3 Mother's Day Meal Ideas

Moms are special creatures. I work with children, so I see snippets of a mother's everyday life and I am awed by their superpowers. I'm sure you were the most perfect, well-behaved child in the world, but your mom probably deserves a nice meal anyway.

Here are three meal ideas to help you make up for your torturous youth:

For the Veggie Mama

These Grilled Cabbages from Breanna's Recipe Box may not stay around as long as a bouquet of flowers, but they look just as pretty.

For the Hot Mama

Steamy Kitchen's Coconut Curry Shrimp recipe is so easy, you literally have no excuse not to make this.

For the Foodie Mama

These Breakfast Stuffed Poblanos from A Spicy Perspective are chock full of delicious layers of flavor.

Feeling inspired? Go on! Get in the kitchen an make your mama feel loved. (And don't forget to do the dishes afterward.) It's time to eat!

Let's turn up the heat!

My fiance and I love Indian food. If you have been scared off by the unfamiliar smells and difficult names associated with Indian fare, give it another try. Americans tend to be most familiar with northern Indian dishes. But if you're adventurous, southern Indian dishes are spicy and full of flavor.

Chicken Tikka Masala is one of the most popular Indian dishes in the U.K. and U.S. It is basically, roasted chicken chunks in a rich and fragrant red or orange colored sauce. Masala means 'mixture of spices' so there are a wide variety of masala recipes and the flavor of the dish can vary dramatically from one restaurant to another.

After extensive experimentation, I have come up with a recipe that I really love. It has a good amount of heat, but you can certainly play around with quantities and ingredients. Serve it over rice to soak up all that sauce.

Chicken Tikka Masala

Ingredients

2 chicken breasts, cut into 1" chunks

Marinade:
6 ounces greek yogurt
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsps cumin
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cayenne
1 tsp ground ginger

Sauce:
1 tbsp butter
1 cup onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp turmeric
2 tsps cumin
2 tsps paprika
1 tsp salt
1 15 ounce can tomato sauce
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tsps cilantro, finely chopped

In a tupperware, mix together all ingredients for marinade. Add chicken and coat well. Cover and refrigerate for two to five hours. (If you're in a pinch, you can skip this and just cook the coated chicken right away.)

Cook marinated chicken in a medium skillet until no longer pink in the middle.

In a large skillet, melt butter and saute onion and garlic until onion is transparent. Add turmeric, cumin and paprika and stir constantly. Cook until spices become very aromatic (about 1 minute). Stir in tomato sauce, cream and salt. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring constantly. Add chicken and cilantro and simmer another 10 minutes.

Servings: 2