Make-ahead Mashed Potatoes

5 lbs potatoes, peeled and quartered

6 oz reduced fat cream cheese

1 cup light sour cream

2 tsp onion powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

2 egg whites, slightly beaten

1 tablespoon margarine or butter

Boil potatoes until tender. Mash well to remove all lumps. Add cream cheese, sour cream, onion powder, salt, pepper, and egg whites; blend well. Cool slightly, cover and refrigerate.

Reheat in slow cooker about 1 hour before serving.

Grandma Lavon's Cranberry Sauce

4 cups cranberries

3 cups sugar

2 cups water

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp gr. cloves

pinch of ginger

Bring sugar, water, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger to a boil. Add cranberries and bring to a boil, keep boiling for ten minutes. Reduce heat and simmer for one hour. Remove from heat and chill.

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.