New Menu Mondays Return!

Ever since I stopped posting my New Menu Monday updates on Facebook, I have been besieged with desperate phone calls and e-mails, begging me to start it up again. Okay, maybe not besieged, but several people have asked about it. Okay, maybe not several, but at least one. Although he didn't ask about it so much as mutter “mm-hmm” when I brought it up. But still...... Here it is. 

 

Tandoori Chicken Pitas with Tomato Jam

Whisk:

• 2 tsp Frank's hot sauce
• 2 T chili powder
• ½ tsp coriander
• 3 T tandoori spice
• ½ tsp onion powder
• ½ tsp tarragon
• ½ tsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 T lemon juice
• 5 T olive oil
• s & p
• any other spices you feel like throwing in

Chicken:

1. Pound and slice 3 or 4 chicken breasts, then toss in the spice mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 10 minutes or 18 hours, whatever works for your schedule.
2. Heat olive oil in cast iron pan, then brown the chicken. (It will be RED, not BROWN, but you get the point.)
3. Put chicken in a 350* oven for about 10 minutes. Or don't. If the chicken pieces are small, you could probably just cook them in the pan until you think they are done. (Does anyone know how to make the little “degree” symbol in Open Office??)

Tomato Relish:

(Inspired by Bobby Flay's recipe on foodnetwork.com)

Saute a chopped onion in olive oil. Add some s & p. Chop up a tomato or two, and throw it in the pan. Add some cayenne pepper and a splash of balsamic vinegar. Cover and simmer until thick. Cool and serve.

Pitas:

Go to the grocery store and buy a package of pitas. We used the non-pocket kind.

Fill with chicken, jam, thinly sliced cucumbers, and sour cream. If you are ambitious you can make an herbed yogurt sauce, but opening a container of sour cream is much easier.

That's it. 

 

These are pretty messy, and also have a bit of heat to them. You can cut down the hot spices if you are a wimp like me. (Although I am quite proud to say that my heat tolerance is improving! I handled this fine, with lots of cucumbers and sour cream.)

Enjoy!