Tandoori Chicken is a traditional Indian recipe. I don't have a tandoor oven and I don't have access to all of the spices they use, but this recipe is a pretty good imitation. It's Indian comfort food, perfect for the freezing January weather we're having here. It also cooks in a crockpot or slow cooker so it's a great lazy recipe.
You can buy a tandoor oven (or here) if you want, but be prepared to spend some serious money.
You can put cilantro on top of this if you want, but that weed is banned from my house. I think it's nasty, it gives me migraines, and it makes my tummy very unhappy. It's not allowed here, but if you like it, feel free to add it to the recipe.
Tandoori Chicken with Golden Rice
4 - 6 chicken breasts, about 2 lbs, cut into fourths
1 onion, sliced
1 bell pepper, sliced
1 8 oz can pineapple chunks
1 t. ginger
1/2 t. cayenne
1/4 t. ground cloves
1/2 t. black pepper
1 t. salt
1/4 t. ground cardamom
1 t. cumin
1 t. garlic powder
1 t. paprika
1 T. lemon juice
1 c. plain yogurt (optional-it just makes the sauce creamier)
For chicken: Place onions in the bottom of a 2 - 3 qt crock pot or slow cooker. Layer chicken on top. Add peppers and pineapple. Mix all spices with lemon juice. Pour over chicken. Cook on low 4 - 6 hours, until chicken is tender. Stir yogurt in just before serving.
2 c. rice
4 c. water
2 t. salt
1 t. turmeric
For rice: place rice, water, salt, and turmeric in a 2 - 3 qt sauce pan. Cover and bring to a boil. Turn heat to low and cook 18 - 20 minutes, until rice is tender. Fluff with a fork before serving.
Showing posts with label comfort food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label comfort food. Show all posts
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Thursday Recipe - Bacon Bread
Here's a recipe that caught my eye. It has BACON, and a very short list of ingredients. I'm getting the bacon out and making this bread this weekend. Imagine toast with the bacon cooked right in... *wipe drool off my chin*
Bacon Bread
3 1/2 to 3 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 T dry yeast (or 1 package)
10 slices bacon
1 1/4 c. milk
1 T. sugar
1 t. salt
Combine 1 c. of the flour with the yeast. Set aside. Cook bacon until crisp, drain on paper towels reserving 2 T. of the bacon grease. Finely crumble bacon and set aside. Heat milk, bacon grease, sugar, and salt until warm (115-120°, a very warm bathtub temp), stirring constantly. Add to flour/yeast mixture. Beat for 5 minutes by hand, or 3 with a mixer. Make sure it's a sturdy stand mixture. I've stripped gears on more than one mixer trying to make bread.
Add bacon and enough of the flour to make a soft dough. Mix this in by hand! The dough should be slightly sticky. Knead about 8-10 minutes until smooth and elastic. The longer you mix it, the chewier the bread will be. Place dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours. Punch down. This is just what is sounds like. Punch that dough to deflate it, fold in the sides and squish it down into the bowl. Let it sit for 10 minutes. Shape into a loaf and place in a greased loaf pan. Cover and let it rise until double, about 30 minutes. Bake at 375° for 35 minutes, cool on a wire rack. Makes one large loaf.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Thursday Recipe - Cream of Tomato Soup, aka Eyeball Soup
Who doesn't want soup when it's about ten degrees below "It's dang COLD out there!"?
This recipe is my take on a classic soup I learned to make in Jr. High Cooking class. A little tweak here or there, and you could come up with your own signature version.
Why eyeball soup? If you use frozen pearl onions for the chopped onion, they look like eyeballs. It's a Halloween tradition, although I need to figure out how to make it with a milk substitute. I think coconut milk might work, but I haven't tried it yet.
I like the soup better the next day. The flavor mellows after refrigeration. Make it a day or two ahead, then pour it into a crockpot and let it slowly warm up the next day. Plan on about 2 hours on low. Serve this one with croutons, toast, grilled cheese, whatever your favorite side is. I like the soup in a mug just to sip. Creamy and delicious.
Classic Cream of Tomato Soup
1 48 oz can vegetable cocktail juice (tastes better than straight tomato, but you choose)
1/2 c. finely minced onion
1/2 t. ground black pepper
1/3 c. butter
1/3 c. flour
4 c. milk
Pour vegetable juice in a large pot, I use a 4-qt saucepan. Add onions and pepper. Let simmer over medium heat. Don't boil, just get it nice and hot.
Meanwhile, melt butter in a 2-qt saucepan. When its completely melted, stir in flour. Whisk until smooth. Cook 1 minute until bubbly. Stir in milk a little at a time, whisking smooth between additions. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Boil and stir 1 minute.
Make sure the vegetable juice mixture is just barely below boiling. Stir in milk mixture. Whisk until smooth. Reduce heat to low, cook for 1 minute. Taste, add salt if needed. Serve immediately or chill, reheat, and serve another day.
Variations
Stir in whichever of the following sounds good to you. I prefer mine straight.
1/2 t. garlic powder or 2 cloves fresh garlic, finely minced and added with the onion
dash of cayenne pepper powder, if you like it hot
1 t. dried parsley or 1 T. fresh parsley, chopped, sprinkle on top of each serving
1 T. fresh chives, chopped, sprinkle over the top of each serving
Sour cream, use as a garnish
This recipe is my take on a classic soup I learned to make in Jr. High Cooking class. A little tweak here or there, and you could come up with your own signature version.
Why eyeball soup? If you use frozen pearl onions for the chopped onion, they look like eyeballs. It's a Halloween tradition, although I need to figure out how to make it with a milk substitute. I think coconut milk might work, but I haven't tried it yet.
I like the soup better the next day. The flavor mellows after refrigeration. Make it a day or two ahead, then pour it into a crockpot and let it slowly warm up the next day. Plan on about 2 hours on low. Serve this one with croutons, toast, grilled cheese, whatever your favorite side is. I like the soup in a mug just to sip. Creamy and delicious.
Classic Cream of Tomato Soup
1 48 oz can vegetable cocktail juice (tastes better than straight tomato, but you choose)
1/2 c. finely minced onion
1/2 t. ground black pepper
1/3 c. butter
1/3 c. flour
4 c. milk
Pour vegetable juice in a large pot, I use a 4-qt saucepan. Add onions and pepper. Let simmer over medium heat. Don't boil, just get it nice and hot.
Meanwhile, melt butter in a 2-qt saucepan. When its completely melted, stir in flour. Whisk until smooth. Cook 1 minute until bubbly. Stir in milk a little at a time, whisking smooth between additions. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Boil and stir 1 minute.
Make sure the vegetable juice mixture is just barely below boiling. Stir in milk mixture. Whisk until smooth. Reduce heat to low, cook for 1 minute. Taste, add salt if needed. Serve immediately or chill, reheat, and serve another day.
Variations
Stir in whichever of the following sounds good to you. I prefer mine straight.
1/2 t. garlic powder or 2 cloves fresh garlic, finely minced and added with the onion
dash of cayenne pepper powder, if you like it hot
1 t. dried parsley or 1 T. fresh parsley, chopped, sprinkle on top of each serving
1 T. fresh chives, chopped, sprinkle over the top of each serving
Sour cream, use as a garnish
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Thursday Recipe - Biscuits'n'Gravy
I stayed up far too late last night writing a new story. I wasn't planning on it. The idea for the title came to me during a chat. I fell in love with it but didn't know what to do or where the story was going, so I typed the title and left it while I finished chatting with friends. A while later the idea for an opening line slipped into my head. I added that. Before I knew it, the story was taking shape and I didn't want to stop. Then it was almost midnight and I was typing the end. I love it when that happens, although it wreaks havoc on my sleep schedule and makes it hard to get up for work the next morning.
What does that have to do with biscuits and gravy?
The older I get, the more things get difficult. I'm not ancient, not by a long shot, but I have enough health problems I may as well be in a rocking chair with my knitting. Except I don't own a rocking chair and I can't knit to save my life. So staying up late, something I would have never thought twice about when I didn't have to be up to go to work, becomes a rare event. Midnight comes and goes while I sleep. And biscuits and gravy no longer happen at my house.
I love sausage, but I can't have MSG and bulk sausage without MSG is very hard to find. I've also become very lactose intolerant, so milk no longer is part of my diet. And since I have issues with my blood sugar and insulin, white biscuits don't happen, either, and whole wheat biscuits just don't taste the same.
So, here is one of my favorite breakfasts. I shall drool and live vicariously through the recipe. And in case you are wondering, no, I'm not Southern. My mom introduced this recipe to me. Her mom used to make it for her. I can still smell it cooking in her big old cast iron frying pan.
Biscuits and Gravy
1 lb bulk sausage
1/3 c. flour
3 c. milk
salt to taste
cracked pepper to taste
2 c. all-purpose flour
1 T. sugar
1 t. salt
2 t. baking powder
1/4 c. shortening
1/4 c. real butter, softened
3/4 c. milk
Cook sausage in large frying pan, breaking it up into smaller chunks. When sausage is brown, remove to a plate lined with paper towels. Cover and set aside. Drain off grease, reserving about a third of a cup in the pan. Add 1/3 c. flour to grease. Cook and stir until the mix makes a smooth paste and is bubbly. Add 3 c. milk a little at a time, stirring constantly to keep from forming lumps. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cook and stir for one more minute. Add in sausage. Add salt and plenty of pepper, to taste. Cover and set aside to keep warm.
Heat oven to 400° F. Mix 2 c. flour, 1 T. sugar, 1 t. salt, and 2 t. baking powder in large mixing bowl. Add shortening and butter. Mash around with a fork until mixture resembles corn meal or fine crumbs. Add milk and stir just enough to mix together. If it's not sticky, carefully pat out and cut out biscuits, placing on a greased baking sheet. If it is sticky, scoop it onto the sheet in lumps of about 1/4 c. I know it's traditional to roll it out, but the drop version are really easy and just as tasty. They don't flake, though, so if that's important to you, add just enough milk to make a soft dough.
Bake biscuits at 400° F for 12 - 15 minutes, just until nicely brown.
Serve gravy over hot biscuits with more cracked pepper sprinkled over the top. Savor the moment and enjoy it for me. I really wish I were eating biscuits and gravy this morning instead of my healthy oatmeal. *sigh*
What does that have to do with biscuits and gravy?
The older I get, the more things get difficult. I'm not ancient, not by a long shot, but I have enough health problems I may as well be in a rocking chair with my knitting. Except I don't own a rocking chair and I can't knit to save my life. So staying up late, something I would have never thought twice about when I didn't have to be up to go to work, becomes a rare event. Midnight comes and goes while I sleep. And biscuits and gravy no longer happen at my house.
I love sausage, but I can't have MSG and bulk sausage without MSG is very hard to find. I've also become very lactose intolerant, so milk no longer is part of my diet. And since I have issues with my blood sugar and insulin, white biscuits don't happen, either, and whole wheat biscuits just don't taste the same.
So, here is one of my favorite breakfasts. I shall drool and live vicariously through the recipe. And in case you are wondering, no, I'm not Southern. My mom introduced this recipe to me. Her mom used to make it for her. I can still smell it cooking in her big old cast iron frying pan.
Biscuits and Gravy
1 lb bulk sausage
1/3 c. flour
3 c. milk
salt to taste
cracked pepper to taste
2 c. all-purpose flour
1 T. sugar
1 t. salt
2 t. baking powder
1/4 c. shortening
1/4 c. real butter, softened
3/4 c. milk
Cook sausage in large frying pan, breaking it up into smaller chunks. When sausage is brown, remove to a plate lined with paper towels. Cover and set aside. Drain off grease, reserving about a third of a cup in the pan. Add 1/3 c. flour to grease. Cook and stir until the mix makes a smooth paste and is bubbly. Add 3 c. milk a little at a time, stirring constantly to keep from forming lumps. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cook and stir for one more minute. Add in sausage. Add salt and plenty of pepper, to taste. Cover and set aside to keep warm.
Heat oven to 400° F. Mix 2 c. flour, 1 T. sugar, 1 t. salt, and 2 t. baking powder in large mixing bowl. Add shortening and butter. Mash around with a fork until mixture resembles corn meal or fine crumbs. Add milk and stir just enough to mix together. If it's not sticky, carefully pat out and cut out biscuits, placing on a greased baking sheet. If it is sticky, scoop it onto the sheet in lumps of about 1/4 c. I know it's traditional to roll it out, but the drop version are really easy and just as tasty. They don't flake, though, so if that's important to you, add just enough milk to make a soft dough.
Bake biscuits at 400° F for 12 - 15 minutes, just until nicely brown.
Serve gravy over hot biscuits with more cracked pepper sprinkled over the top. Savor the moment and enjoy it for me. I really wish I were eating biscuits and gravy this morning instead of my healthy oatmeal. *sigh*
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Food for the Soul - Chicken soup my way
Ever have one of those family recipes that is more than just food? Comfort food for me feeds the soul and heart. This recipe is one of those my family requests, especially in those dreary days before spring decides to actually arrive. Enjoy it with fresh bread, crackers, or our favorite, garlic croutons. I love it because it's quick, easy, and fairly light on the waistline while being very satisfying.
Chicken Soup
1 lb chicken, boneless skinless breasts preferred, cut in small chunks
1 onion, chopped
2 T. butter
4 c. carrot slices
2 c. celery slices
2 T. candied ginger, minced fine
1/2 t. black pepper
1 t. dried parsley (or 1 T. fresh, chopped fine)
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/4 c. chicken soup base (I like the vegetarian version Blue Chip Baker makes) OR 6 chicken bouillon cubes
8 c. hot water
2 c. egg noodles
Melt butter in large pot. Add chicken and onion. Saute until meat is almost cooked and onion is soft. Add everything else except noodles. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes until carrots are soft. Adjust seasonings, adding salt to taste. Add noodles, cook 3 - 4 minutes longer. Serve immediately.
Chicken with Rice: Substitute 1 c. uncooked rice for the noodles. Add with the carrots. Cover and simmer soup for 45 minutes. Season to taste and serve.
Chicken Soup
1 lb chicken, boneless skinless breasts preferred, cut in small chunks
1 onion, chopped
2 T. butter
4 c. carrot slices
2 c. celery slices
2 T. candied ginger, minced fine
1/2 t. black pepper
1 t. dried parsley (or 1 T. fresh, chopped fine)
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/4 c. chicken soup base (I like the vegetarian version Blue Chip Baker makes) OR 6 chicken bouillon cubes
8 c. hot water
2 c. egg noodles
Melt butter in large pot. Add chicken and onion. Saute until meat is almost cooked and onion is soft. Add everything else except noodles. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes until carrots are soft. Adjust seasonings, adding salt to taste. Add noodles, cook 3 - 4 minutes longer. Serve immediately.
Chicken with Rice: Substitute 1 c. uncooked rice for the noodles. Add with the carrots. Cover and simmer soup for 45 minutes. Season to taste and serve.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Hot Fudge Sundae Cake
This recipe is sure to get your creative juices flowing. Digestive juices for certain. How about picking up a copy of my book to read while you wait for it to cook? Several times over, since my novel will take more than 30 minutes to read? http://www.nexuspoint.info
Hot Fudge Sundae Cake
1 c. flour
1 c. whole wheat flour
1 c. sugar
1/4 c. cocoa
4 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1 c. milk
1/4 c. vegetable oil
2 t. vanilla
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. cocoa
2 1/2 c. really hot tap water
Heat oven to 350. Mix flours, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, and salt in mixing bowl. Add milk, oil, and vanilla. Stir until smooth. Spread in 9x13 cake pan. Sprinkle brown sugar and cocoa over the top. Pour water over everything. DO NOT MIX IN. It looks weird, but it will turn out. Bake for 35 - 40 minutes. Serve hot. Cake will be on top with hot fudge sauce underneath.
Really yummy with peppermint or strawberry ice cream.
Hot Fudge Sundae Cake
1 c. flour
1 c. whole wheat flour
1 c. sugar
1/4 c. cocoa
4 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1 c. milk
1/4 c. vegetable oil
2 t. vanilla
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. cocoa
2 1/2 c. really hot tap water
Heat oven to 350. Mix flours, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, and salt in mixing bowl. Add milk, oil, and vanilla. Stir until smooth. Spread in 9x13 cake pan. Sprinkle brown sugar and cocoa over the top. Pour water over everything. DO NOT MIX IN. It looks weird, but it will turn out. Bake for 35 - 40 minutes. Serve hot. Cake will be on top with hot fudge sauce underneath.
Really yummy with peppermint or strawberry ice cream.
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