Tasty Herb & Spice Shrimp (or Scallop) Parcels

This is a wonderfully easy recipe, with lots of delicious flavors - ginger, cilantro, lime, chili.  The hardest part of the recipe is putting together all the ingredients for the sauce.  But it's definitely worth it!  You can make them in packets in the oven OR on the BBQ OR just pan fry the shrimp and sauce on the stove-top.  ** I've made these shrimp packets scampi-style, too, with large amounts of fresh minced garlic, parsley, and butter in packets, too. **  These are deliciously flavorful and an easy dinner to whip together.  Enjoy!

Tasty Herb & Spice Shrimp Parcels

based off a recipe from Fresh Indian by Sunil Vijayakar (a wonderful little Indian cookbook)
Serves ~6

Preheat oven to 400F.  Make enough rice for 6 servings.

Put the following in a food processor and blend until you have a coarse puree:
3 - 4 garlic cloves, minced
1 - 2 tsp grated fresh ginger root
5 - 6 green onions, coarsely chopped
6 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro OR 2 Tbsp cilantro puree
1 cup coconut milk
1 - 2 red chili peppers (for spice), chopped
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
3/4 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp turmeric
zest and juice of 1 lime
1 1/2 tsp brown sugar
pinch salt

To cook in the oven or on the BBQ: 
Mix sauce with 2 1/2 - 3 pounds raw jumbo shrimp (shells removed).  You can also mix with scallops or just make scallops instead of shrimp.  

Separate mixture onto four 12"  double-layered foil squares.  Crimp the tops and sides to make an enclosed parcel.

Lay the parcels on a baking sheet and bake at 400F for about 15-20 minutes OR place packets on pre-heated BBQ and bake 15-20 minutes, until your shrimp have turned pink and are cooked through.

Remove the parcels.  Open and serve immediately over basmati rice.  Enjoy!

To cook on the stove-top:
Heat over medium-high heat:
1 Tbsp oil

Add  2 1/2 - 3 pounds raw jumbo shrimp (shells removed) and cook 1-2 minutes.  Add herb/spice sauce from above, lower heat to medium and cook, stirring regularly until shrimp are cooked through and sauce has had a chance to bubble nicely for about 5-10 minutes.

Serve immediately over basmati rice. Enjoy! 

Chicken Saag Pizza!

Leftover homemade chicken saag is wonderful on homemade pizza crusts (GF or otherwise), topped with a little mozzarella, goat cheese & fresh sliced shallots.  The saag is rich, so you can use just a light sprinkling of toppings and cheese.  Not only do you get to have chicken saag again (yum!), but you'll turn an ordinary pizza into an extraordinary one!  Enjoy!

GF Chicken Saag Pizza, topped and ready for the oven! 

I've found that for GF pizzas, it's often best to bake toppings on partially or fully baked GF pizza crusts to avoid any sogginess and to end up with a nice browned, crispy crust.

Our current favorite crust has been to use GF homemade naan bread as our crust.  Just make and bake as instructed, removing the naan bread/pizza crusts from the pan and parchment paper to cool once it comes out of the oven.  When you're ready to top the pizza, then return the naan bread to the parchment-lined baking pan and top with the following:

Chicken Saag, warmed a bit and used as the pizza sauce
fresh mozzarella, sliced
shallots, thinly sliced
green scallions, thinly sliced
crumbled feta cheese
thin tomato slices, optional (the ones pictured here were tiny yellow tomatoes)
green bell pepper, optional
red cayenne pepper flakes, optional

Once you're pizzas are topped, bake in the oven at 450 F for ~7 minutes, until toppings are hot and cheese is just beginning to brown.   (Some GF crusts require baking directly on the rack, others, like the GF naan bread, can be baked on a parchment-lined pan - follow the instructions of your crust).

A yummy chicken saag pizza, fresh out of the oven and ready to eat! 

Slice pizza and place immediately on a cooling rack to keep the bottom nice and crispy. Enjoy!  

Homemade Butter Chicken

This easy gluten-free butter chicken recipe is wonderful!  Despite the name, there's very little butter in it, but it's nice and creamy and not too spicy, being a family-friendly Indian dish.  I've made several renditions of butter chicken over the years, but never been satisfied until now.  Make sure you start a day ahead, so you can marinate your chicken overnight, allowing the flavors to have ample time to sink into the meat.  None of the steps in this recipe are tricky, but it doesn't require quite a bit of simmering time, so make sure to read through the recipe ahead of time.   This was a perfect dish for my brother's birthday dinner, served alongside chicken saag, in which we used paneer in place of chicken (wonderful) and fresh, homemade GF naan bread.  Enjoy!

A delicious meal of butter chicken and paneer saag (made with diced paneer in place of chicken) over rice 

Homemade Butter Chicken
based off a NYTimes recipe
Serves ~8, about 1 hr 15 minutes cooking time (most of it simmering time)

In a large tupperware, mix together the night before you want to make this dish to marinate chicken thighs: (aka, ~24 in advance)
1 1/2 cup plain yogurt (lactose-free works great)
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp garam masala
2 Tbsp ground cumin
1 1/2 Tbsp ground tumeric
3 lbs boneless chicken thighs

In a large pan over medium heat, melt butter, then cook 2-3 minutes:
1/4 cup butter
1-2 Tbsp oil
1 large onion

Add to onions and cook an additional 3-4 minutes, until onions are just starting to brown:
2 Tbsp minced fresh garlic
2 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
1 Tbsp cumin seeds

Add to the pan, and cook about 10 minutes, lowering heat to just below medium heat:
16 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 jalapeno, minced OR 1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp salt

Add to pan and cook 5 minutes:
Chicken, marinated plus marinade sauce

Add to pot and cook, simmering over medium-low heat for 30 minutes:
3/4 cup GF chicken stock (or 3/4 cup water + 1 tsp Asian mushroom seasoning)

After simmering, add and simmer an additional 15 minutes to thicken:
1 - 1 1/2 cups coconut cream (OR thick part of canned coconut milk if you can't find canned coconut cream)

Serve over fresh basmati rice.  If desired, you can sprinkle with fresh cilantro before serving.  Absolutely wonderful served alongside homemade gluten-free naan bread, too!  Enjoy!

A delicious meal of butter chicken and paneer saag (made with diced paneer in place of chicken) over rice with GF key lime cookies and key lime curd (recipe to be posted soon) on the side! 

Update!  Another option for your butter chicken meal!  Add some fresh spinach during the last five minutes of simmering.  Top your dish with thinly sliced oven roasted carrots and potatoes.  It was a hit at my house! To make your roasted veggies, thinly slice carrots and potatoes. Toss in a drizzle of olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, spread out evenly and roast on a cookie sheet at 425F until just browning.  My kids especially loved this addition to our butter chicken.  Enjoy! 

Butter chicken with spinach added, topped with roasted carrots and potatoes. Yum!

One of my favorite types of bread in the world is the quick, delicious flatbread served alongside Indian dishes.  I always loved it, but it took me many attempts to discover this rendition of my favorite flatbread.  It works perfectly as a pizza crust, too (like this chicken saag pizza)! A definite new favorite around here.  We have so far enjoyed it with butter chicken, coconut curry, and chicken saag, quick curry chicken, meals made with red thai curry paste.  It's a perfect accompaniment to any meal where you want a quick garlic-bread type side, too.  Happy eating! Enjoy!

Homemade gluten-free naan bread, ready to enjoy! 

Homemade Naan Bread - quick and easy!!!

Makes 6 ovals of naan

Preheat oven to 475 F (450 F convection).  Line 3 cookie sheets with parchment paper.

In a mixer, combine the following:
3 cups Kristin's Gluten-Free Flour Mix
2 tsp xanthan gum
1 Tbsp rapid-rise yeast
1/2 - 1 tsp dried cilantro (or 1/2 - 1 tsp dried ground coriander)
1 tsp salt
dash garlic powder

Add, and beat 2-3 minutes, until nice and smooth:
2 1/4 cups milk (lactose-free works well, room temperature is ideal)
2 eggs

While the bread is mixing, in a small bowl melt:
1/4 - 1/2 cup salted butter (I use less butter if I plan to use the naan for things like pizza)

Spread two ovals of naan bread batter on each of the three parchment paper using a spatula, making 6 large oval naan breads.   Brush the tops of each with melted butter (~1.5 Tbsp butter per naan works great).   You can let the breads rest for 15-20 minutes, if you want slightly puffier bread, but it's not necessary.

Bake the naan at 475 F for ~12-15 minutes until nicely browned and bubbly.  (Lightly browned naan will result in the bread sinking and not retaining it's nice bubbles after removal from the oven, so make sure it's nice and dark golden brown).

Remove from oven, tear or slice to serve alongside your favorite Indian dishes, perhaps an easy chicken-vegetable curry. Enjoy!

Delicious homemade GF naan bread, fresh from the oven and ready to serve alongside a vegetable filled coconut curry. Yum! 

Homemade Naan Bread - quick and easy! recipe by Successfully Gluten Free!

Tasty Chicken Saag

We just love Indian food around here.  I love that it's always packed with vegetables, and leftovers are fun to use on top of things like pizza or in sandwiches.  We get creative.  This dish has several steps, though many are short and easy.  I've written it out so directions and ingredients are interspersed.  All ingredients are in bold, making it easy to skim through and make sure you have all you need to prepare this tasty dish.  Every time I've whipped this together, I get cheers - which I find entertaining coming from a 2, 5 and 10 year old (plus my husband).  I'll be posting a fun pizza recipe to make with leftovers soon, too.  Enjoy!

GF Chicken Saag served with basmati rice!  

Tasty Chicken Saag
Based off a recipe from "Best Ever Indian" by Baljekar, Fernandeze, Husain & Kanani 
Serves 4-6

Mix together in a small bowl, set aside:
250 g/8 oz frozen spinach, thawed (OR fresh spinach,  diced and wilted in a pot with lid w/ no extra water)
2 tsp grated ginger
2 tsp minced or grated garlic
1 finely minced chili OR dried, finely chopped chili ~1 tsp

In a large, low side frying pan with lid cook over medium to medium-high heat for 2 minutes:
1 Tbsp oil (olive oil or similar will work)
1/4 tsp peppercorns
1-2 bay leaves (REMOVE before serving, but leave in while cooking)

Add and cook 5 minutes:
1 onion, diced
1 cup mushrooms, sliced (optional)

Nicely sauteed, just browning mushrooms and onions

Add and cook 2 minutes:
2 cups diced canned tomatoes
2-4 tsp curry powder (this adjusts the spice level, depending on your curry powder)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp chili powder

Stir in spinach mixture from above, lower heat to medium-low and simmer 5 minutes.

Ready to add yogurt, milk and broth

Add the following and continue simmering, covered for 15 minutes:
3 Tbsp plain yogurt
3 Tbsp milk or cream
1/2 - 3/4 cup GF chicken broth or stock OR water + 2 tsp Asian Mushroom seasoning

Add the following and then simmer an additional 5 minutes, uncovered if you'd like to thicken it up a bit:
1 - 2 cups cooked, diced chicken
OR
1-2 cups diced paneer (an Indian cheese)

Fresh Chicken Saag, ready to eat! 

Serve the tasty chicken saag over fresh brown or white basmati rice.   Enjoy!

Delicious chicken saag, served with basmati and a lentil, potato, rice dish I'd whipped up, too.

While I love making proper Indian dishes, sometimes one that is just thrown together with fresh veggies and a nice curry powder makes a wonderful, filling dish.  Perfect for the fall when the days are getting cooler.  And wonderful with the easy thin GF Naan bread.

Fresh quick curry w/ veggies & chicken served over brown basmati rice with a side of fresh GF Naan

Quick Curry Chicken & Veggies

Serves ~4-6

This takes ~40 minutes to cook & simmer.  So, start some brown or plain basmati rice cooking, if desired.  You can also serve this with some quick GF Naan bread.

Heat in a large high-sided frying pan over medium to medium-high heat:
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp olive oil 

Add & cook ~2-3 minutes, until starting to become tender:
1/2 onion, chopped

Add and cook 1 minute:
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Add, cooking 2-3 minutes:
1 medium zucchini, chopped

Add to the pan and allow to cook, stirring regularly for ~3 minutes:
4 Tbsp curry powder (more or less, to taste - it really depends on the strength of your curry powder blend)

Add to pan, cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally:
3 1/2 - 4 cups chopped fresh tomatoes

Add, allowing mixture to come to a boil/simmer:
3 cups cooked chicken, chopped (more or less, to taste)

Put a lid on your pan.  Lower heat, and allow curry to simmer at least 20 minutes before serving, stirring occasionally.  If your curry not as thick as you'd like, you can remove the lid to allow excess liquid to evaporate.

Serve with a side of basmati rice and/or fresh GF naan bread. Enjoy!

Quick Curry Chicken & Veggies by Successfully Gluten Free!