubber spatula, fold mixture, scraping up dry flour from bottom of bowl until shaggy ball forms.
2. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 8 to 18 hours.
3. Lay 12- by 18-inch sheet of parchment paper inside 10-inch skillet and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
4. Transfer dough to lightly floured work surface and knead 10 to 15 times.
5. Shape dough into ball by pulling edges into middle.
6. Transfer dough, seam-side down, to parchment-lined skillet and spray surface of dough with nonstick cooking spray.
7. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until dough has doubled in size and does not readily spring back when poked with finger, about 2 hours.
8. About 30 minutes before baking, adjust oven rack to lowest position, place 6- to 8-quart heavy-bottomed Dutch oven (with lid) on rack, and heat oven to 500 degrees. Lightly flour top of dough and, using razor blade or sharp knife, make one 6-inch-long, 1/2-inch-deep slit along top of dough.
9. Carefully remove pot from oven and remove lid.
10. Pick up dough by lifting parchment overhang and lower into pot (let any excess parchment hang over pot edge).
11. Cover pot and place in oven.
12. Reduce oven temperature to 425 degrees and bake covered for 30 minutes.
13. Remove lid and continue to bake until loaf is deep brown and instant-read thermometer inserted into center registers 200 degrees, 20 to 30 minutes longer.
14. Carefully remove bread from pot; transfer to wire rack and cool to room temperature, about 2 hours.

Quick Lamb Ragu

We bought half a lamb the other week and this is an easy go-to recipe. Again, from the NYT:

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
•  Kosher salt and black pepper
•  Pinch of red-pepper flakes (optional)
• 2 anchovy fillets (optional)
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 pound ground lamb
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 12 ounces cooked pasta, noodles or tubes, for serving
•  A good hunk of Parmesan or pecorino, for serving
•  A small handful of marjoram, oregano or thyme, for serving (optional)

Preparation

1. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add onions and garlic, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions have become translucent and have totally softened, 5 to 8 minutes. Add a pinch of red-pepper flakes and anchovies, if using, and cook for a minute or two, just to toast the spices and melt the anchovies.
2. Add tomato paste and continue to cook, stirring occasionally so it has a chance to stick to the bottom of the pot and caramelize a bit, 2 or 3 minutes.
3. Add lamb and season with salt and pepper. Using a wooden spoon or a spatula, stir lamb until the fat starts to soften and the meat begins to break down. Continue to cook, stirring rather frequently until the lamb begins to brown and sizzle in its own fat, 5 to 8 minutes.
4. Add crushed tomatoes, stirring to scrape up any bits on the bottom of the pot. Fill the tomato can halfway with water and swirl around to get all the remaining tomato, then add to the pot. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to cook until sauce is thickened and insanely flavorful, 25 to 30 minutes.
5. Serve sauce mixed into and over pasta with plenty of cheese for grating over the top, scattered with a small handful of marjoram, oregano or thyme leaves if you like.

Butter Chicken (Trattoria Sostanza)

Two versions here. I'll try both and see how they go. This is the re-creation from Salt & Wind. 

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter (I like to use this Parmigiano Reggiano cream butter)
• 2 (4 to 6 ounce) boneless, skin-on chicken breasts
• kosher salt and Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour can use rice flour to make it gluten free
• 4 medium garlic cloves smashed
• 1 medium lemon halved
• fresh Italian parsley leaves for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 400°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Heat the olive oil and butter in a medium cast iron pan (or other heavy-bottomed pan) over medium heat. Meanwhile, season the chicken with salt and freshly ground black pepper then dredge in flour and shake off the excess. When the butter foams, add the chicken, skin-side down, and cook until skin is golden, about 5 to 8 minutes.
2. Flip the chicken, skin-side up, then add the garlic cloves then transfer the pan to the oven and let it cook until the chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes. Return the pan to the stovetop and cook over medium heat until the butter is brown, about 3 to 5 minutes more. Serve with a squeeze of lemon and, if desired, some fresh parsley. 

Another method from Cuisinovia (using all butter and no olive oil):

Ingredients

• 4 chicken breast fillets, with skin, no bones 
• ¾ cup all purpose flour
• 500 grams unsalted butter 
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole
• 2 lemons

Preheat oven to 220 C. Season the chicken fillets with salt and pepper on both sides. Dredge them in the flour and place them next the stove. Divide the butter in 8, roughly equal pieces. Put a large oven proof skillet, over medium heat. Add 2 pieces of the butter and let it melt. Add the garlic together with the chicken, skin side down. Let it cook, undisturbed, for 10 minutes. Add 2 more pieces of the butter and cook 5 minutes more. Add another piece of butter and transfer skillet in the preheated oven. Bake for 10 minutes. Transfer skillet back on the stove, turn the chicken over and add the remaining butter. Cook for 5 minutes more. Squeeze half a lemon over the chicken. Cut the remaining lemons in wedges and serve with the chicken

Cream Cheese Spice Cake with Penuche Frosting

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups salted butter , at room temperature (3 sticks)
• 8 ounces cream cheese , at room temperature
• 3 cups granulated sugar
• 6 eggs , at room temperature
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground clove

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 325º F. Spray a 12-cup Bundt or tube pan well with baking spray or grease with softened butter and dust with flour, making sure to coat well to prevent any sticking.
2. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer), beat the butter, cream cheese, and sugar until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition until well combined. Add the flour, salt, and vanilla and beat until well blended but do not over mix. Pour into the prepared pan.
3. Bake until the top is golden brown, the cake springs back when lightly pressed, and a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 1/2 hours. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes on a wire rack, and then turn the cake out onto the rack to cool completely. 

For the frosting:
Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup half-and-half cream
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/3 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Preparation:

1. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and continue to simmer for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in half-and-half cream and salt and return to a boil, continuing to stir. Remove the caramel from the heat and allow to cool to lukewarm, then add vanilla.
2. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar with an electric mixer until smooth, being careful not to over-beat. If the frosting becomes too thick, hot water can be added to thin it out. Spread over a cooled cake and sprinkle with pecans. Allow the frosting to set before serving, about 15 minutes.

Magnolia Bakery Banana Pudding

My neighbor had loads of Magnolia Bakery Banana Pudding shipped in from NYC for her birthday. Lo and behold, they have published the recipe. I actually thought it got better after a day in the fridge and when I make it again, I will reduce the whipped cream by at least 1/2 cup and add more bananas and wafers. (The original recipe also calls for using a piping bag, which seems entirely unnecessary.)

Ingredients

• 1 can (14oz) sweetened condensed milk
• 1 1/2 cups cold water (filtered is best)
• 1 small box (3.4 oz.) instant vanilla pudding mix
• 3 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1 box of Nilla Wafers (cookies)
• 4 medium bananas

Preparation:

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, blend sweetened condensed milk and cold water until combined. Add pudding mix and blend on medium speed about 2 minutes. Transfer mixture to a small bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours (or overnight).
2. After the pudding mixture has chilled and is very firm (at least 4 hours), beat cold whipping cream in the bowl of an electric mixer until the cream is fluffy and holds a stiff peak. Then, use a spatula to gently fold the pudding mixture into the whipped cream. Fold/stir just until the pudding is combined. 
3. Pour about 1/2 of the box of Nilla Wafers into a large bowl and break up each cookie in half or into a couple pieces.
4. Slice bananas, reserving a 1/2 of a banana (in the peel) to slice and add just before serving.
5. Begin assembly by adding a few broken cookies, a few slices of banana, and a layer of the pudding. Repeat with cookies, banana and pudding. Add a third layer if possible (depending on your dishes). Chill assembled desserts at least 30 minutes or up to 6 hours. Shortly before serving, add a garnish of a few broken cookies and a slice of banana.

Rhubarb and Ginger Oat Crumble

Another recipe from The Ginger Pig.

Ingredients
125g (4.5oz) chilled butter, diced
125g (4.5oz) plain flour
50g (2oz) ground almonds
50g (2oz) soft brown sugar
50g (2oz) rolled oats
700g (1lb 9oz) rhubarb, course strings removed
20g (3/4 oz) fresh ginger root, peeled and grated
50g (2oz) unrefined caster sugar

Preparation
Preheat oven to 180ºC/350ºF/GM4
Rub the butter and flour together in a bowl until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the ground almonds, sugar and oats and mix well.
Chop the rhubarb and place in an overproof dish with the ginger. Add 4 Tbsp of water, spring with the caster sugar, then evenly spoon the crumble mixture over the top.
Place the dish on a baking sheet and bake for 40 minutes, until golden and bubbling.

Serves 4. Add a bag of frozen berries when rhubarb is running low to make the recipe go farther.