chicken biryani

01 Tuesday May 2012

Tags

basmati rice, biryani, cardamom, casserole, chicken, chicken biryani, cloves, ginger, Indian cooking, rice dish, yogurt

This is a delicious one-dish meal. Although it does require a little more preparation than the average dish, the smell of freshly ground spices is heavenly and the flavor of the end result is worth the effort!

Chicken Biryani

10 whole green cardamom pods

1-1/2 cups basmati rice, soaked and drained

1/2 teaspoon salt

2-3 whole cloves

2 inch cinnamon stick

3 tablespoons canola oil

3 onions, sliced

4 chicken breasts (preferably from organic, free-range chickens), cubed

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon ginger, peeled and grated

juice of 1 lemon

4 tomatoes, sliced

2 tablespoons fresh coriander, chopped

2/3 cup plain organic yogurst

4-5 strands of saffrom, soaked in 2 teaspoons hot milk

2/3 cup water

toasted flaked almonds and fresh coriander sprigs to garnish

natural yogurt, to serve

Preheat oven to 375 degrees (F). Remove the seeds from half the cardamom pods and grind them finely, using a mortar and pestle. Set aside. Bring a large pot of water to boil and add the rice, salt, whole cardamom pods, cloves and cinnamon stick. Boil for 2 minutes, then drain, leaving the whole spices in the rice.

Heat the oil in a frying pan (or dutch oven) and fry the onions for 8 minutes, until softened and browned. Add the chicken and the ground spices, including the ground cardamom seeds. Mix well, then add the garlic, ginger and lemon juice. Stir fry for 5 minutes.

Transfer the chicken mixture to a casserole (unless using a dutch oven) and arrange the tomatoes on top. Sprinkle on the fresh chopped coriander, spoon the yogurt evenly on top and cover with the drained rice.

Drizzle the saffron milk over the rice and pour over the water. Cover tightly and bake for 1 hour. Transfer to a warmed serving platter and remove the whole spices from the rice. Garnish with the toasted almonds and fresh sprigs of coriander and serve with the yogurt. Enjoy!

Resource:

Ingram, C. (1999). Rice and Risotto: Cooking with the World’s Best-Loved Grain. London: Lorenz Books.

Asian-style chicken wings

14 Saturday Apr 2012

Posted by Delena Rose in cook

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Asian, BBQ, chicken, chicken wings, marinade, outdoor cooking, wings

With the warmer days it’s been so nice to do more outdoor cooking. Here is my friend, Michele’s basic recipe for Asian-style marinade for chicken wings. I’ve been using it for years and love the flavor!

Asian-Style Chicken Wings

1 lb (or more) organic, free-range chicken

¼ cup light soy sauce

1 tablespoon dark soy sauce

1 teaspoon sesame oil

4 tablespoons white wine

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons honey (or natural sweetener of your choice)

1 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

Mix all ingredients thorough. Pour over chicken and refrigerate for a minimum of four hours or overnight.

Feel free to try other variations to your taste. For example, try adding 1 tablespoon of hoisin sauce or oyster sauce. Also, you can add more garlic or black pepper. Enjoy!

lemon buttered chicken with thyme

21 Tuesday Feb 2012

Posted by Delena Rose in cook

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

butter, chicken, dinner, herbed chicken, lemon, lemon buttered chicken, paprika, thyme

This dish is so simple to make and always turns out moist and delicious. This is one of those no-fuss dishes that are great when cooking for large groups. I love the lemon-butter-thyme combination of flavors with the chicken. Of course, the entire house smells wonderful as it roasts in the oven!

Lemon Buttered Chicken with Thyme

About 8 chicken thighs (organic, free-range, if possible)

4 tablespoons olive oil

4 tablespoons butter, melted

juice of 2 lemons

8-12 sprigs fresh thyme, stems removed (must be fresh, dried will not do)

1 teaspoon paprika

salt and pepper

Using your hands, rub oil all over each chicken thigh and place in an oven-proof baking dish. Generously grind salt and pepper and then sprinkle the paprika over the chicken. Spoon a bit of melted butter over each piece of chicken, then follow with the lemon juice. Liberally sprinkle the thyme over the chicken. Roast in a 425 degree (F) oven for 35 minutes. During this time, spoon more melted butter and lemon juice over the chicken twice. Serve immediately with rice or pasta and vegetables. Enjoy!

paella for dinner

13 Friday Jan 2012

Posted by Delena Rose in cook

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

casserole, chicken, one-dish meal, paella, peas, peppers, rice, rice dish, sausage, scallops, shrimp, Spanish cooking

I used to think that paella was a complicated dish to make and that I needed that special pan to make it properly. Recently I experimented and found that paella is actually very easy and worth the effort in preparing it! The name of this dish comes from the shallow round pan or ‘Paellera’ that it is traditionally cooked in. However, any shallow pan will make a suitable substitute.

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 boned chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces

1/2 lb prawns and scallops, raw and shells removed

1 cup spicy sausage, cut into bite-sized pieces

half each of a yellow, red and green pepper, diced

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

1 medium onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups long grain rice (I use scented or jasmine rice)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

4 cups chicken or vegetable broth

1 cup frozen peas

1 lemon, cut into wedges

Soak rice in cold water for about 10 minutes. Drain and rinse a few times under cold running water.

Heat olive oil in a large wok or pan and add chicken. Cook over medium-hugh heat until golden brown. Remove from pan and place on a paper towel to help remove excess oil. Add peppers, parsley, prawns, scallops and sausage to the pan and stir-fry over medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Set aside in a separate bowl.

Heat the extra tablespoon oil in the pan and add garlic, onions. Cook on medium heat for a few minutes and then add the rice. Stir until all of the grains of rice are well-coated with the oil. Add the turmeric and stock and cover the pan with a tight fitting lid.

Bring stock to a boil and stir. Then reduce the heat and allow mixture to simmer for 10 minutes. Add chicken on top of rice, cover and allow mixture to cook for another 10 minutes.

Add the peppers, sausage and seafood mixtures and the peas. Cover and continue to cook on low heat for 10 minutes, or until all of the liquid has been absorbed.

Remove from heat and allow to stand for another 5 minutes. Separate rice grains with a fork just before serving on a large platter garnished with lemon wedges. Enjoy!