Cooking Double

So you know what's cool? When you find a recipe you really like, then find that it can easily become another recipe. The other night, Zan and I decided that this recipe from The Pioneer Woman looked simple and tasty. After a bit of a stressful time at the grocery store(s) buying the ingredients (Trader Joe's doesn't carry fettucini noodles, fyi, had to go to Harris Teeter), I returned home ready to cook. The creamy tomato pasta turned out pretty well, but I think I put in too many red pepper flakes because I underestimated their potency. Luckily, Zan really likes spicy things, so he thought it was great. I was a bit disappointed as I had been looking forward to a milder sauce, but the more I ate, the more I thought, this tastes vaguely familiar...

Then it hit me! This was the base of a tikka masala! There was a lot of leftover sauce (expect to eat this for a few nights if you are cooking for two), so the next night, using the leftover sauce from the original recipe, complete with its spicy red pepper flakes, I made tikka masala. To make the tikka masala from half the original recipe, here's what to do: first, add about two tablespoons more cream, a copious amount of garam masala, probably at least two or three tablespoons (I didn't really measure, as I was experimenting, so judge it for yourself), about a tablespoon of coriander, half a tablespoon of black pepper, and a teaspoon or so of tumeric. Mix it all together, add chicken, pour over white or jasmine rice.

Yep, it's just that easy! Use your imagination with most foods/recipes and you'll find that you can make easy delicious meals from simple ingredients!!!

(Photo from The Pioneer Woman)