Mediterranean Cabbage and Saffron Rice

Its been quite some time that I made cabbage and I wanted to eat cabbage (of all things!!!) . I was searching my own recipes and this recipe is something I made a long time ago.
To go with it I made the most simplest Saffron rice dishes you would ever come across. Different people make it in different ways and here is a recipe for Saffron Pulao

Mediterranean Cabbage (Stir fried cabbage with dried fruit and nuts)

Mediterranean Cabbage

Ingredients:

1)4 cups of thinly sliced green cabbage
2)1/2 red bell pepper sliced and cut into 11/2-2 inch pieces
3)1/2 cup sliced red onion
4)1 table spoon kirkland signature mediterranean blend oil (or use any other oil)
5)1/2-1 teaspoon lemon pepper salt, 

6)Heaped teaspoon each of raisins, cranberries and sliced almonds

7)2 garlic pods grated

Heat a non-stick pan and dry roast the amonds and raisins and cranberries for 5 minutes on medium low heat. Remove and set aside. Roast the red bell pepper for 5 minutes. remove and set aside. Heat the oil and fry the onions till they start turning brown. Add garlic and fry for 30 seconds. And cabbage, reduce heat to medium cover and cook for 10 minutes. Add lemon pepper and stir to combine. Add the dried fruit and nuts and roasted bell pepper and stir to combine. Serve with Saffron Rice

Simple Saffron Rice (Saffron flavored rice)

Saffron rice

Ingredients:

1. 2 cups rice cooked according to the package directions or in a rice cooker.
2. 1/4 cup milk
3. Big pinch of saffron stands

Heat the milk for 30 seconds and add the saffron to it. Let sand for 5-10 minutes. Add this to the cooked hot rice. Stir to combine and serve after 5 minutes.

Mint Roasted Lamb and Vegetables

Its that time of the year when the table is spread with many different things and every one including the Turkey are stuffed. Last year I found a Turkey which was about 5 lbs in weight and it never got finished. So, this year I did not bother to go hunting for Turkey but instead I made roasted Lamb. The lamb is a hunk of meat about 2-2.5 lbs in weight. And there isn't much leftover. So I am happy.

Here is the recipe

Mint Roasted Lamb and Vegetables 

Roasted lamb with vegetables

Ingredients:

1. 2-3 lbs of lamb thawed
2. 1/2 cup olive oil
3. 6-8 cloves of garlic
4. About 2 cups of fresh mint leaves
5. 1 teaspoon salt
6. 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
7. 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes (optional)
8. 1 cup chicken broth

Vegetables

1. 2 medium large potatoes peeled and cut into big cubes

2. 2 large carrots

3. 3 small yellow onions or one large onion wedged

4. 2 turnips

5. 1/2 tablespoon oil

6. 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper

Grind the garlic and mint along with salt, chili flakes if using, black pepper and olive oil. Put the lamb in a zip lock bag and add the marinade to it. Close the ziploc and Massage the meat . Marinate the meat overnight.

Leave the meat on the counter for about 30-60 minutes to take the chill out.

Add the oil to the vegetables and mix well with salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a baking tray with cooking spray and add the lamb and the marinade to it. Bake for 30 minutes.

Add the vegetables and continue to roast for 20 minutes. Add the warm chicken broth, reduce heat to 350 degrees and roast for further 50-60 minutes. 

Place the lamb on the serving platter and serve the vegetables around it. Cover it with a foil and let stand for 10 minutes. Serve with all the other fixings

Brown Gravy (Gravy with pan drippings of roasted lamb)

brown gravy

Ingredients:

1. 2 teaspoons all purpose flour
2. 1 tablespoon butter
3. salt to taste
4. About 11/2-2 cups pan drippings

In a pan heat the butter and add the flour. Keep stirring for 5- minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and add the pan drippings and keep stirring. make sure there are no lumps. Strain if you want a smooth gravy. I like the little bits and pieces from the roast in my gravy. Serve over meat or mashed potatoes

Side with roasted lamb

1. Rosemary Corn Bread
2. Orange Cranberry sauce
3. Chicken Stuffing
4. Sour Cream Mashed Potato
5. Sweet Potato Pie

Sweet Potato Pie

Chana Dal Murgh

Chana Dal or Bengal Gram goes very well with meat but I never used to like it when I was a kid. But I have grown over it and now I really really like it. I wanted to see if it goes well with Chicken as well and let me tell you, this is one of the most delicious currys' I served with roti. Try it to believe it.

The creamier you want your dal to be the more you cook it. And my dal got totally mashed up and super creamy-the way I like it. And I used Chicken thighs but you can use any part of chicken you like. Enjoy

Chana Dal Murgh (Chicken with Split Bengal Gram)

Chicken with Chana Dal Gravy

Ingredients:

1. 1 cup chana dal soaked in water for 30 minutes
2. 1-1/2 chicken 
3. 1 cup chopped onions
4. 2 medium tomatoes chopped
5. 1 teaspoon salt
6. 1/2 teaspoon each of turmeric, chilly powder, ginger-garlic paste, garam masala
7. 1 tablespoon oil
8. 1 inch cinnamon stick broken
9. 2 cloves

Marinate the chicken with salt, turmeric, chilly powder and garam masala for30-60 minutes. In a pressure cooker heat the oil and fry the onions till golden brown. Add ginger-garlic paste and fry for a minute along with the cinnamon and cloves. Add tomatoes and fry for a couple of minutes. Add dal with a cup of water and cook for 2 whistles. Let all the steam escape, open the cooker and add the chicken and cook further for 2 more minutes. Simmer till the gravy thickens to your liking. garnish with a handful of cilantro and serve with your favorite Roti

Other chana dal recipes 

Purple Cabbage with Chana Dal

Chana Dal Mango

Basic Crepe

For a long time now I have been making the most amazing basic crepes and today I was searching for this recipe on my blog and I couldn't find it. I haven't blogged it till now but it has been available on the TasteBook page. Finally I am copying it here. please enjoy a delicious breakfast. I don't have the picture of the crepes but I will upload it soon.
I serve it with Nuttella and Peanut butter, powdered sugar and sliced bananas. Yum Yum. It is very very filling. You can also serve it for lunch with sauces made with mushrooms or shrimp or chicken or anything else you like

Basic French Crepe 

French Crepe with Chocolate drizzle

Crepe Up Close

Ingredients:

• 1)2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2)2 eggs
• 3)1/2 cup milk
• 4)1/4 teaspoon salt
• 5) butter for frying

In a bowl whisk together eggs, flour and salt and then add milk a little at a time and whisk until it becomes like a thin pancake batter. 

Heat a griddle and place some batter in the middle and spread it using a spoon with a light hand in an outward motion (like a dosa). Spread butter in the edges and fry for 2-3 minutes remove and spread with hazel nut or peanut butter and strawberries

Egg Puff

In the good 'ol days there used to be a bakery in my hometown it used to have something called a "Puff". There were two versions, a vegetarian version with potatoes and peas and Egg puffs. This was a puff pastry with the potatoes and peas or eggs. Today I made it using the Pillsbury's crescent dough. Finally I mastered unrolling the crescent dough.

Till this day I used to freeze them and try to unroll them but they never got unrolled properly. But now I know the unbaked crescent rolls have to be refrigerated. And I made the "Puffs" with boiled eggs and Potato Peas and ground lamb curry

Masala Puff and Egg Puff


Unroll the crescents and put the eggs or a teaspoon of your favorite filling and roll the crescent dough. bake at 350 degrees (because I was using a darker baking sheet) for 11-12 minutes. Let it cool for a couple of minutes and enjoy

Aloo mutter kheema

Lamb and potatoes are one of the best combinations ever and today I jazzed it up a bit by adding fresh green peas to it. This curry goes great with either white rice or ROTI . Today I served it with rice and baingan ka bharta or baingan Khatta. This baingan ka bharta is my mom's version and is pretty easy and super fast. So enjoy your delicious meal

Aloo Mutter Kheema (Ground lamb with potatoes and peas)

Aloo Mutter Kheema

Ingredients:

1. 1 lb ground lamb
2. 2 medium potatoes cubed
3. 1/2-2/3 cup fresh peas
4. 1 medium onion chopped
5. 1 tablespoon oil
6. 1/2 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste
7. 1/2 teaspoon each of salt, chilly powder, turmeric, coriander powder, cumin powder
8. Fresh chopped coriander for garnishing

In a pan heat the oil and fry the onions till they start to brown. Add the ginger-garlic paste and fry for a minute. Add the ground meat and fry for 10 minutes while breaking it. Add the rest of the ingredients and 1/2 cup water and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add peas and simmer till potatoes are done. Garnish with cilantro and serve with  baingan ka bharta and rice

Chicken with Zucchini and Yellow Squash

Today was the day when Day light savings begins. And the weather has been weird. Its cold till 10.00 AM and then it gets super hot and then by 4.00 PM its getting cold again. Soup time is here. I didn't have many vegetables in my fridge but I had a couple of Zucchinis and Yellow Squash. So using those I made a delicious silky soup with Chicken and served it with flat bread and brown rice. Whatever you prefer to eat it with, it is delicious.

Chicken with Zucchini and Yellow Squash Soup with Mint

Chicken soup with Zucchini and Yellow Squash

Ingredients:

1. 2 medium zucchini chopped
2. 2 medium yellow squash chopped
3. 2 chicken breast 
4. 4 cups chicken stock
5. 1 medium large potato chopped
6. 1 medium white onion chopped
7. 1/2 tablespoon each of olive oil, butter
8. 2-3 garlic pods chopped
9. 1/2 teaspoon each of salt, fresh ground black pepper, Italian seasoning
10. 1/2 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint

In a heavy bottomed pan, heat the butter and olive oil and add the onions and fry for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and stir to combine. Add the chicken and fry for 5-7 minutes. Add the vegetables and stir to combine. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Simmer covered for 30 minutes. Cut the heat and let it cool. Drain the chicken and shred with a fork. Grind the vegetables with an immersion blender or a regular blender. Return the soup and chicken to the pot and simmer again for 20-25 minutes. Add the chopped minutes in the last 5 minutes. Serve with a flat bread or brown rice