Chicken Biryani

2 tsp. canola oil
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 cup chopped onion (about 1 medium onion)
1 tsp minced fresh ginger
3/4 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups chopped plum tomato (about 2)
1 bag masamati rice
1/3 cup golden raisins
1 can chicken broth
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
4 lime wedges

Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken to pan. Saute 3 minutes. Add onion, saute 3 minutes. Add ginger, cumin, salt, and garlic. Saute 30 seconds. Add tomato, rice, raisins, and broth. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until rice is tender. Stir in cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.

Chickpea and sausage Stew

1 Tbls olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

12 ounces Italian sausage, thawed and castings removed

1 Tbls tomato paste

1/2 cup flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped

1/4 cup cilantro, roughly chopped

2 cups chicken or vegetable broth

2 15-ounce cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 10-ounce package frozen leaf spinach

Kosher salt and pepper

8 slices bread, toasted 

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, 5-7 min.  Add the sausage and cook, crumbling it with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 8 min.  Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 2 min.  Stir in the parsley and cilantro and cook for 1 minute more.  Add the brother and chickpeas and bring to a boil.  Add the frozen spinach and simmer, partially covered for 10 min, stirring occasionally with a fork to separate the leaves.  Stir in 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper.  Divide the toasted bread, among individual bowls and spoon the stew on top.

Ginger chicken with sesame spinach

This is a super easy recipe from Real Simple magazine. If you have the ingredients on-hand, it's fast! I like it all mixed up with soy sauce on top.

1 cup long grain white rice (prepared according to package directions)
4 6 oz boneless chicken breasts, halves (recipe calls for chicken with skin - but i just stuffed the ginger inside)
2 Tbls grated ginger
Kosher salt and pepper
1 Tbls olive oil
2 Tbls sesame oil
2 tsp sesame seeds
2 bunches spinach (1 pd) trimmed

Pat the chicken dry. Stuff the ginger under the chicken skin or inside. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook until done.

Heat the sesame oil and seeds in another large skillet over medium heat until the sees are light gold, about 2 minutes. Add the spinach, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper and cook until wilted.

Divide the rice, spinach and chicken among individual plates and serve!

Apricot Chicken and Rice Salad

3 1/2 cups cold water
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/2 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and halved
1 box instant brown rice (14 oz)
3/4 cup chopped dried apricots
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup chives
1 green bell pepper
2 cups diced, cooked chicken breast

Dressing
2 Tbls olive oil
2 Tbls white wine vinegar
2 Tbls dry sherry
1 Tbls mayo
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp black pepper
pinch of cayenne

In a 4 quart pot, bring 1st four ingredients to a boil. Stir in rice, cover tightly, and cook over low heat for about 10 minutes until water is absorbed. While the rice is cooking, combine all dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Remove rice from heat and discard ginger. Stir in apricots, raisins, chives, bell peppers, chicken, and almonds if desired. Add dressing. Cover and refrigerate.

I got this recipe a long time ago - a long time ago - from a friend in Wisconsin. I tried it again tonight. It seemed just as good now as it did then.

Flank Steak and Edamame with Wasabi dressing

1 (1-pound) flank steak, trimmed - I also used tender chuck cut
2 Tbls plus 2 tsp soy sauce, divided
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
Cooking spray
1 tsp dark sesame oil
1 Tbls ground fresh ginger
2 tsp bottled minced garlic
1 (10 oz package) frozen shelled edamame, thawed
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tsp wasabi paste

Heat a grill pan over med-high heat. Rub steak with 2 tsp soy sauce, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Coat pain with cooking spray. Add steak to pan. Cook for 5 min on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Remove from pan. Let stand 10 min. Then, cut steak diagonally across the grain into 1/2 inch thick slices.

Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over med high heat. Add ginger and garlic. Saute 1 min. Add remaining soy sauce and edamame to pan and cook 2 min.

Combine vinegar and wasabi paste in a bowl, stirring until smooth. Place 1/2 cup edamame mix on each plate. Top each serving with 3 oz steak. Drizzle each with 1 Tbls vinegar mix.

Tuna Salad Nicoise

4 small red new potatoes, quartered
1/2 pd green snap beans, trimmed
1/3 cup chicken broth
2 tsp. red wine vinegar
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp olive oil
salt, black pepper
4 pieces Boston lettuce
6 oz can white tuna in water
2 tsp capers
8 olives, sliced in half

Cover potatoes in water by pan by 2 inches, cook on high heat and boil. Reduce heat and simmer 6 min. Add green beans and cook until potatoes are tender. Drain and transfer to a large bowl. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together broth, vinegar, mustard and oil. Season. Add 1/2 of dressing to potatoes and beans. Toss to coat.

Place leaf lettuce on plates. Top with 1/4 green bean mix, then top with tuna, capers and olive halves. Drizzle each with remaining dressing.

Sand Art Brownies

Ingredients to make 1 dozen quart size jars
12 oz Cocoa
42 oz Chocolate Chips
42 oz Vanilla Chips
32 oz English Walnuts (use halves)
50 oz Brown Sugar
5 lbs flour
5 lbs sugar

For each jar, place in layers
2/3 tsp salt
1/2 plus 1/8 cup flour
1/3 cup cocoa
1/2 cup flour
2/3 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup white sugar
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup vanilla chips
1/2 cup walnuts

Use a quart jar with a wide mouth, it's much easier to fill. When the jar is filled, cut a circle of cloth in a circle and place over the cover. Make a label for the jar that reads the following.

SAND ART BROWNIES
Combine contents of jar with
1 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
Pour into greased pan and baked at 350 degrees.
7x11 pan - 30 to 35 min
9x9 pan - 25 to 30 min

These make great teacher/neighbor/coworker gifts.

Quiche Lorraine (Cheese and Bacon Quiche)

9-inch unbaked pie shell
1/2 pound sliced bacon
1 1/2 cups grated Swiss cheese (6 oz)
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups light cream (=half and half)
dash of grated nutmeg
dash of cayenne
dash of ground black pepper

1. Prepare pie shell.
2. Cut up bacon while raw into small pieces. Fry bacon until crisp, drain on paper towels. Sprinkle over bottom of pie shell.
3. Sprinkle grated Swiss cheese over the bacon pieces.
4. Pre-heat oven to 375.
5. In a medium bowl, whisk together egss with light cream, nutmeg, cayenne, and pepper until well combined but not frothy. Pour mixture into pie shell slowly and carefull so your don't disturb the bacon or cheese.
6. Bake 35-40 minutes, or until the top is golden and the center seems firm when shaken gently.
7. Let quiche cool on a wire rack for 10 min before serving.

Makes 6 dinner servings, or 12 Hors d'oeuvre servings. Can be served warm or chilled after backing. Refrigerate left-overs.