Tangy Stir-Fried Spinach & Mushrooms

Faux Chin Baung Ywet

Food is such a nostalgic experience; this stir-fried dish brought back strong memories of our carefree childhood in Yangon, formerly known as Rangoon.

Chin Baung Ywet or
Roselle Leaves

In Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, we often had a naturally tangy spinach called Chin Baung Ywet or roselle leaves. The buds of the roselle shrub are sour and make a lovely chutney and jam/jelly.

Sorrel Herb

The closest taste to roselle that's available where I live in North America is sorrel, an herb, which looks like spinach but has a tangy edge to it. We're just now emerging from a frosty winter and sorrel is not in season, so I decided to use plain spinach and finished it off with the juice of one lime just before taking it off the stove. 

Sliced Mushrooms

This dish using roselle or sorrel is usually prepared with shrimp and it tastes exquisite, but I used a 16 oz. tub of sliced mushrooms instead. We also had some left-over french fries from our lunch, so I threw that in, too.

Stir-Fry the Mushrooms

Heated some extra-light tasting olive oil to a skillet and toasted a teaspoon of fennel seeds before added the sliced mushrooms. I like to stir-fry the mushrooms first to prevent them from releasing all their juices. 

Added Minced Garlic

When the mushrooms softened and began to brown, minced garlic was added to them.

Added Minced Onions

Minced onions, diced green chilies and salt were added to the mushrooms and garlic and stir-fried until onions turned translucent.

Tossed French Fries In

Tossed in the french fries and gave it another good stir.

Topped Off With Frozen Spinach

Added a 16 oz. package of frozen and chopped spinach and salt to taste, covered the skillet and allowed the spinach to cook over medium heat.

Garnished With The Juice Of One Lime

Once the spinach was browned around the edges, the juice of a whole lime was squeezed and stirred into it. Tasted wonderful with hot, steamed Basmati rice. Can also be served with any variety of Indian breads.

Ingredients:

1 lb. frozen chopped spinach (do not thaw)

4 Tbsp. oil

1 tsp. fennel seeds

1 large onion, diced

1 tsp. minced garlic

2 green chilies, diced (optional or to taste)

1 (16 oz.) tub of sliced mushrooms

1 potato, peeled & cut in strips

1 lime, cut in half

salt to taste

Directions:

1. Heat oil over medium-high heat & toast fennel seeds until golden-brown.
2. Add mushrooms & stir-fry until all moisture (if any) have been released.
3. Add salt, garlic, onions and green chilies, & stir-fry until onions soften.
4. Add potatoes, salt to taste and frozen spinach, cover and cook over medium heat until spinach thaws.
5. Stir well after spinach thaws, cover & cook over medium heat until spinach cooks.
6. Squeeze lime juice over contents of skillet and transfer to a serving dish.

Serve with hot Basmati rice or any Indian bread.

Stir-Fried Bitter Melon & Eggplant

Karola Begun Bhaja

My trip to the Asian market a couple of days ago proved fruitful because I found a tray of already sliced bitter melons.They were of the Chinese variety which have a smoother and lighter skin than their subcontinental counterparts.

Chinese Bitter Melons

Subcontinental Bitter Melons

Chinese bitter melons are also less bitter than the subcontinental variety. The long and slender Japanese eggplants go so well when they are stir-fried along with bitter melons.

This dish is a common side served as a first course of a Bengali meal. It's so simple to make and is considered to be beneficial in lowering blood sugar levels. It tastes perfect with any form of Indian bread or steamed Basmati rice.

Ingredients:

3 bitter melons, cut in half, deseeded and sliced

2 Asian eggplants, cut in half and sliced

4 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1/2 tsp. whole Bengali 5-spice or panch phoron (equal proportions of fennel, nigella, fenugreek, cumin and mustard seeds)

salt to taste

Directions:

1. Toss both vegetables with salt to taste.
2. Heat oil over medium-high heat and sputter 5-spice.
3. Stir-fry bitter melon and eggplant slices until golden brown.
4. Adjust salt and transfer to a serving dish.

Serve with chapatis or Basmati rice.

Breakfast Scrambled Eggs & Potatoes

Alu Deem Bhaja

We were late getting up this morning so we had breakfast for lunch. This was really quick and easy to put together because I used frozen hash brown potatoes from the freezer. But it's just as easy to peel a large russet potato and dice it instead.

Beat Eggs Until Frothy

First, I beat 2 eggs with salt & pepper to taste & a pinch of turmeric powder until frothy. The turmeric gives the eggs a lovely flavour and is what makes it Bengali scrambled eggs.

Stir-Fried Potatoes

Then, 2 cups of diced potatoes were stir-fried with salt & pepper, 1/4 cup each diced tomatoes, green onions and 1 green chili.

Setting Eggs

When the potatoes were cooked, a well was made in the center of the potatoes and a little more butter was melted, the beaten eggs poured in the well and allowed to set around the edges.

Scrambled Eggs & Potatoes

The eggs were then scrambled and stirred with the potatoes...

Plated

and mounded on a toasted and split English muffin. Add to that a mug of steaming hot coffee for a deeply satisfying meal. 

Ingredients: (serves 2)
2 eggs, beaten until frothy with
   salt & pepper to taste
   a pinch of turmeric
1 onion, minced
1 tomato, diced
1 green chilli, diced (or to taste)
2 stalks green onions, sliced
handful cilantro, chopped
2 cups potatoes, peeled & diced
2 Tbsp. (1/4 stick) butter
2 English muffins, split and toasted
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Melt half the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Stir-fry onions, tomatoes, chilli, green onions & cilantro until oil resurfaces.
3. Add potatoes along with salt & pepper and stir well.
4. Sprinkle some water over potatoes and cover.
5. Simmer potatoes, stirring occasionally until potatoes are cooked.
6. Make a well in the center of the potatoes and melt remaining butter.
7. Pour beaten egg over melted butter and allow edges to set.
8. Stir and scramble egg into potatoes; turn heat off.
9. Toast 2 split English muffins, mound scrambled eggs & potatoes over muffin halves and serve with beverage of choice.

Stir-Fried Red Swiss Chard with Shrimp and Eggplant

Chingri Begun Laal Shaak er Chochori

Luck was on my side when I went shopping for fresh vegetables a few days ago. There was a good looking bunch of red Swiss chard which immediately evoked images of a stir-fry with eggplant and shrimp. The stems and backs of the leaves were beet red and the surface of the leaves were green with red veins. 

When I looked up the definition of Laal (red) Shaak (spinach) on the Internet the English equivalent was Red Amaranth or Red Swiss Chard. 

All spinach or greens need to be thoroughly washed. Fill the sink or a large pan with cold water and drop the spinach into the water as it is being chopped. Dunk the chopped spinach in the water several times. The spinach rises to the top and any sediment present will sink to the bottom of the pan. Transfer the spinach to a colander to drain.

Vegetarians and Vegans can omit the shrimp for a tasty & nutritious meal. 

Ingredients:

1 bunch red Swiss chard, chopped, rinsed thoroughly & drained

1 Oriental eggplant, cubed

8 oz. medium (26-30 count) shrimp, shelled & de-veined

1 large onion, diced

1 tsp. garlic paste

1 hot green chili, diced

1/4 tsp. turmeric

salt to taste

2 + 2 + 2 Tbsp. light olive oil

1/4 tsp. panch phoron (Bengali whole 5 spice)
1/4 tsp. toasted panch phoron powder

1 tsp. ghee

2 green chilies, slit

Directions:

1. Toss shrimp with salt & turmeric and set aside.
2. Heat 2 Tbsp. oil over medium-high heat & stir-fry shrimp until pink.
3. Remove shrimp from skillet and heat another 2 Tbsp. oil.
4. Fry eggplant cubes until golden brown and set aside.
5. Heat remaining oil in same skillet & sputter green chilies & panch phoron.
6. Add onions, garlic, spinach & salt, cover & cook until stems are tender.
7. Return eggplant & shrimp to skillet, add toasted panch phoron powder, stir & cook for another 5 minutes.
8. Adjust salt to taste & garnish with ghee & slit green chilies.  

Serve with hot Basmati rice or chapatis/tortillas.

Begun Pora - Bengali Roasted Eggplant Salad

Eggplant is a favourite vegetable (or fruit?) among Bengali people who reside in West Bengal in India and Bangladesh. For this salad, the big, purple eggplant works best. The way I pick one is to look for a tight and blemish-free skin. I then weigh an eggplant in each hand and pick the lightest one. Tapping the eggplant with a finger should produce a hollow sound. Eggplants that are huge and heavy are full of seeds which are annoying to eat.

I find it easiest to cut the eggplant in half lengthwise, rub some oil over the surface and cut sides, lay them face down on a greased cookie sheet and bake them at a high temperature for 20-25 minutes. This cooks the core to a soft and silky pulp that should ideally be hand-mixed with the listed ingredients. The more traditional way is to place a flat cast-iron pan (tawa) on the stove and char the eggplant over a low flame, turning it over and around every now and then.

Mustard oil is a must & provides a lovely pungent flavour to this salad. It is readily available in Indian markets outside India. In our household, a dried red chili is held with tongs over an open flame to char all over and then mashed into the salad. This adds an unbeatable smoky flavour. A word of caution - make sure to turn it around, not allowing the chili to burn or catch fire because that will have everyone at home coughing and crying their eyes out! 

Ingredients:
1 large eggplant, cut in half lengthwise
1 + 2 Tbsp. mustard oil
1 hot green chili, diced and/or 1 toasted dried red chili, crushed
1 small onion, diced
1 handful cilantro, chopped
salt to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400*F, grease a cookie sheet and wash the eggplant.
2. Cut eggplant lengthwise, prick skin with a fork & rub with 1 Tbsp. oil.
3. Place eggplant, cut-side down, on greased cookie sheet.
4. Bake for 25-30 minutes until peel appears wrinkled and charred.
5. Remove eggplant halves from oven and set aside to cool.
6. Scoop flesh away from peel and discard the peel.
7. Coarsely chop eggplant and hand-mix with remaining ingredients.

Serve with hot, steamed Basmati rice.

3 Bean Salad

3 Bean Salad

Somehow, I managed to hit just the right sweet and sour notes in this salad. The trick is to assemble all the ingredients, mix them all up and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or preferably overnight. This releases the sweetness from the dried cranberries and the minty flavours to soak into the beans. The only cooking required is to steam the whole red lentils, chickpeas and red beans but I was fortunate enough to avail of a package of Melissa's steamed lentils and packages of chickpeas and red beans that were soaking in water and sea salt. Any combination of beans would work in this recipe.

Ingredients:

1 (8 oz.) cup whole red lentils, steamed

1 (8 oz.) cup chickpeas, drained

1 (8 oz.) cup red beans, drained

1/2 cup dried cranberries or cherries or raisins

2 stalks green onions, diced

1 serrano pepper, diced

2 medium tomatoes, diced

2 handfuls mint, diced

1/4 cup olive oil

1/8 cup cider vinegar

1 serrano pepper, sliced (for garnish)

salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Whip together oil, vinegar, salt and pepper and set aside.
2. Mix remaining ingredients except sliced peppers.
3. Add oil & vinegar dressing.
4. Refrigerate overnight & garnish with sliced peppers before serving.

Cheesy Fajita Open-Faced Sandwich

Cheesy Fajita Sandwich

Here's a lunch that can be prepared in under 5 minutes. We had fajitas for dinner the night before so I put away two little portions for lunch the next day. The chicken breast strips come already cooked with fajita spices and can be found in the frozen section of the supermarket. Combined with strips of colourful sliced onions and sweet & hot peppers, the chicken fajita strips are laid on top of a mixture of grated Mexican cheese, mayonnaise and red pepper flakes with a sprinkling of fresh herbs.. Once toasted in the toaster-oven, the cheese melts and forms a creamy base for the chicken fajita. These open-faced sandwiches taste great on crusty Italian bread or tortillas.

Serve with a fresh salad and/or fruit. This meal is served with a 3 Bean Salad.

Ingredients:

1 cup chicken fajita strips, cooked & frozen

1 cup sweet multi-coloured peppers, sliced

1 serrano pepper, sliced

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1 onion, sliced

2 Tbsp. grated Mexican cheese

2 Tbsp. mayonnaise

1 tsp. crushed dried red peppers

2 green onions, chopped

1 Tbsp. cilantro, chopped

2 flour tortillas or 4 slices of toasted bread

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Toss chicken, peppers and onions in the hot oil until cooked but still crisp.
3. Remove from heat and set aside.
4. Mix grated cheese, mayonnaise and red peppers in a bowl.
5. Spread on tortillas or bread, making sure to work all the way to the edges.
6. Top with prepared fajita strips and sprinkle with green onions & cilantro.
7. Toast in a toaster-oven just until cheese melts.
8. Serve right away with a salad and/or fruit.

Chicken Do Pyaza

Chicken Braised with Two Types of Onions 

We had company for dinner tonight. This last week has been pretty busy so all the cooking was done starting early this morning. It's the middle of winter in Michigan (USA) with temperatures plunging into the single digits, making the task of cooking meat and fish rather difficult because all the windows need to be left open to air out the house.

I used all shortcuts possible while making this chicken dish. Do (two) Pyaza (onions) means a gravy made with two preparations of onions. The chicken was marinated overnight, brought to room temperature and then cooked with finely sliced onions and garnished with crispy, deep-fried red shallots. We're very fortunate that birista or deep-fried onions/shallots are now readily available in Indian and Oriental markets in North America. 

Besides using fresh tomatoes, tomato paste was also added to thicken and provide a rich, red colour to the gravy. Kashmiri mirch which is an aromatic paprika from India also adds to the rich, red colour. I was first introduced to this way of cooking meat and poultry by a friend in New Delhi close to 45 years ago. I was only just finding my way around my kitchen when this kind gentleman came over one day and taught me to make this. Although he has long since left this world, his kindness and patience remains a precious memory.

Ingredients

1 lb. chicken, cut in bite-sized pieces

3 large onions, sliced finely

1 medium tomato, diced

1 + 1 tsp. garlic paste

1 + 1 tsp. ginger paste

1 + 1 tsp. Kashmiri mirch/paprika

1/4 tsp. tandoori masala

1 tsp. tomato paste

1/2 tsp. Bengali garam masala powder (ground cinnamon, cardamon & cloves) 

1 + 6 Tbsp. vegetable oil

2 sticks cinnamon

2 black, large cardamom

1/2 tsp. shah jeera or cumin

2 cups simmering chicken broth

1 cup + 4 Tbsp. deep-fried red shallots

salt to taste

Directions

1. Clean chicken and marinate in the fridge overnight (or minimum 2 hours) with 1 Tbsp. oil, 1 tsp. each ginger & garlic pastes, 1 tsp. Kashmiri mirch, tandoori masala and salt to taste. 
2. Bring marinated chicken to room temperature before cooking.
3. Blend diced tomatoes with 1 tsp. each ginger and garlic pastes.
4. Heat oil over medium high heat, fry chicken until golden brown & set aside.
5. In the same pan, sputter shah jeera, cinnamon and black cardamom.
6. Add sliced onions and stir-fry until translucent.
7. Stir in tomato paste and stir-fry until oil resurfaces.
8. Add blended tomatoes, garam masala & remaining Kashmiri mirch.
9. Stir well & simmer over medium heat until oil resurfaces again.
10. Add browned chicken, 1 cup deep-fried red shallots and broth, lower heat to medium-low, cover & simmer for 30 minutes until gravy is thick and reduced by half.
11. Adjust salt to taste, garnish with remaining deep-fried red shallots & transfer to serving dish.

Serve with hot Basmati rice, Indian bread or tortillas.

Stir-Fried Eggplant in Mustard Sauce

Begun-er Jhaal

Eggplant cooked this way is one of my favorite dishes for a number of reasons. First of all, it brings back memories of our idyllic childhood centered around Mum who managed to create the most delicious meals on a thrify budget. That one sentence describes two of life's most important lessons she taught us - to put money away for a rainy day and to be proficient in the kitchen. 

Secondly, we eat first with our eyes which is why the bright purple color of eggplant is so pleasing to our palates. And having eaten eggplant as very young children, this vegetable has grown to become a favorite over a lifetime.

Stir-fried with sliced onions and tomatoes and then wrapped in a pungent and creamy mustard sauce, it's hard to describe the intense satisfaction derived from combining this dish with hot & steamy Basmati rice or a fluffy chapati/tortilla.

Several varieties of eggplant are available in supermarkets, but for this dish I prefer to use Oriental or Japanese eggplant which have minimal seeds and a much sweeter taste than the large oval ones.

Shorshe Bata Begun

Ingredients

4 Japanese eggplant, cut lengthwise down the center & cubed

2 medium onions, sliced
6 cloves garlic, minced (or 1 tsp. garlic paste)

2 medium tomatoes, diced

1 hot green chili, diced

4 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1/4 tsp. shah jeera or cumin seeds

1 hot green chili, diced

2 Tbsp. black mustard seeds, soaked overnight in salted water with

   1 de-seeded dried red chili

1/4 tsp. sugar or to taste

1 hot green chili, diced (for garnish)

salt to taste

Directions

1. Toss eggplant pieces with salt & set aside.
2. Rinse mustard seeds (in a tea strainer) to remove excess salt.
3. Blend mustard seeds with 1/2 cup water to a smooth paste.
4. Heat oil in skillet on medium-high & sputter cumin seeds & 1 chili.
5. Fry garlic & onions until onions turn translucent.
6. Add eggplant, stir & fry until eggplant pieces are golden brown.
7. Add tomatoes to skillet, followed by mustard paste and stir gently.
8. Cover, simmer for 5 minutes & adjust salt & sugar to taste.
9. Garnish with remaining diced chilies and serve as a side dish.

Tuna Melt Wraps

Tuna Melt Wrap with Green Onions

Tuna Melt Wrap with Dill

Packaged tuna fish now comes in a variety of flavors. I picked up a package of Tuna Creations of the Lemon Pepper variety and was pleasantly surprised at how good it tasted. If tuna is not readily available where you live, substitute any flaked fish seasoned with lemon & pepper powder, mayonnaise and anything else you fancy. 

The other necessary ingredient is the bread and I chose to use a flour tortilla. The 'melt' component comes from the cheese for which a slice of pepper jack cheese gave it a spicy kick.

To toast the wrap, a small cast iron frying pan did the trick. This sandwich was a golden, crispy brown on the outside with an ooey-gooey center. 

Great for lunch and it all came together in under 5 minutes!

Ingredients (makes 2 wraps)

1 (2.6 oz.) pkg. Starkist Tuna Creations (Lemon Pepper flavor)

2 slices pepper jack cheese, cut in half

2 stalks green onions or dill, minced 

2 dabs of butter

2 small flour tortillas

Directions (for each wrap)

1. Melt a dab of butter in a small cast iron frying pan over medium heat.
2. Place a tortilla in the pan and heat one side.
3. Flip tortilla over, layer with 2 halves of a cheese slice, half the tuna and some green onions or dill.
4. Fold other half of tortilla over filling and press edges together to seal with cheese.
5. Fry both sides of wrap until golden brown.
6. Transfer to serving plate, cut in half and garnish with green onions or dill.

Hasselback Potato

Hasselback Potatoes

This makes an excellent side for dinner and is so easy to prepare! If your family likes baked potatoes, this will soon become a favorite. One way to speed up the baking process is to leave the skin on for maximum nutrition, prick each potato all over with a fork, rub the surface with oil, salt and pepper and microwave one at a time for 2 minutes. The potatoes will be semi-cooked which also makes it easier to score with a knife. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes, sprinkle the necessary ingredients over top and in the crevices and bake for another 10 minutes until the cheese melts. Tastes yummy!

Half a Hasselback Potato Served with
Salisbury Steak & Cranberry Chutney

Ingredients

1 russet potato, scrubbed under running water

1 Tbsp. vegetable oil

salt & pepper to taste
dash of garlic powder
dash of onion powder

2 Tbsp. grated cheese

1 Tbsp. bacon bits (optional for vegetarians)

1 stalk scallions/green onions, minced

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425*F & place a rack on a baking sheet.
2. Prick potato with a fork on all sides.
3. Rub with oil, salt & pepper and microwave on high power for 2 minutes.
4. Remove from microwave & score with a serrated knife 2/3 of the way down.
5. Season with salt, pepper, garlic & onion powder.
6. Place on a rack in preheated oven and bake for 10 minutes.
7. Sprinkle with cheese, bacon bits (if using) and bake another 10 minutes.
8. Garnish with scallions and serve immediately.

Huevos Con Queso - Microwaved Eggs with Hot Peppers & Cheese

Microwaved Eggs with Hot Peppers & Cheese

The best dishes are created when one is ravenous. Lunch was late today because I had only myself to cater to. Earlier in the day, a Pinterest post caught my eye - 12 Ways to Cook Eggs in the Microwave. I've done that before with great success, so when my stomach began to growl, I raided the fridge and came up with this heartwarming and oh-so satisfying one-dish meal.

Ingredients:

2 eggs

salt & pepper to taste

1 wheat tortilla

1 cup left-over chicken fajitas or taco meat (optional)

1 handful cilantro, minced

1 green onion, minced

1 green chili, minced

2 Tbsp. grated cheese

Directions:

1. Break eggs into a microwave-safe dish and beat well with salt & pepper.
2. Tear tortilla into pieces and top with remaining ingredients, except cheese.
3. Mix everything together and microwave on high for 2-1/2 minutes. 
4. Sprinkle with cheese & microwave for another 30 seconds until eggs set.

Serve for lunch with fruit or salad for a hearty meal. Notice I didn't use any butter or oil so it's fat-free.

Salisbury Steak

Salisbury Steak

For Christmas dinner this year we had Salisbury Steak for a main dish. In our family, we can tolerate turkey and ham only once a year, for Thanksgiving, and beef seemed like a viable option for Christmas dinner. 

The butcher had blade steaks already flattened and 'cubed' meaning chopped without cutting all the way through the steak. This tenderizes the steak so that it's quick and easy to cook. When I defrosted the steaks a couple of days later I found that the butcher had, very considerately, placed a slip of parchment paper between each steak to make them easy to separate.

This can be made with hamburger patties, but cubed steaks taste better. We had these with several vegetable sides and everything had to be kept simple and palatable to suit the taste of our three grandsons, two aged 7 and one 8. They cringe at the sight of onions so I blended the French onion soup to make the gravy.

2015 Christmas Dinner

Ingredients:

8 cubed steaks

2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1 (10 oz.) Campbell's French Onion Soup, blended

1 (8 oz.) cup chicken broth or water

1 Tbsp. tomato ketchup

Directions:

1. Season flour with salt, pepper and garlic, and place on a plate.
2. Add one steak at a time to the seasoned flour, shake until completely coated and transfer to a clean plate.
3. In a frying pan over medium-high heat, cook 2 steaks at a time in oil for 5-6 minutes on each side until browned.
4. Transfer browned steaks to a paper-towel lined plate to drain. 
5. Add any leftover seasoned flour to oil in which steaks were browned and toast to a golden brown.
6. Add soup, broth and ketchup to toasted flour, stir well and bring to a boil. 
7. Lower heat to low and add steaks to simmering gravy.
8. Cover and cook steaks on low heat for 20 minutes or until tender.

Serve over cooked egg noodles with a side of mashed or baked potatoes.

Buttermilk Hidden Valley Ranch Oyster Crackers

Years ago, while I was still a working woman, a co-worker brought in this snack for a potluck. It's so crunchy, delicious, and easy to assemble that I wonder why it's taken so long to resurface.

Ingredients

1 (0.4 oz. pkg.) Buttermilk Hidden Valley Ranch Salad Dressing & Seasoning Mix
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 tsp. dried dill
¼ tsp. garlic powder
1 (12 oz.) pkg. oyster crackers

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 250°F.
2. In a small bowl, stir oil, dressing mix, dill and garlic powder until mixed through.
3. Pour crackers in a large pan and pour prepared oil over crackers..
4. Toss crackers until well coated with oil.
5. Arrange crackers on an ungreased cookie sheet in a single layer.
6. Bake at  250°F for 15 to 20 minutes or until crackers are golden brown.
7. Store in an airtight container after cooling to room temperature.

Easy Kosha Mangsho - Simmered Lamb Curry

Kosha (stirred & simmered) Mangsho (meat) produces a lamb curry that is bathed in a thick gravy. Note that no water or watery ingredients are added during cooking in order to ensure a thick sauce or gravy. Tomato ketchup or paste is used, not pureed tomatoes, for this reason. Why call this recipe easy? Because it takes a couple of hours or more to cook this on the stove top. By using a pressure cooker, the cooking time is reduced drastically and the meat falls off the bones.

Bone-in leg of baby lamb works best for this recipe and purchasing from a halal meat store ensures tenderness and good quality meat. I ask the butcher to cut the leg into pieces suitable for stewing and to pack it in 3-4 separate portions. That cuts down on work once I get it home, so all I have to do is freeze it until ready to be cooked.

We generally don't eat lamb unless company's coming, so that makes it an extra-special meal. Most of the fat is removed during the butchering process, but a sufficient amount remains which gives the lamb its familiar flavor. 

It's a family tradition to add potatoes to meat dishes and I've used one large russet potato chopped into pieces similar in size to the pieces of lamb. For an added festive touch, this dish can be garnished with deep fried onions just prior to serving.

Ingredients:

2 lbs. lamb, cut in big chunks & washed

2 tsp. Kashmiri mirch or paprika

1 Tbsp. ginger paste

1 Tbsp. garlic paste

1/4 tsp. turmeric powder

1/2 tsp. cumin-coriander powder

2 Tbsp. tomato ketchup or paste (not pureed)

salt to taste

4 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1 tsp. shah jeera or cumin seeds

1 cinnamon stick

3 large black cardamom

1 star anise

2 large onions, halved & sliced in crescents

1 russet potato, peeled and cut in chunks

1/2 tsp. Bengali garam masala (ground cinnamon, cardamom & cloves)

salt to taste

Directions:

1. Marinate lamb in next 7 ingredients, mixing thoroughly.
2. Refrigerate overnight or for at least 2 hours.
3. Take lamb out of the fridge and bring to room temperature.
4. Heat pressure cooker over medium-high heat and add oil.
5. When oil is hot, sputter next 4 ingredients until aromatic.
6. Stir-fry onions until translucent and add lamb.
7. Stir well and simmer until juices are released.
8. Cover pressure cooker & bring to full pressure.
9. Simmer on medium heat for 20 minutes & remove from heat.
10. Allow pressure to dissipate completely before removing cover.
11. Add potatoes, stir well and place over medium-low heat.
12. Simmer for half an hour or until potatoes are tender.
13. Adjust salt to taste and stir in garam masala.
14. Serve with Indian bread or steamed Basmati rice.

Burmese Stir-Fried Garlicky Shrimp

Pazun Hsipyan

These shrimp (pazun) are stir-fried until the "oil resurfaces" (hsipyan). Most of the effort in preparing this dish is spent in shelling and deveining the shrimp, which take no time at all to cook. Keep this recipe in your repertoire of dishes that can be prepared in a hurry. The shrimp can be cleaned and marinated in advance and then cooked just before serving.

Ingredients:

1 lb. shrimp, shelled & deveined
6 Tbsp. vegetable oil
8-10 cloves garlic, peeled & diced
1 large onion, peeled, halved & sliced in thin crescents
1 large tomato, diced
1 serrano pepper, diced
1 bunch cilantro stems, diced
1/2 tsp. Kashmiri mirch or paprika
1 Tbsp. fish sauce
1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
salt to taste

Directions:

1. Marinate shrimp with turmeric & fish sauce for 15 minutes or longer.
2. Heat oil in a skillet/wok over medium-high heat and add paprika.
3. Stir-fry onions, peppers & garlic until onions are translucent.
4. Lower heat to medium, add tomatoes & simmer until oil resurfaces.
5. Add shrimp & cilantro stems and stir-fry until shrimp are no longer pink.
6. Adjust salt to taste & serve immediately over steamed long-grain rice.

Note: No water is used in cooking this dish. The gravy/sauce is the light olive oil (white & odorless) that I used which turned red from Kashmiri mirch and tomatoes.

Baked Mushroom Pilaf

Baked Mushroom Pilaf

Did you know you can bake rice from scratch in the oven? It works really well and combined with a couple of cans of soup and mushrooms, it tastes amazing! Oh, I almost forgot to mention that most of the taste comes from the butter which is the fifth ingredient! No need to add salt because the soups have plenty.

Facebook is my #1 go-to source for recipes these days. A couple of days ago, I came across a recipe called Stick of Butter Rice which I vowed to try as soon as possible. It sounded divine. Today was the perfect time to experiment because I have to take something for a Christmas potluck tomorrow. 

Normally I would just point you to the original recipe, but because I used Basmati rice, baking times were a little different and I added fresh shiitake mushrooms. The umami from the mushrooms and butter make this a winner!

Ingredients:

1 cup Basmati rice, rinsed in several changes of water & drained

1 (10 oz.) can Campbell's Cream of French Onion soup

1 (10 oz.) can Campbell's Beef Broth

1 (1/2 cup) stick of butter, sliced

8 oz. shiitake mushrooms, sliced

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 425*F.
2. Place drained rice in a 9X9 inch glass baking dish.
3. Pour both cans of soup over rice.
4. Layer mushrooms over top and dot with sliced butter.
5. Cover baking dish with aluminum foil and bake at 452*F for 30 minutes.
6. Take foil off & bake for another 20 minutes just until edges crisp & brown.
7. Turn oven off and take baking pan out of oven.
8. Cover dish with foil and leave at room temperature for 10-20 minutes.

Serve with a salad or raita such as Fuji Apple Raita. It tastes yummy!