Chicken Biryani
We loved this at the Himalayan restaurant in King George. So it seemed like a natural challenge. But be prepared…it took 2 hours to cook. But it was worth it. Lots of leftovers. Not owning a biryani pot, so we used my dutch oven. It works fine for this. The night before we mixed some biryani seasoning (you can make your own, but it is complex and I don’t own most of the seasonings, so we got some from Amazon) with some yogurt and green chilies (lacking proper asian green chilis). We just used minced garlic and some ginger paste. 2 lbs bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks 1 cup plain, unsweetened yogurt 2 tbsp ginger garlic paste 1 tbsp kashmiri chili powder (I used chili powder) 1 tbsp biryani spice mixture 2 tsp kosher salt ½ tsp turmeric 2...
Perfect Steak Dinner
So simple. Dried, salted/peppered rib-eye steak going into a hot cast iron skillet with butter, olive oil, onions, garlic and thyme. Flip, and spoon the juices onto the cooked side. Tonight’s difference was taking a fresh ear of corn, rolling it in the butter/garlic/thyme mix and then putting it into the air fryer for 12 minutes at 400°. Served with an air fried sweet...
Smashburger 2.0
It is officially SPRING! The cover came off the Blackstone Grill, it was re-seasoned and the First Smash-burgers went down. Onions and Mushrooms were grilled up in olive oil, French Baguette was toasted, the burger was smashed and cooked over a high heat till crispy. Then cheddar cheese was added with a cloche to steam it to a perfect melty-ness. The Bun went down, then TWO burgers, a pile of the Onion/Mushroom Mix and the sauce. The sauce was mayo with Cholula Hot Sauce and Dijon Mustard. Served with a delightful salad. Absolutely heaven! The French Bread gives the sandwich the structure it needs and...
Asian Inspired Ribs
I was REALLY hoping for a Sweet & Sour Tamarind BabyBack Rib tonight. But the Food Lion didn’t have Tamarind Paste (surprise) or Baby Back ribs. So I bought a rack of St. Louis Ribs and came up with a sauce that involved anything semi-asian in my fridge. I would not be defeated! The sauce… GarlicGingerMirinAninosSesame oilSoy sauceChili oilFish SauceOyster SauceBlack Pepper I blended this together, cut the ribs into 3 chunks and put it into a mixing bowl and stirred it every 10 minutes or so for an hour. I fired up my grill and seared each side, turning often. Then I put it on the upper rack for an hour. Then I wrapped it in foil and put in about a half of cup of water to steam it and wrapped it tight and cooked it for 15 minutes more. Let it rest...
Muhammara
I’ve been wanting to add healthy snacks to my food blog, and this recipe fit the theme perfectly. Muhammara! A common middle eastern dip originating from Syria. Think of it has a hummus, but with no chickpeas or tahini. This is based off roasted red bell peppers and walnuts. 1 (16-ounce/450g) jar roasted red bell peppers1 cup (112g) walnuts½ cup (40g) panko breadcrumbs1 fat clove garlic,3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, more for drizzling2 tablespoons pure pomegranate molasses½ tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice1 to 2 teaspoons Aleppo pepper (I used Flatiron)½ teaspoon ground cumin,1 teaspoon kosher salt Drain and roughly chop the peppers. You want them more dry then wet. Or, roast your own peppers. In a skillet, toast the walnuts for about 3...
Ruben Tacos
The go-to for Corned Beef & Cabbage leftovers is a Ruben sandwich. But I wanted to try something new (and I didn’t want to go to the store), so I give you Ruben Tacos on homemade tortillas. The star here is the Thousand Island Dressing. This was a blend of ketchup, Duke’s mayo, Whole seed mustard, garlic powder fine minced sweet onion and paprika. Far better than anything in a jar. Into the tortillas went some angel hair cabbage slaw topped with a bit of the dressing. Then went on a pile of gently warmed shaved leftover corned beef. A bit more dressing and then a nice topping of freshly grated Gruyere cheese. Swiss would be better, but I had the Gruyere, and mine is lactose-free. It was, of course, fantastic. If you’re wondering why...