A friend's Idea for Lunch

When I'm bored of cooking but still want to eat  a rich lunch, I use this recipe which I learned from a friend of mine but with some modifications of course :).
You can do it with either meat or chicken.

Ingredients ( serves 2) :

1. 2 cups of rice soaked in warm water for 30 minutes
2. half chicken ( boiled in water with a dash of salt , 5 cardamom seeds,6 cloves,2 bay leaf, 3 inch cinnamon stick)
3. 1 medium onion shredded
4. 2 carrots shredded
5. 1/4 cup or less of raisins and almonds and cashews
6. Spices used : salt and black pepper to taste , 1/2 tea.s turmeric , 1 tea.s cumin and curry powder , 1/2 tea.s garam masala ( optional ).
7. 1/4 cup rose water with Saffron soaked in it.
8. Chicken topping : 1 heaping table.s yogurt, 1 tea.s tomato sauce(if u have a paste make it 1/4tea.s) , pinch of turmeric, garlic powder and curry powder and cumin, drops of the rose water with saffron and if u like add a little of clarified butter.

Method:

1. Sautee the onions in little oil until browned a bit then add the shredded carrots and add more oil if needed.

2. add the mentioned spices above and stir occasionally on medium heat till everything is fried and melted together.

3. at the same time in another non stick pan brown the cashews and almonds and then add it to the onion-carrot mix along with raisins. mix for few minutes then set a side.

4. take the chicken out when its done and spread the topping mentioned above and broil.

5. to make the rice boil the chicken stock  with 2 tea.s + 1/2 tea.s of salt with few more cardamom seeds then add the rice and let it boil for 3 minutes then strain the excess water. Add quickly half the portion of the onion-carrot mixture to the pot with rose water and gently fold it in the rice and cover till the rice is done.About 20 minutes.

6. serve the rice with the chicken or meat on top and garnish. Enjoy its soooo Yummy.

Cardamom & Saffron Cupcake

It's a traditional cake made back home (Bahrain),usually baked in a tube pan but I like it in small cupcake bites :) my recipe works for both :)

Ingredients: (yeilds a dozen and half aprox)

1. 5 eggs
2. 1 cup sugar
3. 1 1/4 cup flour
4. 1/2 cup oil
5. 1/4 cup rose water with saffron strings soaked in it for 5-10 minutes
6. 2 tbl.s ground cardamom
7. 1 1/2 tea.s baking powder
8. 1/4 tea.s vanilla extract
 9. sesame seeds for sprinkling

Method:

1. whisk the eggs until fluffy then add the sugar , oil and vanilla and beat with an electric mixer
2. add the rest of the ingredients and mix
3. pour into a cake pan or cupcakes and sprinkle with sesame seeds
4. bake in a pre heated oven on 360 F for 30-35 minutes for pan or 20-25 minutes for cupcakes.Enjoy.

Indian Daal

If your fridge is almost empty! And your out of chicken or meat!
This recipe is for you, easy and will fill your stomach for sure :)

Ingredients: ( 2-4 servings)

1. 1 cup Daal ( orange lentils )
2. 3-4 garlic cloves minced
3. 1 small onion chopped
4. about 2 tbl.s chopped ginger
5. 1 hot chilli chopped ( optional)
6. 2 large tomatoes diced
7. 3 bay leaves
8. 2 tbl.s tomato sauce
9. 1 tbl.s cumin seeds
10. spices ( salt,cumin powder,curry powder,turmeric)
11. chopped parsley or cilantro for garnish

Method:

1. Using a pot, drizzle some oil or clarified butter and brown the onions.
2. add the garlic and ginger and hot chilli and careful don't burn the garlic.
3. add the tomatoes and cover. let it cook for few minutes until the tomatoes melt
4. add the Daal and season to taste with the mentioned spices above.
5. cover and let it cook on low heat for 30 minutes.
6. when its done. remove the bay leaves and blend using immersion blender until smooth.
7. in a frying pan heat some oil then add the cumin seeds brown for few seconds then pour the whole thing into the Daal and mix.
8. garnish with chopped parsley and serve with rice or bread. Enjoy.

Spicy Fish In Tomato Sauce

I love this recipe,its so easy to make and yummy too.

Ingredients: ( you can double the quantities ) 

1. 2 Tilapia fish fillets,cut in half or squares

2. 1/2 tea.s tandoori spice , turmeric and salt

3. 1/4 tea.s curry powder and ginger powder

4. 2 large tomatoes

5. chopped onion about 1/2 cup or less

6. 2 garlic cloves minced

7. 1/2 lemon squeezed

8. 1/4 cup tomato sauce+ 1/2 cup water,salt and cumin to taste

9. a dash of black lemon powder ( optional)

Method:

1. In a blender add the tomatoes,onions and garlic and blend till smooth

2. pour into a bowel and add your fish fillets and spices and lemon. mix well and let it marinate in the fridge for an hour.

3. In a deep pan saute the fish fillets in little oil on both sides then add the rest of the marinade sauce to it and let it cook on medium heat.

4. add 1/4 tomato sauce and water. adjust the salt and cumin to your taste.

5. let it cook on medium low heat for 20-30 minutes..Serve with rice or bread,Enjoy.

Bokhari Chicken

This dish is a common dish in the Arabian Gulf countries.

Ingredients:

1. Half a chicken
2. Onion sliced thinly
3. 2-3 carrots shredded
4. 2 tomatoes diced
5. 2 cups rice ( soaked for 30 minutes at least)
6. 1/4 cup tomato sauce ( optional)
7. spices ( salt,black pepper,cumin powder,2-3bay leaf,6 cardamom seeds )

# Garnish : fried shredded carrots , sliced almonds (browned), raisins

Method:

1. In a pressure cooker or pot, saute the onions in oil until browned
2. add the chicken and season with the above spices. add more oil if needed.
3. add the tomatoes and tomato sauce and about a cup of water,stir and cover.
4. cook on medium - low heat for 30 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked.
5. uncover and add the shredded carrots.cook for few more minutes then take out the chicken and broil until golden brown.
6. add more water to the pot if needed and bring to a boil then add the rice and salt ( remember 1 cup rice = 1 1/4 tea.s salt ). boil for 3 minutes then rinse and cover on low heat for 20 - 30 minutes or until the rice is done.
7. serve the rice and on top of it the chicken + garnish...Enjoooy

Coconut Milk Chicken

Ingredients:

1. Two chicken breasts or half a chicken
2. 1 tea.s salt
3. 1 tea.s cumin,curry powder,garlic powder,ginger powder.
4. 1\2 tea.s chilli powder(optional)
5. 1 table.s sugar and white vinegar
6. 1 cup coconut milk
#sauce: 1cup water (you can add more later depending how thick you want the sauce to be) + 1/2 cup coconut milk+ 2 table.s tomato sauce.

Method:

1. Cut the chicken into cubes and marinate it with the mentioned ingredients. Let it sit in the fridge for an hour at least or over night.

2. Saute the chicken in little oil until it browens on both sides.

3. Add 1 cup of water+2 table.s Tomato sauce and cover.cook on high for few mints then lower the heat to medium low for 15-20 mints.

4. Uncover and add 1/2 cup coconut milk.stir and sprinkle some sugar and adjust the salt of needed.add more water if needed.Simmer on low heat for 10 mints.Serve with rice or bread..Enjoy..

Fall Colors Salad

Ingredients:

1. red,yellow,orange bell peppers
2. sweet yellow whole kernel corn
3. medium or sharp cheddar cheese block 
# marinade : milk(2-3 table.s),sugar,mayonnaise,salt,black pepper

Method:

1. chop the peppers into small bites
2. chop the cheddar cheese into small squares
3. mix the ingredients in a bowel and then add the marinade ingredients to taste.
4. chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour or over night...Enjoy :-)