” i was going CRAZY the summer before junior year with my budget plans…plans i did NOT end up sticking to. i was trying to find a way to eat good and live good without breaking the bank. i do have to say, it wasn’t always smooth sailing. i had to learn what was practical for my schedule and my random snack cravings. though, nothing compares to learning how to say NO to the convenience of eating out, especially with Starbucks in the mix. i learned through wasted meals, moldy bread loafs, and spoiled milk that i do understand the value of a dollar, and even more so that i hate throwing away food. so here is my personal fool proof assortment of recipes that i gathered and altered from no other source than my granny, my sister, and pinterest. plus…they are ALL UNDER 15 DOLLARS ! ”

CHICKEN TIKKI MASALA

“when me and my sister find something new we like, we go hard, so the first time we had indian cuisine, we were done for. i ended up ordering curry with a spice level of three thinking i’m a bad ass but my so called “bad ass” could only handle a spice level of one. rookie mistake. regardless of the heat, i loved the spices, it was so good i ended up going back to eat twice within that week. midway through the semester i started craving those same spices, and although we have an indian restaurant on campus, i wanted to learn how to make some indian food of my own. so ,here birthed my creation…or my adaptation to the original creation because i’m broke, lazy and hungry. its important to note that the recipe is spice dense , which means there is going to be an initial investment of spices. after you’ve secured the spice bag this can easily be a 7-10$ weekly meal, all you then will need would be: chicken, tomato paste, heavy cream, tomato sauce, and chicken stock”

DIRECTIONS:

1. cut chicken breast into bite sized cubes.
2. heat olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Season chicken with 1/2 tsp garam masala and salt and pepper to taste. add chicken to pan and cook 4-5 min on each side, till browned. when finished set chicken in a plate aside.
3. in same pan, add tomato paste, garlic powder, turmeric, gram marsala, and chili powder. stir for 1 min.
4. stir in tomato sauce and chicken stock, bring to a boil. reduce heat to a simmer, cook for 6-10 min.
5. stir in heavy cream (add slowly and make sure heat is low so it doesn’t curdle). add chicken back to the pot.
6. season dish with salt and pepper to taste. for finishing touch, use heavy cream to make a design in the masala sauce!