Tickle Your Valentine's Tikka
February 9, 2006

Why not spice up dreary February with a little something exotic for Valentine’s Day? You’ll tickle tongues with Chicken Tikka Masala, a delicious mulit-spiced dish that’s fun to say and even more fun to eat. Try pairing it with a cool cucumber mint raita, pan seared asparagus, and an easy shortbread topped with raspberries-- you’ll have a meal that will please everybody you love!

Chicken Tikka Masala
In a food processor pulse 2 small red chilies with 3 cloves of garlic and 3 pieces of peeled and sliced ginger (the size of quarters). Add 2 cups of plain yogurt, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 1 teaspoon each of ground cumin, coriander and garam masala. Add one half teaspoon of turmeric and 1 tablespoon canola oil. Process the batch to make a smooth paste.

Place 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1.5 pounds) in a bowl and cover them with the yogurt mixture, coating well. Marinate in the fridge for 4-10 hours.

Bring chicken to room temperature. Heat a large skillet with 1 tablespoon of canola oil on medium heat. Sear 1 pound of asparagus spears turning evenly and cooking for 3 minutes. Remove from pan, keep warm. Heat 1 additional tablespoon of oil. Remove chicken from marinade and blot with paper towel. Sear chicken breasts turning twice for a total cooking time of 15-20 minutes (depending on the thickness of chicken breasts.) Serve on a platter with the mint raita, lime wedges, chopped cilantro and seared asparagus. Serves 4.

Mint Raita
In a mixing bowl stir together 1 cup of plain yogurt and 1 teaspoon of fresh lime juice. Finely chop 1 small sweet onion. Shred half of an unpeeled English cucumber. Chop 1 fistful of fresh mint leaves and 1 fistful of cilantro leaves. Gently fold together all ingredients and chill until serving time.

Sweetheart’s Shortbread w/Raspberries
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a food processor pulse together 4 cups of flour, 2 cups of confectionary sugar, 2 cups butter, 2 cups cornstarch, and 2 pinches of salt. A pebbled mixture will form; pour this into a rectangular cake pan (8x11”) and press down lightly to pack. Poke the entire surface with the tinges of a fork. Bake at 325 for 40-45 minutes. Test for doneness, the surface will be golden. Serve with fresh whipped cream and fresh raspberries that have been marinating in 2 tablespoons of orange juice.

Kim Dannies is a graduate of La Varenne Cooking School in France. She lives in Williston, VT with her husband, Jeff, and three college–aged daughters who come and go. ©2008