Easy, delicious, and cozy, both of these dinners made it into the week’s meal plan, and they will have a permanent location the rotation moving forward. I’ve been in a major cooking slump for some time, and I am excited to be interested in cooking again and in craving my own food rather than takeout or restaurant meals, which have been happening way too often!

Pesto Shrimp and Pasta –

I had been craving pesto in a major way for a while, and while I usually consider it more of a summer sauce, with basil being in season and all, I have a really great, easy winter pesto that I love. Like most of my “recipes” this calls for mixing things up until they taste good to you. I use a mix of spinach, grated parmesan cheese, walnuts, tons of garlic, and olive oil, which I picked up at the Olive Connection. The pesto would be great on chicken, any pasta and as a side to a gooey wedge of brie and a baguette for a quick and easy Christmas appetizer. This dish could be made vegetarian with the addition of white beans in place of the shrimp. I think that would be a delicious substitute!

The other, absolute must-make, if you love Indian food. This Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala was SO easy and delicious, with a side of Basmati rice and steamed spinach for a bit of green. I used a recipe from The Kitchn; please see below for the recipe I started with. I cooked the onions, garlic, ginger, spices before adding to the slow cooker, and I used a lot more Garam Masala and ginger. My palate loves strong flavors, and when making this again I would add some chili peppers for extra spice. Overall though, this meal was incredible and the leftovers made me look forward to lunch the next day. To make this vegetarian, cubes of pan-seared tofu or chickpeas would sub in really well. Make it vegan with coconut milk. It’s all about the sauce!

Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala

Serves 4 to 6

1 to 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1-inch piece whole ginger, peeled and grated
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 to 2 tablespoons garam masala
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
3/4 cup heavy cream or coconut milk
Fresh cilantro, chopped
2 cups cooked rice, to serve

Cut the chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces and transfer them to a 3-quart or larger slow cooker. Stir in the onion, garlic, ginger, tomato paste, 1 tablespoon of garam masala, paprika, and kosher salt until the chicken is evenly covered with spices. Stir in the diced tomatoes with their juices.

→ If you have the time: Marinate the chicken in 1/2 cup yogurt for up to 6 hours. Shake to remove excess yogurt before transferring to the slow cooker.

→ If you have the time: Sauté the onions and garlic in a little olive oil over medium-high heat in a skillet until softened, then stir in the ginger, tomato paste, and spices until fragrant. Transfer to the slow cooker with the chicken and diced tomatoes. This will give your tikka masala more depth of flavor.