Weeknight Tandoori Chicken (+ our team dinner!)

We had our lovely blogging team over for our annual holiday dinner the other night! Here’s the crew (at least those of us who live in Charlotte). I feel SO lucky to have had these talented individuals on our team for years now.

Everyone brought their spouse along, and let’s just say that I was hurting the next day. It’s amazing how I no longer feel like I’m in my 20’s after a fun night like that!

Aside from the fun, we enjoyed some great food as well. We do these holiday events potluck style because we’re a bunch of foodies after all! And as I’ve shared in the past, we’ve got some food allergies and sensitivities in the group, so picking a theme for the menu is always interesting. This year I chose Indian food because I thought we could easily avoid dairy and gluten (and any other offenders) and still end up with something tasty. Oh, and I’d been working on a Tandoori Chicken recipe that I just knew would be a perfect fit for the main course!

Here’s what was served…is your mouth watering yet?

Menu Details

• Amy was in charge of appetizers and brought two deeelicious dips: Pomegranate Avocado Salsa and an eggplant dip both served with whole-grain crackers. This is how she made the eggplant dip: Cut 1 eggplant, 2 bell peppers, and 1 red onion into 1 inch cubes. Toss them in bowl with 2 minced cloves of garlic, 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt & 1/2 teaspoon black pepper then roast at 400 degrees F for about 45 min. – until the veggies are lightly browned and soft, tossing once during cooking. Place the veggies in a food processor , add 1 tablespoon tomato paste and pulse 3 or 4 times to blend.
• Shawn brought a huuuge salad with two homemade dressings and roasted chickpeas to go on top. The salad was a big mix of veggies (no particular recipe), and for her creamy dressing, she blended 1 cup cashew cream (from the Deliciously Organic cookbook), 3 teaspoons curry powder, 1 clove garlic, and juice from half a Meyer lemon, and then drizzled in olive oil until she got the right consistency.
• Kiran brought Chana Masala along with a tomato and onion side salad. She is half Indian, so she was excited to share these traditional dishes with us!
• As I mentioned, I made an easy dairy-free Tandoori Chicken (recipe below) with brown rice.
• And my husband (yes, he can cook!) made Coconut Milk Ice Cream with cardamom and pistachios.

It was all soooo good – I was literally STUFFED by the end of the night! And luckily, since I tripled the chicken recipe, we had leftovers the next day that my whole family gobbled up in no time. This one is definitely going to be a new staple at our house. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Weeknight Tandoori Chicken

Course: Main Course

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 4

Inspired by Blue Apron

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Ingredients

• 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons coriander
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 teaspoon ginger
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon red cayenne pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds chicken thighs boneless and skinless
• 1 tablespoon olive oil (or coconut oil)
• 1 13-oz can coconut milk
• 1 8-oz can tomato sauce plain
• 2 ounces spinach fresh

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, combine the garlic powder, coriander, cumin, ginger, salt, and cayenne with a fork. Dredge each piece of chicken in the spices and set aside.
2. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken, sprinkle any remaining spices on top, and sear for a couple of minutes until golden brown on both sides.
3. Add the coconut milk and tomato sauce to the pan, bring to a boil, cover with a lid, reduce the heat to low, and cook until the chicken is done all the way through (no longer pink), about 8 - 10 minutes.
4. Layer in bowls with brown rice on the bottom, then spinach, chicken, sauce, yogurt, and fresh herbs. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

Recommended accompaniments: cilantro, fresh mint, brown rice, plain yogurt (omit the yogurt to be dairy-free)

We recommend organic ingredients when feasible.