Chicken Biryani

I could watch this guy all day -- his eyes are so smily, almost maniacally so.



More recipes from VahRehVah.com

Shrimp with Crab

I made this last night. I don't have a picture but it was so good I wanted to share it anyway. I love seafood and I love french food so this combines both. It's more of a special occasion meal because it has so much butter but hey, that's why it's good. I developed the recipe from a deviled crab recipe I had and through experimenting with various french sauces before hitting on this one. I hope you enjoy.



Crab Stuffed Shrimp with Angel Hair Pasta and Orange-Caper Beurre Blanc

1 lb large shrimp
½ lb crab
2 tablespoons chopped shallots
¼ cup dry Italian bread crumbs
1 egg - beaten
Lemon juice - about a half a lemon in the stuffing and the reminder in the butter
Emeril’s Bayou Blast or any Cajun seasoning – about a teaspoon or to taste

Preheat oven to 375. Peel, devein and butterfly shrimp, leaving tails on if you want. Spray two 13x9x2 dishes with cooking spray. Place shrimp in dishes pressing lightly to open. Sprinkle lightly with salt and freshly ground pepper. Sauté the shallots in butter – about a tablespoon – until softened and remove from heat. Inspect crab and remove any shell or cartilage. Add to pan along with remaining ingredients. Spoon about a tablespoon full onto each butter flied shrimp. When all shrimp are stuffed, melt about ¼ cup of butter, add some paprika for color along with the juice of the other half of the lemon. Drizzle evenly over the shrimp. Bake the shrimp for about 15 minutes until shrimp is fully cooked. Serve over angel hair and top with Orange Caper Beurre Blanc.

Orange Caper Beurre-Blanc
1/3 cup orange juice
1/3 cup white wine
1 stick unsalted butter – must be ice cold - using warm butter will cause the sauce to break and become just melted butter
1 tablespoon or so heavy cream
1 tablespoon capers, drained

Bring juice and wine to a simmer over low heat and reduce until it’s about 2 tablespoons of liquid. Let cool slightly. Cut stick of butter into 12 pieces. Whisk in butter one piece at a time until sauce thickens. Whisk in cream and taste for seasoning. Add salt as needed. Stir in capers and serve over shrimp.

Next time I make it I will take a picture.

Grilled Orange Ginger Salmon

This is a favorite of ours. We often grill it outdoors but the Foreman Grill offers pretty good results too. The salmon pictured was cooked on the Foreman.

1/4 cup OJ

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup dijon mustard - I have also used Divinely Original mustard by the Benedictine nuns with great results; it has more of a kick

1/4 cup sherry

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespo0ns fresh grated ginger or 2 tsp. dry

4 6 oz. salmon filets, about 1/2 inch thick

Combine all ingredients except salmon in a large ziploc bag, shaking to combine well. Add salmon and marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes. Preheat either your outside grill or Foreman. Remove salmon from the marinade and empty the marinade into a small saucepan. Grill the salmon for 5 minutes on each side on your outside grill or for 3 minutes on your Foreman. While fish is grilling, bring the marinade to a boil and simmer until reduced by half. I serve the salmon over brown rice with the reduced marinade drizzled over the top. Very light and healthy meal.

Rules to live by

(From the restroom of an Indian restaurant in Jackson Heights, Queens, NY.)

"Make your Indian co-workers jealous" lentil recipe

The secret to these lentils is in the sauce, and in not watering it down too much. Substitute your favorite Indian curry paste if you can't find Patak's (pictured below).



Ingredients:
2 cups water
1/2 cup lentils
3-4 cloves garlic
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 14-oz can of diced tomatoes
2 heaping tablespoons of hot indian curry paste
fresh cilantro

1. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Add garlic.
2. Rinse 1/2 cup of lentils.
3. Add lentils to boiling water and cook over low-medium heat for about half an hour, or until most of the water is absorbed and the lentils are getting nice and soft.
4. Meanwhile, fry 1 chopped onion in olive oil.
5. Add 2 heaping tablespoons of curry paste and stir.
6. Immediately add 1 14-oz can of diced tomatoes and stir together
7. Let the tomatoes, onion, and curry paste simmer for a little while.
8. When lentils are beginning to burst, add tomato mixture to the pot and stir. Let sit for a few minutes so the lentils can absorb the awesome curry flavor
9. Top with fresh cilantro and serve with basmati rice, and/or naan.

Chickpea Curry (Chana Masala)

This is my signature chickpea curry, which I found in perfect form from hookedonheat.com - a great site for Indian recipes with fabulous pictures. I've tried lots of types, but this one is perfect. The ginger and tomato give it a little something different than other recipes. This is great as a side dish, or even a main dish.

• 1 can chickpeas, drained
• 1 medium-sized onion , finely chopped
• 1 large tomato, chopped
• 1-2 green chillies, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1 tsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/4 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin powder
• 2 tbsp light cooking oil
• 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
• water, as needed
• fresh chopped cilantro, as garnish
• lemon wedges, as garnish

SAUTE cumin seeds in hot oil till they start to sizzle and pop. Add onions and green chillies, and fry till tender.


ADD in tomatoes, ginger-garlic paste, tomato paste, salt and spices, and cook till tomatoes pulp and starts to give out oil from the sides.


STIR in about a cup of water, allow it to come to a boil, and then add chickpeas. Let simmer covered for a few minutes till chickpeas are soft and tender to the touch.


GARNISH with fresh coriander and a sprinkle of lemon juice.

Do you strave easily? I do.

Hawaii 1964: Liane (9), Lisa (4), Mom, Melanie (11)

Anyone who knew my mom (aka Grandma Lavon) was aware of her obsession with reading. The house could be burning down, but Mom would be engrossed in her mystery novel as the firemen carried her out. I'll never forget the day I told her I was leaving home for good and never coming back. She barely looked up from her book and said, "That's nice, dear." Of course the next day she freaked out but I was already gone.

I have in my possession a note that my little sister gave my mom in Japan in 1968, when she was 8 years old. Apparently Lisa had been begging Mom to put down her book and make dinner, but Mom kept saying, "In a minute! I'm at a really good part." In desperation, Lisa wrote this note:

Dear Mrs. Mama,

Will you please cook dinner?

I'm straving, and I strave easily.

Love,

Lisa

Mom says she cracked up when she got the note and got up to make dinner.

Now whenever someone in our family is very hungry (which is often), they let it be known that they are “straving”. (Direct translation: "Get cookin', Ma!")