Stand-ins aren’t necessarily inferior. Chicken Tikka Masala, from The Feed Zone Cookbook,  is a favorite of mine. But do I make it exactly as the recipe says? Not at all. I use some stand-ins!

First, I don’t bother with the two pounds of chicken breasts.  I don’t like handling raw poultry. My stand-in is a 12-oz package of fully-cooked chicken sausages.

One of the ingredients is a cup of tomato sauce. If I don’t have any, one possible stand-in is a cup of chopped canned tomatoes with the juice. Another time I when found I that had no tomato sauce, I used a cup of condensed tomato soup.

Curry powder is another ingredient. What can I do if I want to make Chicken Tikka Masala, and don’t have curry powder? I could check “curry powder” online, to see what spice blend it is; then see which of those spices I have at home.

As to onions, no type is specified. I’ve tried red onions; sweet Vidalia onions; yellow-skin onions; and scallions. I like red onions best. Scallions are very strong so next time I use them I’ll reduce the amount by half. Sometimes I add some minced garlic, even though the recipe doesn’t mention garlic.

For a vegetarian version, skip the chicken and use several cups  of cooked legumes: garbonzos, black beans, etc.

The way I make this recipe, I end up with extra sauce. No problem. I put some of it aside for other uses. It’s good over toast; pasta; rice; or potatoes. I’ve even tried it as a salad dressing, and it wasn’t bad.

The bottom line is, don’t be afraid to experiment with recipes. You might even come up with your own recipe that becomes a favorite!