Recipes

Most of my recipes are bastardized from some book, magazine, or website. Some are my own, but all are my gastronomical favorites.
Lemon Herb Roast Chicken W/Gravy
Serves 4
What you need:
4 chicken breasts, skin removed
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup (10 3/4 oz.)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
4 cloves minced fresh garlic
zest of one lemon
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup dry white vermouth
1/2 cup chicken stock
 
How to:
Set oven to 375 degrees F.
 Place soup, rosemary, thyme, garlic in a bowl.  Stir mixture. 
Set aside one 1/4 cup of the mixture.
Place the chicken in a lightly greased oven dish, pour the soup mixture over the chicken, and roast for 20 minutes.
Remove from oven and pour the reserved 1/4 cup of soup mixture over the chicken. 
Continue to roast until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 160 degrees F.
While the chicken continues to roast, Pour the chicken stock and vermouth in a pan and heat on the stove top until almost boiling. 
When the chicken reaches 160 F. remove the dish from the oven and quickly remove the chicken and set aside.
Pour all the liquid from the oven dish into the pan with the chicken stock and vermouth.
Quickly place the chicken back into the hot oven dish and cover with foil and wrap with a tea towel.
While the chicken is resting, boil the liquid mixture in the pan until reduced to your desired thickness for gravy. 

Plate the chicken and pour the gravy over the chicken and over your choice of potatoes. 

Note:  A meat thermometer is a must.  A remote digital thermometer is best.    
TEMPEH CURRY
Serves 3 to 4
What you need:

Tempeh is a nice substitute for meat.  This is my own recipe: 
8 oz tempeh, cut into 1" sqares and sliced to half thickness
8 oz potatoes, cut into 3/4" squares or you can use new potatoes quartered
2 medium onions, cut into 1/2" pieces or coarsely diced
1 can (15 oz) fire roasted tomatoes
1 tbsp meat masala
1 tsp fresh ground ginger or ginger paste
1 tsp fresh minced garlic or garlic paste
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp onion seeds (nigella)
1/2 tsp coriander seeds
Sprig of fresh curry leaves
Coconut oil
Salt

NOTE:  You will need to purchase meat masala, onion seeds, and curry leaves at an Indian shop.  If you can't find fresh curry leaves, omit them.  There is no substitute, including dried curry leaves.   

How to:

Parboil the potatoes for 10 minutes with salted water.  Remove and place in a bowl.  Sprinkle with turmeric and mix well.  Set aside.
Bring the coconut oil to medium heat in a cast iron fry pan.  Add the curry leaves, cumin seeds, onion seeds, and coriander seeds.  When seeds start to sizzle, add the onions and cook for a few minutes.  Add the garlic and ginger and cook for another minute.  Add the tempeh, potatoes, and meat masala and continue cooking for a few more minutes.  Add the diced tomatoes and cook until all ingredients are hot and potatoes are done.   

This goes good with basmati rice.  Look for my basmati rice recipe on this website.

Basmati Rice for Indian Curry
Serves 3 to 4
What you need:
1 level cup basmati rice
2 whole green cardamoms
1 stick of cinnamon
1 whole clove
6 fresh curry leaves

NOTE:  Curry leaves and cardamoms will have to be purchased at an Indian shop.  If you cannot find fresh curry leaves, omit them.  There is no substitute for curry leaves, including dried curry leaves. 
How to:
Use a heavy bottom pot with a tight fitting lid and dump the cup of rice in it.  Fill part way with water and let sit for at least one half hour. 
Carefully pour the water out of the pot or use strainer, and pour 1 and 3/4 cups of water back into the pot with the rice. 
Add the cardamoms, cinnamon, clove, and curry leaves. 
Cover the pot and bring to a boil on high heat.
Turn off the heat and give the rice and all ingredients a quick swirl with a spoon.  
Leave the pot on the turned-off burner for 20 minutes. 
Remove lid.  Rice will be nicely cooked with a beautiful aroma. 
Remove the extra ingredients from the rice before serving.

NOTE:  This works with any size container.  Always use 1 and 3/4 times as much water by volume as rice. 

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