Chicken Makhani with Moroccan Tagine Spice Mix

Chicken Makhani, "butter chicken"...we could leave it right there. This delicious Indian fare is a beautifully spiced tomato-cream sauce stewed with chunks of tender chicken and BUTTER. It's just perfect fall comfort food when served with rice or na'an and a fresh side-salad. Don't be scared. You really need to try it.
There are plenty of recipes on-line for this traditional dish and they are really good. But, since Indian food tends to include multitudes of spices that we may not all have on-hand, I found a short-cut with Moroccan Tagine spice mix. The flavor profiles are very similar...actually they are darn near the same...so I tried it, and it worked!
If you have a 1/4 C of Moroccan Tagine spice mix to put to use and are looking for a warm and satisfying meal - give this a shot. 

What you will need:
6-8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs - cut into bite-size chunks
1 C plain Greek yogurt
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 C Moroccan Tagine spice mix 
1/2 tsp salt (or more to taste)
1 stick of unsalted butter (yep...a whole stick)
1 T olive oil
1 small yellow onion - finely chopped
3 cloves of fresh garlic - minced
2 T fresh ginger - minced or grated (if you don't have this it's not the end of the world. But, in that case, I might add another Tablespoon or so of spice mix)
1 thai or Serrano chili pepper - minced (optional ingredient for more spice)
1 C crushed tomatoes
1 tsp tomato paste
1/2 C chicken broth (or water)
1 C unsweetened canned coconut milk (or 1 C heavy cream)
1 can rinsed and drained chickpeas (optional)
1/2 C chopped fresh cilantro (or parsley/mint) for garnish 

What you do:
Marinade the chicken chunks in the yogurt, lemon, salt, and spices for an hour or more.
Melt 3/4 stick of butter and oil in a large, high-sided skillet over med-low heat.
Add the onions, garlic, ginger, and chili and sauté' for about 5 minutes. Don't let the butter brown.
Stir in crushed tomatoes and tomato paste. Give it a sec.
Stir in the chicken and all the marinade.
Stir in chicken broth to loosen it up.
Simmer, uncovered on med-low heat for 20 minutes. Stir occasionally to scrape up the bottom.
If you are adding the chickpeas, do it now. They aren't essential - they just help it go around a little more.
Stir in the coconut milk (or cream) and simmer another 10 minutes - stirring here and there. Taste for salt.
Turn off the heat and stir in the remaining 1/4 stick of butter.
Top with fresh cilantro and serve with rice or na'an. 

So tasty.

*To make vegetarian, just saute' the some chunky veggies (carrots, zucchini, etc) with the butter, onions, garlic, and ginger. Then stew them with the chickpeas in the rest of the ingredients until desired tenderness. You can also add roasted cashews, peanuts, or almonds at the end if you want to bump up the flavor and protein.


To order or inquire about Moroccan Tagine spice mix please leave a message at www.facebook.com/boutiquetreatssugar 

Flavors of the Month - September - Canela Latte and Sugo

We are doubling up for our flavor of September with two of our most pouplar sugars and spices: Canela Latte Sugar and Sugo Italian Seasoning! 

These two are like a tour through Mediterranean Europe with the Spanish coffee, vanilla, and sweet cinnamon, plus the Tuscan flavors of fennel, garlic, and oregano. Use the sugar in coffee, desserts, and breakfast recipes and the spices in all things Italian: pasta, olive oil dipping sauce, roasted meats... 

Check out our facebook at www.facebook.com/boutiquetreatssugar or our Instagram @BoutiqueTreats for more inspiration and to message with questions or orders!

Flavor of the Month - August - Havana

Flavor of August - HAVANA! Let the hot summer nights carry you away to the Caribbean with our Cuban-inspired seasoning, Havana Spice Mix. This one is great on chicken or veggie tacos, in tortilla soup, grilled fish, baked chicken, black beans, salad dressing, chimichurri sauce, marinades, burgers...it goes with just about everything! 

Made with cumin, orange, bay, nutmeg, oregano, sage, garlic, onion, and black pepper - it is a really balanced, but fun and zesty, crowd-pleaser.

To order go to: www.facebook.com/boutiquetreats and leave a message. We will get right back to you!

Flavor of the month - June - Vanilla Chai

The flavor of June - Vanilla-Chai! 

This flavor is our most subtle and most complex. Real vanilla beans mix with traditional chai spices that are great in tea, but also very good in coffee, or to rim glasses for champagne and other cocktails (seriously - try it).

The full flavor profile tends to get lost in baking preparations, so I prefer it as a finishing sugar sprinkled straight on top of desserts, fruit, cereals, or icing - but definitely try it in home-made whipped cream. Keep in mind that chai spices need a fat to come fully alive - that's why chai tea is traditionally prepared with milk!

That's all fine and grand, but this summer heat calls for this beautiful, Indian cool down recipe that you will LOVE -

Vanilla-Chai Mango Lassi:

Blend until smooth - 1 C frozen (or fresh) mango chunks, 1 C plain yogurt, 1/2 C milk, 1 T Vanilla-Chai Sugar.  Enjoy!

Flavor of the Month - May - Creole!

Summer is heating up and it's party season! Creole, our all-natural cajun spice blend, is great to have on-hand for getting festive in a flash. 

Full of paprika, lemon, black pepper, garlic, onion, cayenne, and herbs, it's great on burgers, chicken, crawfish, shrimp, beans, jambalaya, and veggies. 


For a fantastic party dip, mix a tablespoon or two with a cup of sour cream - done! Try it sprinkled straight on snacks like popcorn, nuts, or party mix. 

A la mange!

Flavor Of The Month - April - Signature Spiced Sugar

It's no joke - the flavor of April is Signature Spiced! This is the one that started it all. I LOVE THIS SUGAR. It is balanced and interesting with real vanilla, warm spices, citrus, and fresh bay (trust me). It is SO GOOD on hot buttered popcorn, in coffee, tea, and OUTSTANDING for rimming glasses of ginger beer or cocktails. The fullness of it tends to get a bit diluted in baking preparations, but it's still good for that too. Use it in anything - really. Just sub out the sugar in the recipe and give it a whirl. Pancakes, french toast, banana bread, bananas foster, fruit salad, sprinkled on ice cream, on oatmeal, IN CHAMPAGNE...you can't go wrong.

Flavor of the Month - March - Sabroso!

Spansih "sabor" - the flavor of March is SABROSO! 

Inspired by my student travels, this spice mix captures the best of Spain with sweet paprika, garlic, onion, orange, bay, fennel, oregano, and a touch of espresso. 

It really works well as an all-purpose seasoning that has so many great applications. Try it on baked chicken and veg, on roased potatoes, in rice dishes like paella, or simply dusted over cubed manchego cheese for tapas.