Saturday, May 31, 2008

Macaroni and Cheese

Macaroni and cheese (sometimes referred to as macaroni cheese or mac 'n' cheese in parts of the U.S., Canada and the United Kingdom and Ireland) is a common dish. It's specially kid favorite.
Packaged versions are available, consisting of boxed pasta and a cheese powder, to which are added butter and milk (or water). But there is nothing like home made mac 'n' cheese made from scratch.


Serves 4

Ingredients:
  • 1/3 cup finely chopped onion
  • 3 1/2 cups cooked elbow macaroni
  • 4 cups shredded low-fat cheddar cheese
  • 2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley
  • 2 cups fat-free evaporated milk
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper (fresh ground makes it really good)
  • 2 eggs
Directions:
  1. Caramelize the onions in a skillet on the stove top.
  2. Add the macaroni, cheddar cheese and parsley.
  3. In a bowl mix the milk, mustard, salt, eggs, and pepper.
  4. Mix until it is well combined and somewhat smooth.
  5. Stir into macaroni mixture.
  6. Pour into a 1 1/2 quart casserole coated with nonstick cooking spray.
  7. Bake, uncovered at 350 F for 20- 25 minutes or until lightly- browned.
  8. Burnt cheese bits are good.

Saturday, May 10, 2008

Biryani

Biryani, biriani, or beriani (Nastaliq script: بریانی; Devanagari script: बिरयानी; Bengali script: িবিরয়ানी) is a family of primarily South Asian dishes made from a mixture of spices, rice (usually basmati), meat/vegetables and yogurt. It was spread through out the Middle East and South Asia (and Southeast Asia to an extent) by Muslim travellers and merchants, and is very popular in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. The name is derived from the Persian word beryā(n) (بریان) which means "fried" or "roasted". There are many kinds of biryanis and each kind has a uniqueness about it. Pre-mixed biryani spices from different commercial names are easily available in markets these days, which reduces the preparation time though the taste differs considerably.

This is a brilliant dish to make for friends because you can leave it to cook for an hour, and end up with the complete meal in one dish. Choose a light accompaniment, like a green salad, because it’s quite filling. I tend to use canned chickpeas, but if you want to use dried you’ll need to get organised the day before, to soak them in cold water overnight then, next day, simmer for 20 minutes until tender.

No preparation required.

Serves 4.

Ingredients:
  1. 1 Red pepper chopped
  2. 1 yellow pepper chopped
  3. 2 small onions chopped
  4. 3 teaspoons coriander powder
  5. 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
  6. 1 bunch fresh coriander leaves washed and finely chopped
  7. 1 teaspoon olive oil
  8. 8 pieces of skinless boneless chicken thighs
  9. 2 green chillies sliced and chopped with seeds intact
  10. 3 cloves of garlic minced
  11. 1 cup soaked chickpeas
  12. 1 cup basmati rice
  13. 1 big lemon juice
  14. 11/2 cups of chicken stock

Directions:
  1. Preheat a non-stick casserole in the oven to 400 degrees Farenheight
  2. Heat a pan with 1 teaspoon of olive oil.
  3. Add 8 pieces of boneless, skinless chicken thighs and toss till brown.
  4. Remove the chicken thighs from pan and set aside.
  5. In the pan, fry chopped onions, red and yellow peppers till the ends turn brown.
  6. Add chopped fresh coriander, minced garlic, 1 cup of soaked chickpeas, 1 1/2 teaspoon salt, 3 teaspoon coriander powder, and mix.
  7. Add 3 cups of chicken stock, rice and lemon juice
  8. Bring to boil
  9. Transfer the contents of the pan into the pre-heated casserole.
  10. Spread the cooked chicken over the rice mixture and cover.
  11. Put the non-stick casserole back in the oven and bake for 50 minutes at 400 degrees Farenheight.

Tomato soup

No preparation required.

Fresh homemade tomato soup, nothing like it. Ideal when tomatoes are in season and plentiful. It can also be prepared with vegetable stock.

Serves 4

Ingredients:
  1. 1 tablespoon olive oil
  2. 1 cup chopped onion
  3. 2 cloves garlic, minced
  4. 1 (28 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
  5. 3 1/2 cups chicken broth
  6. 1 tablespoon vegetarian Worcestershire sauce
  7. 1 teaspoon salt
  8. 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  9. 4 drops hot pepper sauce

Directions:
  1. Heat oil in a pan on medium-high heat.
  2. Saute onion and garlic until onion is tender.
  3. Stir in tomatoes, broth, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper and hot pepper sauce. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer 20 minutes, stirring frequently.

Friday, May 2, 2008

Tandoori Chicken - Home style

Tandoori Chicken is a Punjabi dish dating back to the time of the Mughal Empire in Central and Southern Asia, it is still popular throughout that area.

This home made recipe needs no tandoor, no food colour. Absolutely healthy.

Needs preperation.

Serves: 2






Ingredients:
  1. 2 1/2 cups of full plain yogurt
  2. 2 tbspns fresh lemon juice
  3. 4 tbspns crushed garlic
  4. 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
  5. 2 tspn coriander powder
  6. 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
  7. 2 teaspoon black pepper
  8. 1 teaspoon paprika
  9. 1 teaspoon turmeric
  10. 8 chicken legs skinless

Directions:
  1. In a blender, mix 1 1/2 cups of full plain yogurt, 2 tbspns fresh lemon juice, 4 tbspns crushed garlic, 1 1/2 teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoon coriander powder, 2 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon turmeric, 1 teaspoon paprika.
  2. Transfer to a large bowl.
  3. Soak the chicken legs in the mixture and toss to coat. Cover the bowl and leave in the fridge overnight.
  4. Place the marinated-covered chicken in the oven. Do not wash away the marinate from the chicken but discard any left the the bowl.
  5. Bake the chicken for 1 hour at 450 degree Fahrenheit. Toss sides after every 10 minutes.

Search Food Fanatic

Food Fanatic Search Results