Basmati Rice Oh So Nice

Basmati Rice Oh So Nice

This technique for cooking up a dish of non-sticky naturally nutty basmati rice can be used with any type of rice, but I am now completely hooked cooking rice this way along with only using Basmati rice - I haven't had plain rice since my boyfriend turned me on...to this technique of cooking rice of course, just like his Greek Jewish Mom does.

• 1 cup basmati rice (we use the basmati rice from the Himalayan area - you can get a huge bag from BJ's for $12- much more affordable than the smaller bag amounts you typically find at the grocery store.)
• 2 cups water
• 1 large onion diced
• 3 fresh garlic cloves minced
• 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon "Better than Bullion Chicken" (optional but really makes it extra great)
• 2 stalks fresh scallions minced/chopped small (optional)
• 1-2 tablespoons freshly minced cilantro (optional)
• Juice of one lemon (optional when wishing a rice pilaf taste)
• 1/8 cup white wine (optional - but minus 1/8 cup water of total 2 cups of water)
• 2-3 paper towels - you will see why in a moment...
• wood spoon or wood spatula (spatula best)
• fork for fluffing the rice when its time
• Equipment Needed:
• 1-1/2 quart pot with tight lid.
• Hungry people craving rice but bad!

1. Measure out all your ingredients and have ready.
2. Slice onion if you haven't done that already and heat up pot on stove.
3. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and let heat up in pot.
4. Add onion and let cook on medium till translucent, stirring often.
5. I prefer my onions to brown and caramel a little, but try not to burn your onions.
6. Once onions are cooked through, add garlic and cook for ONE minute - you do not wish to burn garlic.
7. Add rice (yes without any water), using wood spatula, stir rice until each rice has a little of the remaining olive oil on it.
8. (This is the little secret of his mom, in creating rice that does not stick)
9. Continue stirring rice for 2 minutes, put heat on low if you have to.
10. Add wine first if using that, stir then add the water, stirring again.
11. Add salt and pepper and any other optional ingredients except for the scallions - it's their turn at the end)
12. Put on lid and turn heat up.
13. Pay attention till when rice starts to boil, turn down heat at once and put on low.
14. Let cook and simmer on low for 10 minutes or until water has been absorbed.
15. To check for water absorption - take a spoon or knife and gently pull a little of the rice aside looking for any water - is water all gone?
16. Great! Once water has evaporated, turn off the heat and grab those paper towels.
17. Fold up paper towels, and place just under lid and let rice "sit" for 5 minutes.
18. Put lid back on pot sitting on top of paper towels.
19. The paper towels will soak up any of the extra steam that the rice will give Remember that the heat is off under the rice at this point.
20. During this time, it's great to plate your main dishes, call your peeps to the dinner table, etc. while the rice is "resting".
21. When ready, taking a fork, "fluff" up your rice, using a fork is essential. Serve with sprinkled diced scallions on top - and voila.
22. Basmati Rice Oh So Nice - time to eat!

Basmati Rice Oh So Nice @ Group Recipes

In A Hurry Moo Shu Chicken Stir Fry

In a Hurry Moo Shoo Chicken Stir Fry

Quick and slightly different stir fry chicken tastes a lot like Moo Shu Chicken - I added broccoli - but grab those crepes from your local Chinese market/restaurant to make it completely authentic at home.

I made this up last night and was happily impressed with its similarity to one of my favorite Moo Shu dishes -swap out chicken for beef or pork..choice is yours...serve with rice...enjoy! And get yourself real Hoisin Sauce from an Asian market to make it completely authentic - it really affects the end results!

• 1 whole chicken breast (both sides, skin removed, bone removed) - sliced into 1/2" strips


• 1 cup fresh broccoli cut up into bite size pieces


• 1 large onion sliced into strips


• 2-3 scallions minced


• 1-1/2 cups of sliced thin savoy/Chinese cabbage


• 1/2 cup slices of green and red peppers (frozen strips ok)


• 3/4 cups of alpha bean sprouts


• salt & pepper to taste


• 3 dashes/shakes of red chili flakes


• 2-3 cloves of fresh garlic minced


• Oil for stir frying (preferably use Chinese typed cooking oil or vegetable oil - olive oil will smoke too quickly)


• 1 cup water plus 2-3 tablespoons of water


• 1-2 tablespoons cornstarch


• 1 tablespoons sesame oil


• 1/3 cup soy - sodium reduced


• 1/3 cup hoisin sauce (in your grocer's market - but it is best to get the real thing from an Asian store or your local Chinese restaurant - the difference is really amazing - get the authentic stuff, really and makes a big difference in the taste of this dish!)


• ****Equipment Needed"


• Wok/or deep skillet, three bowls and hungry people ready to chow down, literally.

I noticed that if I did my vegetables first and removed them prior to doing up the chicken, the colors remained in the vegetables and were crisp, so we will be cooking them in that order.

1. Have all your ingredients out and ready.


2. Slice/dice/mince up all your ingredients.


3. In one bowl, place your chicken and 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, one dash of chili flakes, one tablespoon hoisin sauce, stir till combined and set aside.


4. In second bowl, place one cup of water along with cornstarch, stir till well incorporated, and set aside.


5. Heat wok with one tablespoon of cooking oil. Make sure it's super hot and ready by taking one piece of broccoli - if it's jumping around, your wok is ready.


6. Put broccoli in wok and add two tablespoons water. Stir and cook for 4 minutes, till almost done and water has evaporated.


7. Take out broccoli and put in bowl that you have the sliced cabbage in.


8. Next grab that sliced onion, add a little more oil as needed. Stir fry till nice and brown. Place this along with cabbage and broccoli you had set aside earlier.


9. Add chicken, stir fry till pink color is gone. Add garlic and let cook one minute.


10. Bring back the cooked onions, broccoli and uncooked cabbage.


11. Add all other remaining ingredients.


12. Let cook for three or more minutes, stirring frequently, sauce will thicken slightly.


13. Call hungry troops to table and serve with rice - voila and enjoy!

In A Hurry Moo Shu Chicken @ Group Recipes

Superb Touch Down and Score Chicken Wings - A How To by Divaliscious

Here's my take on delicious and crispy chicken wings which are not hot but have a savory and complex taste that will keep people guessing what your secret ingredient is...mind you there are many!
If you are up to the chore -and who isn't well here it is...and have your self one heck of a super bowl party!

Ingredients:

• ***The list of the ingredients is as long as I could make it (just kidding) though it is longer than anticipated – but it is surely worth all the ingredients as the chicken wings marinade over this great marinade
• ***I also created the recipes for the required spice mixes for those that are handy in your cupboard and for those who might not make it to the store in time...
• ***btw - I was going to call this recipe "Everything in your Fridge and Cupboards Chicken Wings" - rofl
• Here goes anything and everything:
• 1 large package of chicken wings (24 wings in total) cut up removing tips (reserve to make broth see separate recipe for wing tip gingered chicken broth) OR your choice chicken parts and do this on the grill
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup sugar (white or brown)
• 4 tablespoons soy – reduced sodium
• 3 tablespoons fresh scallions minced
• 3 tablespoons fresh garlic minced (3-4 cloves)
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 3 tablespoons ketchup
• 2 tablespoons balsamic syrup or vinegar
• 2 tablespoons fresh ginger minced/grated (dry would be fine I am sure)
• 2 tablespoons jerk seasoning (if you don’t have it, measure out roughly and use equal parts of the following: allspice, paprika, cumin, red chili flakes, pepper, turmeric, celery salt, thyme and celery salt)
• 2 dried bay leaves
• 2 tablespoons of Zahatar - see recipe for this at: my grouprecipes.com page
  
• 1 tablespoon freshly dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon freshly dried rosemary
• 1 teaspoon crushed red chili flakes
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper (freshly grounded would be prefect)
• Zest and juice of one lemon (try and not let seeds get into bowl)

Directions

The real trick to having juicy delicious chicken wings with any recipe is to not overcook them, I prefer not to par-boil them nor fry them prior to baking, but simply roasting them in the oven on a cookie sheet or in a roasting pan than had been lined with tinfoil and placed on top of a cookie cooling rack that's placed inside the roasting pan to allow them to crisp and let fat drip away.
Also, do you want a dipping sauce for later when serving up your chicken wings? Then make extra marinade (without putting raw chicken in it of course) and set aside to heat up later for 10-15 minutes in a sauce pan. Add a little more ketchup if you would like.
Cut up all the chicken wings – reserve tips if you would like to make my “winging it gingered chicken broth”
Rinse all cut up chicken wings and set aside momentarily.
In extra large bowl, place all ingredients listed above.
Mix marinade till all in combined.
Place all the chicken wings into the bowl with the marinade and using hands which is best or spoon, move chicken all around coating all chicken pieces with the marinade.
Let marinade for at least four hours or even over night for best flavor. Stir a couple times during the marinating time to ensure all chicken parts have been well coated.
Preheat oven at 375 degrees, using either a deep roasting pan lined with tinfoil for easier cleaning or “coated” cookie sheets and spread out chicken wing parts.
Place in oven and let bake in oven for 20-30 minutes.
Open up oven door, with potholders of course, take out pan or cookie sheets and using tongs or fork, turn over each chicken wing, and return to oven.
Let bake for 30-40 minutes more and then set them up on a plate to be devoured by your friends and family.
Serve with blue cheese dressing, carrots and/or celery - and enjoy!

Eggplant Spread Three-ways Recipe

Need a new way to serve eggplants? My fellow made this last night for me – we ended up eating it for dinner though it is meant to be an appetizer. Perfect spread for bringing to parties since it’s vegetarian and is used pretty much like a spread but will please anyone who enjoys garlic…

But before he left, I made his sit down and tell me all his eggplant spread secrets, we gave them interesting names and voila, I share with you now these great eggplant spreads. Though I will NOT tell you who Leelushka is – that’s our little secret.

It’s really three recipes in one – so feel free to make only dish if you like, though they look great in three bowls placed together on the table letting people pick and choose as they like. Serve with warm grilled pita bread if you can – or heat in the oven for only 3-5 minutes or even the microwave though I don’t recommend the microwave since the pita can get dried out too quickly. (We used garlic-flavored pita which were sensational) or serve with crustini or good sliced Italian bread or even crackers – what ever you got in the cupboard!

If you like Mediterranean flavors, then you will simply adore these dishes. See Check out more of my own recipes at grouprecipes.com! for grilling "how to's" with the eggplant.

Leelushka's Red Sea Eggplant Spread

Ingredients

1 large cooked eggplant (yield roughly 1-1/2 cups of eggplant) chopped up into small bits – it will be mushy looking – so hang in there.
3 cloves fresh garlic – minced
1/3-1/2 cup of tahini (sesame paste)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
2 Tablespoons water
Juice of one fresh lemon
1 tablespoon good olive oil drizzled over final product

Directions

Take rinsed eggplant and either grill (like when you are roasting green peppers) on your outside grill or inside grill pan (like I did - see photos) turning it over every so often, till it seems very mushy inside.
No grill pan or outside grill? No Problem! Place eggplant in tinfoil loosely wrapped onto a cookie sheet and bake in oven for 20-30 minutes say at 350 degrees.
Let eggplant cool, you can also put plastic over it (see photo the way I did) to help skin loosen from the "fruit" inside. That was the hardest part of this dish!
Gently remove skin from eggplant, and chop into small bits, it will be very mushy but keep seeds in and set aside.
In bowl, put tahini, 2 tablespoons water – start stirring till the color of tahini gets lighter and stir till smooth.
Take juice of one lemon and put into bowl and stir with tahini.
Add all other ingredients including chopped eggplant and stir.
Taste-test and add more salt and pepper if you would like.
Drizzle good olive oil over final dish just prior to serving.
Chill till ready to serve.

Leelushka's Spicy Eggplant & Tomato Spread/Dip

Ingredients

1 large cooked grilled eggplant (yield 1-1/2 cups) Chopped up into small bits with skin removed – it will be mushy looking – so hang in there. (You will want a 50-50 ratio of tomatoes and cooked eggplant)
1-1/2 cups of fresh really red tomatoes - cut up and diced into small cubes
1 large pickle or 3 small pickles all diced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar or more to taste
2 or 3 cloves fresh garlic – minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 Jalapeño pepper minced for heat – keep seeds in for an even hotter flavor (totally optional)

Directions

Take rinsed eggplant and either grill (like when you are roasting green peppers) on your outside grill or inside grill pan (like I did - see photos) turning it over every so often, till it seems very mushy inside.
No grill pan or outside grill? Place eggplant in tinfoil loosely wrapped onto a cookie sheet and bake in oven for 20 minutes.
Let eggplant cool, you can also put plastic over it (see photo the way I did) to help skin loosen from the "fruit" inside. That was the hardest part of this dish!
Gently remove skin from eggplant, and chop into small bits, it will be very mushy but keep seeds in and place in bowl.
Mince all other ingredients and place in bowl.
Add salt, pepper(s) and vinegar and stir all together.
Taste-test and add more salt or vinegar if you would like.
Cover and chill till ready to serve with warm pita bread cut into triangles (I preferred grilled pita bread - and in fact we used garlic-flavored pita just last night and it was delicious!)

Leelushka's Creamy Eggplant Spread

Ingredients

1 Cooked large eggplant (yield 1-1/2 cups) Chopped up into small bits – it will be mushy looking – so hang in there. See how to's below.
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
3 cloves fresh garlic – minced
1 stalk of minced scallion or several chived minced
1/3 cup of mayonnaise – we used “light” mayonnaise
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon good olive oil drizzled over final product

Directions

Take rinsed eggplant and either grill (like when you are roasting green peppers) on your outside grill or inside grill pan (like I did - see photos) turning it over every so often, till it seems very mushy inside.
No grill pan or outside grill? Place eggplant in tinfoil loosely wrapped onto a cookie sheet and bake in oven for 20-30 minutes say at 350 degrees.
Let eggplant cool, you can also put plastic over it (see photo the way I did) to help skin loosen from the "fruit" inside. That was the hardest part of this dish!
Gently remove skin from eggplant, and chop into small bits, it will be very mushy but keep seeds in and place in bowl.
Grab bowl and place all other minced ingredients and seasonings into bowl.
Stir and taste-test to see if you would like to add more salt or pepper.
Drizzle a little amount of good olive oil on top just before serving.
Chill in fridge till ready to serve.

Want even more dishes and recipes? Check out more of my own recipes at grouprecipes.com!

Artisian Asparagus Quiche

This dish wowed even myself as it was made with eggs that were literally laid that day - not all of us have that advantage or luck let alone chickens in their yard, but it's an easy twist to everyday quiche that pleases the vegetarians to real men who eat quiche. Perfect to bring to a potluck as well. Light tasting yet rich, airy and cheesy, it's oh so tasty!...








Ingredients

• 1 bunch of fresh baby asparagus (you'll need about 18 stalks depending upon size)


• 1/3 cup: chopped scallions (2 or 3 stalks) or 1/3 cup fresh sliced chives


• 4 slightly beaten eggs


• 1-1/2 tablespoons flour


• 1-1/2 cups of half-n-half, light cream or milk


• 1 cup shredded cheese, use a combination of two or more cheeses such as goat, swiss and gouda or swiss, cheddar and monteray jack for some pizazz.


• 1 pie crust (pre-made ok to use...so it's ok to cheat on this step my peeps)


• 1/2 teaspoon salt


• 1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper


• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder


• 1/8 teaspoon of nutmeg (preferably fresh if possible)


• Equipment Needed: One working oven at 450 to start, fresh chicken eggs just laid (just kidding), bag of dried beans out of their plastic, tin foil to help with baking pie shell blind (not you but the pie shell of course), steamer for asparagus, couple of bowls to make work easier and a cookie sheet to make clean up easier by placing cookie sheet under pastry shell when baking quiche in avoiding any spills that may occur.

The How To:

1. Preheat oven at 450 degrees and take pre-made pastry shell, and prick bottom with fork all over. Either use blind cooking method (bag of dried beans inside tin foil and place inside pastry shell to help prevent pastry shell from puffing up on bottom) or take empty pie shell and place on top of pastry shell.


2. Bake pie shell for 5 minutes till pastry shell is set slightly.


3. Take out of oven and let cool.


4. If you have a steamer, steam asparagus for five minutes - keep them whole at this point - or blanch them in boiling water for three minutes then place in cold water bath to stop cooking. Reserve up to twelve pieces whole and chop up rest to have up to one cup of chopped asparagus.


5. Take shredded cheese into a bowl and stir in flour, salt, pepper and garlic powder, stir till well incorporated.


6. In other bowl, place eggs and whisk. Add half-n-half , chopped asparagus, chopped scallions and shredded cheese mixture in with eggs.


7. Turn oven down to 325 and place entire mixture into pastry shell.


8. Take remaining whole steamed asparagus stalks and place on top of of unbaked quiche having the top part of the asparagus pointing towards pie shell rim (see photo).


9. Take nutmeg and sprinkle it on top of quiche evenly as possible.


10. Place unbaked quiche on the center of cookie sheet and place in oven on the middle rack.


11. Bake quiche at 325 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes. It's ready when a knife inserted comes out clean.


12. Let quiche set for at least 10 minutes prior to serving.


13. Call troops to table - serve warm or at room temperature and enjoy telling your troops how you stole the fresh eggs from the local farmer.

See this recipe and more of my Divaliscious Recipes at Artisian Asparagus Quiche @ Group Recipes