Butter Chicken

photo from Epicure Selections

I love butter chicken - I have tried many different recipes, as well as easier to make bottled varieties from the stores.  Last night for Sunday dinner I made Epicure Selection's Butter Chicken from their "What's for Dinner" collection.  I have made it before, following the directions on the package and it was good, but last night I altered it a little and it was REALLY, REALLY good!

I started with http://www.epicureselections.com/en/products/food/whats-for-dinner/1810/butter-chicken-mix/  - for $3.99 a package or $9.99 for 3 it is a great deal.  There are no artificial flavors or preservatives in it - just the spices needed for the recipe.  The recipe on the package is easy, low sodium and LOW FAT.  Unlike other Butter Chicken's on the market (usually in a jar) or even homemade recipes - there is much less salt and no cream added, cutting the fat content drastically.

My alteration to the recipe is simple - substitute the cup of water for a cup of unsweetened almond milk and 3 tablespoons water.  I used chicken thighs instead of breasts, as I find they are more tender in this kind of dish.  Also, use greek yoghurt for this recipe, it really makes a difference in the consistency.  Last night I chopped about 3 tablespoons italian parsley and stirred it in after I added the yoghurt - added a little color.  This dish only takes about 30 minutes to make.  I serve it with basmati rice and a green salad.

In the end you will have a fast, healthy, family friendly dinner and everyone at the table will be licking their plates off when they are done because it is so good.  Thank you Epicure for coming out with this product this year - I love it!

Red Lentil and Collard Greens Soup

If you aren't familiar with collard greens you should really give them a try. I had been reading recently about the health benefits of this green, leafy vegetable - pretty incredible...you can read about it here http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?dbid=138&tname=foodspice.  Collard greens rank up there in the "superfood" category.  This Lebanese soup also contains cinnamon and lentils which are also very good for you.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion - chopped
1 teaspoon salt
6 cups water
1 cup dry red lentils, rinsed and drained
1 bunch of collard greens, washed and thinly chopped (remove stems)
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon cinnamon
4 garlic cloves - minced
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons chicken bouillon (I use the Epicure one because it has nothing artificial in it and it is very low sodium!  If you want to use liquid, substitute 2 cups of the water for 2 cups of it.  Vegetable bouillon could be used as a substitute for vegetarians)

Directions:  Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat, cook your onion and salt until soft and translucent.  Stir in lentils, and cook for 1 minute.  Pour in water, bring to a boil, then turn low to simmer, covered until the lentils are tender - about 15 minutes.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large frypan over medium heat.  Add collard greens and cook until they are wilted.  When the lentils are cooked, stir in your greens and season with the cumin, cinnamon and garlic.  Allow to simmer for 10-15 more minutes.  Use a hand blender and blend the soup until almost smooth - don't worry about the lentils, it's the greens you want to blend - it's nice to leave some of the lentils unblended. (If you don't have a hand blender - you can do this in a regular blender - it's just more work!)  Stir in the lemon juice and serve.

This is a nice hearty soup - perfect for a meal with a salad and some nice bread.  Your health will be happy you ate it too!
Enjoy!