On Saturday I decided to make Chicken Tikka Masala for dinner, and I made a substitution that I’m calling a win on multiple fronts.We’re doing a Pantry Challenge this month, so we’re making a real effort to use what we have on hand, stay out of the grocery stores as much as possible, and spend a lot less money on groceries this month. I decided on Chicken Tikka Masala for dinner because we had chicken breasts in the freezer, cream in the fridge that was fast approaching its use by date, and some fresh ginger that really needed to be used. It also sounded perfect for dinner on a cold and windy night.
It was so cold here on Saturday! We had been in the mid fifties on Friday. It had rained all day, but it was at least warmer than it had been. On Saturday we were back down to the low twenties, and had crazy high winds. Going out to the grocery store, or anywhere for that matter, wasn’t much temptation. I had absolutely no interest in changing out of my nice warm pajamas, or leaving the house.
The only problem was that the recipe I was using called for a serrano chili, which we didn’t have. The recipe also called for canned tomatoes, which we have an abundance of. Harris Teeter put their brand of canned tomatoes on sale for 37 cents a while back. That’s cheaper than Aldi, and the cheapest I’ve ever seen canned tomatoes. Most of our favorite recipes seem to be tomato based, so I thought it was a good idea to stock up. As usual when there’s a great sale on groceries, I went overboard in my effort to stock up. We have a lot of canned tomatoes! And that’s just one of the many, many reasons why we’re doing a Pantry Challenge this month.Since I really, really didn’t want to go out, I decided to substitute canned tomatoes with chilies for the serrano chili and canned tomatoes. I’m very happy to report that it worked out perfectly, and that the Chicken Tikka Masala was delicious.
I was thrilled:
1. Not to have to go out in the cold. That was honestly the best part of my successful substitution.
2. That we stayed on track with the Pantry Challenge. I most likely would have ended up buying more than a single serrano chili if I had gone to get one.
3. That I have a new substitution that I know works. It’s much faster and easier to open a can of tomatoes with chilies than it is to deal with coring and chopping a chili. That’s good to know for busy days when I need to get dinner ready in a hurry, and want to make things as easy as possible.
So what about you? Have you made any recipe substitutions to use what you have on hand lately? Is the cold weather enough to make you do whatever you can to stay home?
When in doubt, add bacon.
ReplyDeleteGreat idea and wonderful use of the food from the cupboard. Bet it was delicious!
ReplyDeleteIt sounds very good. I just posted a chicken dish and some folks said they didn't like certain things in it, but it would be very easy to substitute (and I almost did, until I found the can of artichokes hidden in the cupboard!)
ReplyDeleteYay! Sounds like a win to me. Since I have tons of severe food allergies, recipe substitutions are really just a way of life for me. In fact, I seldom use recipes anymore. I generally just peruse what needs to be used up, and then create something from there. I usually have a vague idea of which direction I'm going... Mexican, Chinese, Middle Eastern, traditional American, etc, but beyond that, it generally just goes where it goes. Some creations are more successful than others (curried collards were a flop) but in general it works out great.
ReplyDeletep.s. that's a GREAT price on tomatoes. I would have stocked up too!
Oh yes! Cold NE weather, is enough to make us want to stay at home!
ReplyDeleteIt's a super idea, to clean out the pantry. And the freezer too. It's really interesting, that even when the first thought is... "There is nothing to eat." Just consider. There most always isssssss something to make to eat! :-))))
But I don't really have a great substitution idea, though.
Keep up your good plan!!!!
I often do substitutions with recipes, though not usually to avoid going out.
ReplyDeleteCanned tomatoes with chiles. I had no idea there was such a thing.
ReplyDeleteCold weather??? Oh, right... Yeah, I've been *shifts eyes* really hunkering down to stay warm here, er, yeah. *shoos the sandals under the bed* It's been, er, so cold. *closes window*
good job finding the perfect subsitute.
ReplyDeleteSo great that things worked out so well on all fronts!
ReplyDelete