Kani's Biryani - from Carla

We had a fun get together at Rhonda's with most of the Westovers. This is what I brought and it met with good approval.

2 c. basamati rice (I buy this from the bulk bins at the grocery store)
chicken pieces - Kani says the bones add flavor, so I usually use skinless legs or wings and after it is done cooking, I pull the meat off and throw away the bones, but you can use breast meat if you like.
1 large onion - sliced thinly
1 large tomato - diced
1 Tblsp fresh ginger - finely chopped or ground
4 serrano chilis - more if you like it hotter
4 large garlic cloves - minced
1/2 cup plain yogurt or greek yogurt
1/2 bunch cilantro - pull off the leaves and chop really fine with the mint leaves
fresh mint leaves - a little more than the cilantro
4 whole cloves
4 cardamoms (buy them from the bulk spices - they are quite cheap there)
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp garam masala
1/4 tsp tumeric
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 to 1 tsp salt
1/2 cup canola oil
1/4 cup butter - unsalted if you wish, but I don't think it matters

Cut and wash the chicken and cover it with 2 Tbsp of the yogurt mixed with the salt, tumeric, chili powder and garam masala. Refrigerate overnight.

Melt the butter in large frying pan. Add cardamoms, cloves and cinnamon stick and cook til the butter turns golden. Add the oil and heat. Add the onions and cook til golden (this takes about 45 minutes in Salt Lake - you will see the color go from whitish to golden.) Add ginger, garlic and serrano chilis - just wash them and cut a slit down one side. Cook for 2 minutes. Add tomato and cook another 2 minutes. Add the chicken covered with the yogurt. Cook for 3 minutes. Add the cilantro and mint and the rest of the yogurt and cook for about 10 minutes.

While you are waiting the 10 min, boil 3 cups of salted water and add the rice. Stir it and cover it and turn it off while you do the rest.

The chicken stuff should cook over medium heat til the oil comes to the top, and it should be thick, not runny.

You need a covered casserole dish to bake the biryani. Put 1/2 the chicken stuff in, then 1/2 the rice, then chicken and end with rice. Wet a thin cotton dish towel, wring it out and spread it over the rice. Put the lid on and put it in a hot 400% oven for 15 minutes. Take it out and let it sit for 15 minutes and then gently stir it. Serve.

This makes about 8 cups of biryani. I like to fish out the whole cloves and the cardamoms before I bake it because they taste nasty if you bite them and it is hard to find them in the rice. I also take out the chilis and the cinnamon stick when I stir it up.
It is not hard, it just takes time and you have to plan ahead a little.

Orzo with roasted vegetables

I'm going to make this recipe as a side dish to the chicken w/ prosciutto and asiago - two of my favorites!

Orzo with Roasted Vegetables

Yield: 6 servings

1 small eggplant, peeled and 3/4-inch diced

1 red bell pepper, 1-inch diced

1 yellow bell pepper, 1-inch diced

1 red onion, peeled and 1-inch diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/3 cup good olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 pound orzo or rice-shaped pasta

For the dressing:

1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)

1/3 cup good olive oil

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

To assemble:

4 scallions, minced (white and green parts)

1/4 cup pignolis (pine nuts), toasted

3/4 pound good feta, 1/2-inch diced (not crumbled)

15 fresh basil leaves, cut into julienne

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Toss the eggplant, bell peppers, onion, and garlic with the olive oil, salt, and pepper on a large sheet pan. Roast for 40 minutes, until browned, turning once with a spatula.

Meanwhile, cook the orzo in boiling salted water for 7 to 9 minutes, until tender. Drain and transfer to a large serving bowl. Add the roasted vegetables to the pasta, scraping all the liquid and seasonings from the roasting pan into the pasta bowl.

For the dressing, combine the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper and pour on the pasta and vegetables. Let cool to room temperature, then add the scallions, pignolis, feta, and basil. Check the seasonings, and serve at room temperature.

Street tacos

Granted, I've never actually eaten a taco on the street, but I've had my share of "street tacos" and I love them.  Pork Carnitas are my personal favorite, but I can eat pretty much any meat in them.  Simple, yet satisfying.

Cuban Street Tacos

printed from melskitchencafe.com

*Serves 8

INGREDIENTS:

Shredded Pork:

4-pound boneless pork butt or boneless pork top loin roast, cut into 2-inch chunks

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil

1 cup water

1 cup chicken broth or stock

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon dried oregano

2 bay leaves

3 large garlic cloves, minced

1 jalapeño, minced

1 onion, peeled and halved

juice of 1 lime

1 medium orange, halved and juice, rinds reserved

Tortillas & Garnishes:

8 small corn or flour tortillas

1 small red onion, thinly sliced

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Sour cream/avocados, if desired

1 cup Monterey Jack cheese

2 limes, cut into wedges

DIRECTIONS:

Rub the pieces of pork all over with salt. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Heat oil in a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, until the oil is shimmering and hot. Add the pork and sear each piece on all sides, working in batches, if needed. Once browned, remove the pork to the slow cooker. Into the same pot used to sear the pork, pour in the water and chicken stock, scraping the bottom of the pan with a flat-edged spatula or wooden spoon to get up all the delicious brown bits from the bottom. Add pepper, cumin, chili powder, oregano, bay leaves, garlic, jalapenos, onion, lime juice, orange juice and orange rinds and bring to a simmer. Pour the mixture over the pork in the slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours, until the pork is very tender.

Remove the bay leaves, onion and orange rinds from the pot and discard. Remove the pork and place in a bowl and set aside. Pour the liquid from the slow cooker into a pot on the stove and over high heat, bring the mixture to a boil. Let the mixture boil until it reduces to about 1 cup and is thickened slightly, about 10 -15 minutes.

Shred the pork and place on a large patter. Spoon the sauce over the pork. Serve in tortillas garnished with onions, cilantro, cheese, sour cream, avocado and additional lime wedges, if desired.

Beef barley soup

Okay, here's the other recipe I'm making for the crockpot thingy.  Haven't tried it yet, a little scared of the barley part, but I'm willing to give it a try at least once.

Slow Cooker Beef and Barley Soup

Yields 4 servings

5 cups water

2 tsp Shirley J beef bouillon or 4 tsp regular bouillon granules

1/3 cup pearl barley

1/3 cup lentils

1 Tbsp dehydrated onion flakes (you could use fresh onion instead)

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 bay leaf

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1 1/2 lbs stew meat (preferably made with a roast from the chuck)

1/2 tsp thyme

1/2 tsp basil

1/2 tsp pepper

1 tsp salt

1 Tbsp red wine vinegar (plus more, if needed)

Place water, bouillon, mushrooms, barley, lentils, onion, garlic, bay leaf, stew meat, thyme, basil and salt in the slow cooker.

Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours, until lentils are cooked and stew meat is tender.

Add in the pepper and red wine vinegar.  Add in more basil, thyme and salt to taste.  Serve with warm bread.

Tomato Basil Ravioli soup -slow cooker style

Apparently there's this place in Utah and Idaho called Kneaders Bakery, and they supposedly have an awesome Tomato Basil Ravioli Soup.  I'm participating in a "March Madness" crockpot thingy, and this is one of the recipes that I was asked to make and review.  So far it smells pretty good, but I like the smell of onions drowning in butter on the stove.  I'll give you my review after I've tried it tonight.


Tomato Basil Ravioli Soup
Yields 6-8 servings

2 Tbsp butter
3 (14 1/2 oz) cans diced tomatoes, drained, juice reserved
1 small onion, diced finely
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp tomato paste
2 Tbsp flour
3 cups chicken broth
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup evaporated milk
12 oz frozen ravioli
1 1/2 tsp dried basil

Melt butter in skillet.  Add tomatoes, onions, tomato paste, 1/2 tsp salt and cook for about 5 minutes over medium heat.  Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute longer.  Whisk in 1 cup of broth.  Transfer contents of skillet to the slow cooker.  Stir in remaining broth, reserved tomato juice and bay leaves into slow cooker.  Cover and cook on LOW for 4-6 hours.  Discard the bay leaves.  Pour contents of slow cooker into a food processor or blender.  Blend until smooth.  Pour back into the slow cooker.  Stir in the milk, basil and ravioli.  Cover and cook on HIGH for 1 more hour, or until ravioli are cooked through.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Twice Baked Sweet Potato Skins

One of my newly developed tastes (as an adult) are sweet potatoes or yams, be it fries, casseroles or broiled.  I came across this recipe whilst browsing through a link on Pinterest.

Healthy Sweet Potato Skins       

Yields 2-3 servings

2 medium or large sweet potatoes

1 1/2 tablespoons butter

1 shallot, minced

1 bag fresh baby spinach

1/4 cup light sour cream

2 ounces light cream cheese

1 cup chickpeas (canned)

1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

salt and pepper to taste

Bake sweet potatoes at 350 for 45-60 minutes, or until fork tender.

Cut sweet potatoes in half and let cool for 5-10 minutes. While sweet potatoes are cooling, sauté the shallots with the butter over medium heat until translucent. Add fresh spinach and heat for 2-3 minutes, until spinach has cooked down. Set aside.

Scrape the sweet potato out of the peel, leaving a thin layer inside with the peel so that it can stand up on its own. Mash the sweet potato with the cream cheese and sour cream. Stir in chickpeas, spinach, and salt and pepper.

Coat potato skins with a drizzle of oil and bake for about 5 minutes to get a crispier outside. Remove from oven and fill each skin with the sweet potato mixture and top with shredded mozzarella cheese.   A little bacon on top wouldn’t hurt either!

Bake again for 10-15 minutes, or until cheese is melted and filling is heated through.  

These are a few of my favorite things

In order of deliciousness:  Peanut butter, chocolate, and cheesecake.


Reese’s Cheesecake Brownies
Servings: 12-18    
Ready in: 3 hours

One 19.5-oz. box chocolate fudge brownie mix
One 8-oz. package cream cheese, softened
One 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
½ cup creamy peanut butter
12 oz. Reese’s Pieces candy
One 12-oz. bag milk chocolate chips
3 tablespoons whipping cream
12 large Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat a 9x13 pan with cooking spray.

Prepare the brownie mix according to package directions. Spread the batter in pan and set
aside. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese with hand-held mixer until fluffy. Add condensed
milk and peanut butter and beat until smooth. Stir in the Reese’s Pieces candies. Spoon the
mixture over the batter. Spread evenly.

Bake for 40 minutes or until cheesecake layer is set and edges are golden brown. Cool for
30 minutes and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

In a small microwaveable bowl, microwave the chocolate chips and whipping cream for 1
minute, or until chips are melted. Stir until smooth. Spread over cheesecake layer. Sprinkle
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup pieces over top. Store covered in the refrigerator.