16 Mar 2014 Be open to ethnic flavors
by Kellie Dye
Growing up, my son would never eat mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese and many other side dishes that kids normally eat. It was always odd to me that he would turn his nose up to normal kid-type fare. I worried as his food preferences began to diminish more and more as he got older.
When he was 14, our family took a trip of a lifetime to Asia. My husband and I are huge foodies.
There is nothing that we won’t try. We were very excited to sample real Asian food. Our goal was to eat only foods that the locals eat. Under no circumstances would we eat American food.
My son was the one who spotted any American fast food restaurant signs.
He would point them out and look at us with pleading eyes. I might also add that he was in a major growth spurt, and he was super hungry all of the time.
We walked, hiked and climbed mountains. This boy was hungry!
Some of you may think we were harsh for not caving in and getting a growing boy some much needed calories. I say it was the best thing we could have done.
One week into the trip this picky-eating boy was eating real ramen noodles (not the packaged kind), tofu, vegetable cakes, soups and many types of fish, including sushi and sashimi.
He even continued eating these foods once we were home.
He was also more willing to try other ethnic foods from then on. Who knew that his favorite foods today would be sushi and Indian curry dishes! It’s OK with me if he doesn’t like mashed potatoes and macaroni and cheese.
This is one of his favorite Indian dishes that has become a staple at our home:
Chicken Tikka Masala
For the marinade:
1 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
2 teaspoons ground red pepper (or less if you prefer less heat)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 pounds of skinless, boneless chicken breasts cut up into cubes
For the sauce:
1 tablespoon olive oil divided
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon salt
32-ounce can of tomato sauce
1 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
Mix the marinade ingredients together and coat the chicken. Place into a plastic bag or covered container. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
While this is marinating, prepare the sauce. Add 1/2 tablespoon olive oil and the remaining sauce ingredients except for the yogurt.
Bring to a simmer and continue simmering for 15 minutes. Then add the yogurt and stir to blend. Take the chicken out of the marinade. Discard the marinade.
Sauté the chicken in 1/2 tablespoon of the remaining olive oil in a large skillet. Once the chicken is cooked through, add the chicken to the tomato sauce mixture and continue simmering for 15-20 minutes.
Serve on top of brown basmati rice or with Naan Indian specialty bread available in the bakery section of your local grocery store.
Makes 6 servings.
Without the rice or bread: 236 calories, 12 grams of carbohydrate, 5 grams of fat per serving.
Kellie Dye, a registered and licensed dietitian, is the wellness coordinator at the Conway Regional Health and Fitness Center. Send your diet and nutrition questions to Kellie at [email protected]. Frequently asked and pertinent questions will be addressed in future articles in 501 LIFE.
