How gorgeous is this breakfast?!? I didn’t even have to make it!! It was made FOR me!! VERY impressed. I was told that pressure was felt to make a delicious meal…and one was definitely made.

Also, I am SO HAPPY to learn that my very favorite breakfast sausage patty of all time has no added sugar or anything bad for you!! They’re from The Piggery, in Ithaca; I am lucky enough to be able to buy their wares at The Park Slope Food Coop. But if you AREN’T lucky enough to live somewhere you can find their stuff, they sell online here. It looks like their deli meats have no sugar, too. Glory day.

Anyhoo, we ate a little later than usual, and so again, lunch mostly became picking here and there. Leftovers, fruit, etc.

Dinner, on the other hand, was a production! I made chicken tikka masala, mostly. I was gonna pair it with cauliflower rice but was out of cauliflower, so I decided to roast up an eggplant and make a salad. And I’m so glad I did, the eggplant was maybe the best part of the meal. Well, at least it went really nicely with the tikka masala.

Here’s how I done it:

Chicken Tikka Masala, Whole 30 style:

Ingredients:

For the chicken tikka:
4 chicken thighs
2 chicken breasts
Juice of 2 lemons
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup coconut yogurt
1 tbsp pureed ginger (use a pestle and mortar)
1 tbsp crushed garlic (about 3 cloves)
1½ tsp ground cumin
1 tbsp garam masala
1 tbsp smoked sweet paprika

For the sauce:
2 tbsp ghee/clarified butter2 small onions, chopped
6 green cardamom pods
2cm cinnamon stick
4 cloves
2 tbsp pureed ginger (use a pestle and mortar)
8 garlic cloves, crushed to a puree
1 lb. chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato puree
2 small chilies, split
2 tbls. coconut yogurt or coconut cream
1 tsp paprika
½ tsp fenugreek leaves, ground
1 tsp garam masala

Preparation:

1. Cut the chicken into bite-sized chunks and stir in the lemon juice and salt. Leave to marinade for 30 minutes. Stir the remaining marinade ingredients together and add to the bowl. Stir well to coat, cover and chill overnight, or several hours, then bring to room temperature before cooking.
2. To make the sauce, heat the ghee or other fat in a frying pan over a medium-high heat and add the onions. Fry until soft and golden brown, stirring regularly. Meanwhile, grind the seeds from the cardamom pods, the cinnamon stick and cloves to a smooth powder using a pestle and mortar.
3. Stir the pureed ginger and garlic into the onions and fry for a couple of minutes, stirring, then add the powdered spices and fry for a minute or so. Tip in the tomatoes and tomato puree plus 1 1/2 cups of water, bring to a simmer, turn the heat down to medium and cook until the oil starts to pool around the sides of the pan.
4. Meanwhile, heat the broiler, and thread the chicken on to metal skewers, pushing the pieces well together. Put on a lined baking sheet and broil for six to eight minutes on each side, until nicely charred at the edges.
5. Puree the sauce until smooth, then, once the chicken is done, return the pureed sauce to the pan on a medium heat. Stir any remaining marinade into the sauce, along with the chilies, yogurt or cream and paprika. Add the chicken, fenugreek and garam masala and cook for about five minutes, then taste for seasoning. Add more salt or lemon juice if you like, then serve.

I started the eggplant off at 425, but then just decided to see what happened with the broiler on. And you know what happened? Magic. The eggplant turned out charred on the top and creamy inside. I turned the oven back down to 425 when the chicken was ready.

Super yummy. And we ate a little perfectly ripe honeydew for dessert. #cantsayimnoteatingwell.

** This recipe is a variant of the one from The Guardian, found here.