chicken and rice

I made this dish for a church meal. It's quick and easy and tastes good, too.

Start by making a spice mix of the following:

1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon curry powder
salt and pepper

Put the spice mix in a large bowl and add

8-10 boneless skinless chicken thighs

Toss them until they are well covered with the spices. Put a large sauté pan on the stove and get it hot on high heat. Add 3 tablespoons of olive oil and let the oil heat up as well. Lay the chicken thighs in the pan and brown, cooking about two minutes on each side. (You may have to do more than one pan full.) Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside. Sauté

1 medium onion, diced (optional)

until it is translucent. Set aside in a small bowl and turn off the heat. Add

3 cups basmati rice
1/2 cup seedless raisins
1/2 cup fresh pineapple, diced

to the sauté pan and stir to pick up the oil and the flavors. Stir in the onions, if you're using them, and spread the rice mixture in a large baking dish (it needs to be large to hold all the chicken broth). Slowly pour

6 cups chicken stock

over the rice and stir gently to mix. Lay the chicken thighs on top so that they cover the rice completely. Cover tightly with foil and bake at 375°F for 40-45 minutes. (If you don’t want as much rice, reduce the rice by a cup and the broth by two cups.)

Peace,
Milton

cauliflower gratin

I went to the Durham Farmer's Market yesterday afternoon and found this awesome purple cauliflower, among other cool things. I decided to come home and make dinner out of it. Here's what I came up with:

Fill a saucepan full of salted water and bring to a boil. Add

1 head cauliflower (purple or otherwise), cut into florets

and cook for five minutes. Drain and set aside.

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups hot milk
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
salt, to taste

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add the flour, stirring constantly with a whisk for 2 minutes. Pour the hot milk into the butter-flour mixture and whisk until it comes to a soft boil. Add the pepper, nutmeg, mustard, and salt and keep whisking until it gets thick. Turn the burner to low and add

3/4 cup grated cheddar
3.4 cup grated swiss cheese

Pour a third of the sauce on the bottom of a rectangular baking dish. Put the cauliflower on top of the sauce and then add the rest of the sauce to cover the cauliflower. Put

1 1/2 cups Ritz crackers

in a food processor and until they are fine crumbs. Spread on top of the cheese sauce and bake in a 375 degree oven for 25 to 300 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Peace,
Milton

saturday night chicken

This was the first meal I ever cooked for Ginger and has become one of the rituals of our marriage.

1 pound boneless chicken breast, cut in thin strips
olive oil
Goya Adobo seasoning (con pimento)
Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning
1 pound fettuccine
alfredo sauce

Put a big pot of water on the stove to boil for the pasta. If you are using dry pasta, it will take longer to cook than fresh. Time it so the pasta finishes with the chicken and the alfredo sauce.

Put the chicken strips in a bowl and toss with the two seasonings. I use equal parts of both. We like it hot, so I use a good bit. Experiment to your own taste. You can also add more as you are cooking.

Get a saute pan good and hot and then add olive oil. When the oil is hot, but not smoking, add the chicken and cook until they are cooked through and a little crispy.

Drain the pasta and put in a large bowl. Pour alfredo sauce over pasta and toss. Put pasta on the plate and the chicken on top. Open a nice bottle of wine and feel the love.

Peace,
Milton

simple alfredo sauce

Yes, it's butter, cream, and cheese. That's what makes it so good.

1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 cup heavy cream
2/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/3 cup grated cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the cream, stirring well. Cook until cream is simmering, but not boiling. Take some time here. The longer it cooks, the more the naturally thickens. Keep stirring. Add cheeses and cook some more until the cheese is melted and well integrated into the sauce. When you add the salt and pepper, go slowly with the salt because the cheese has some already. You can also add other flavors -- garlic, cajun seasoning -- to your liking. If you don't want flecks in the sauce, use white pepper.

Serves 4.

summer steak salad

With summer closing in, here's a dish we served at the restaurant at Duke this semester that was one of the favorites.

6 oz. of steak per person
(we serve a 12 oz. New York strip and I cut a steak in half for this salad.)

Grill or cook the steak in the way that suits you. Once you reach the temperature you want, set aside and let it rest for about five minutes, which will give you time to assemble the salad.

chopped romaine lettuce
bleu cheese crumbles
Granny Smith apples, jullienned
cajun sweet pecans
balsamic vinaigrette

Toss the ingredients together and then add a light touch of dressing and toss again. To serve, place the greens on a plate and then top with the slices of steak.

Peace,
Milton

cajun sweet pecans

1 bag pecan halves
4 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons cajun spice mix
2 tablespoons butter

In a large bowl, toss the pecans with the sugar and spice mix. Melt the butter and pour it over the pecans and toss until butter is absorbed. Put on a baking sheet and cook in a 350 oven for 3-5 minutes. Watch it closely; don't let the pecans burn. Remove from oven and allow to cool on baking sheet.

Peace,
Milton

mashed potatoes and cauliflower with cheddar

We had some extra cauliflower at the restaurant today that needed to be used, so it joined the potatoes that accompany the New York strip steak.

3 cups white potatoes, cut into one inch chunks
2 cups cauliflower florets

Put the potatoes and cauliflower in a large pot. Cover with water, add salt, and bring to a boil. Cook until potatoes are soft. Drain and pour into mixing bowl. Add

1/4 cup melted butter
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Mix until cauliflower is the same consistency as the potatoes. Serve immediately.

Peace,
Milton

spicy orange hummus

I found this recipe in three or four places on the web and began serving it at my restaurant a few weeks back. It actually tastes better if it sits for a day or two.

1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves
2 tablespoons chopped onions
2 garlic cloves
1/4 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons tahini(sesame seed paste)
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1(15oz.)can garbanzo beans, drained

Drop parsley, onion, and garlic through food chute with food processor on, and process until minced.

Add orange juice and remaining ingredients, and process until smooth.

Serve with pita bread and veggie sticks.


Peace,
Milton

spinach stuffed salmon

I found this recipe originally at Allreicpies.com.

2 salmon fillets
1/2 (10 ounce) package baby spinach, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon prepared pesto
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped dry-packed sun-dried tomatoes
1 1/2 teaspoons pine nuts
salt and pepper

Make a slit two-thirds of the way through the center of each salmon fillet making sure not to cut all the way through. Season each fillet with the salt and pepper. In a food processor, combine the spinach, pesto, tomatoes, and pine nuts and pulse until mixed well. Spoon about a third of a cup of the mixture into each slit.

Place the fillets on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Roast in a 400 degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until the spinach mixture is heated through.

Peace,
Milton

red beet risotto

This is worth making for the look of it as much as the taste.

1 large beet, or one can of beets
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 shallots, chopped
1 cup arborio rice
1/4 cup red wine
3 cups of water
salt and pepper

If you are using a raw beet, wrap it in foil, place in a pie plate, and roast in the oven at 350 for about an hour. When it comes out of the oven, put it in the 3 cups of water and let it cool there. (You can actually do this a day ahead and the water will really get red.) Once it has cooled, scrape the peeling off the beet and dice it. puree half of the beet and add back to the water. Set diced pieces aside. If you're using the canned beets, empty the can, juice and all, into the water and let them soak for awhile, then follow the same instructions.

When you are ready to cook the rice, heat the oil on high in a large saucepan;add the shallots. When they become translucent, add the rice and stir for about a minute. Pour in the red wine and lower the heat a bit and stir until the wine is mostly absorbed; lower heat to medium. Add the beet water one cup at a time, stirring consistently. When you add the last cup of water, add the diced beets. When the water is mostly absorbed, remove from heat, cover, and let stand ten minutes before serving.

Peace,
Milton