Lost Recipes-- and a new one, too

Well, I found the recipes which I mentioned in yesterday's post.

Chicken Biryani

Servings : 2

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

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1 teaspoon canola oil

1 teaspoon minced ginger

2/3 cup basmati rice -- may use half white and half brown, if desired (adjust
cooking times)

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

2 whole cardamom -- pods

2 whole cloves

1/2 whole cinnamon stick

1 pinch saffron threads

1 1/3 cups water

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon canola oil

1 small onion -- thinly sliced

1 small carrot -- finely chopped

1 teaspoon minced ginger

1 teaspoon minced garlic

10 ounces boneless skinless chicken breast -- cut in 1/2" strips

1 teaspoon sweet curry powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 cup plain lowfat yogurt -- at room temperature

• To prepare rice, heat oil in a heavy 2 quart saucepan over medium heat. Add ginger and let sizzle for 20-30 seconds. Stir in rice, turmeric, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon stick, and saffron and cook, stirring, for one minute. Add water and salt and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until water is absorbed and rice is almost tender (about 15 minutes for white, 25 for brown). Turn off heat and hold to finish cooking (about 10 minutes) until ready to use.
  
• Turn oven on to 350F.
• To prepare chicken, heat oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add onion and carrot and sauté until onion is golden brown (about 4 minutes). Stir in ginger and garlic and stir for one minute. Add chicken and stir for one minute. Add curry powder and mix well. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 5 minutes or until chicken is cooked.
• In a small bowl whisk yogurt until smooth. Stir into chicken mixture.
• Coat a baking dish with cooking spray. Remove whole spices from rice (they will usually be on top of the rice). Layer half of the rice mixture into the dish and smooth until even. Add chicken mixture in an even layer on rice, then top with the remaining rice.
• Bake, covered tightly, for 20 minutes or until heated through
  

Per serving: 515 Calories (kcal); 10g Total Fat; (17% calories from fat); 43g Protein; 63g Carbohydrate; 86mg Cholesterol; 731mg Sodium

Food Exchanges: 3 Grain(Starch); 4 1/2 Lean Meat; 1 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates

Spiced Cauliflower

Servings: 2

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

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2 cups cauliflower flowerets

1 teaspoon canola oil

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

1/2 teaspoon brown mustard seeds

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

salt -- to taste

• Place cauliflower in a steamer basket and steam until barely tender. Plunge into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Drain, then turn out onto a towel to dry for about a half-hour (pat florets with another towel, if necessary)
• Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the cumin and mustard seeds. When the popping sound stops (about a minute, being careful not to burn them), add the cauliflower and stir fry until the cauliflower is crisp-tender.
• Remove from heat, then sprinkle with lemon juice, cilantro and salt (if desired).

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Per serving: 60 Calories (kcal); 3g Total Fat; (35% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 8g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 45mg Sodium Food Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 1 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 0 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates

And on to another recipe. Yet another very cold day (will it end? Ever?) and another desire for a warming bowl of soup for lunch. Jack was asking for something Mexican, so I made this. Thickened with crumbled corn tortillas, this very tomatoey, spicy soup is just the ticket for lunch on a chilly winter day. I can't understand why this happened but I didn't have any canned or frozen black beans, so those were omitted. I also left out the chicken because I didn't think of making this in time to defrost and cook a chicken breast.

I served the soup with grilled jalapeno cheese-and-avocado sandwiches.

Tortilla Soup

Servings : 2

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

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2 teaspoons canola oil

1 small onion -- finely chopped

2 large garlic cloves -- minced

4 whole corn tortillas -- roughly chopped into 1/2" pieces

15 ounces diced tomatoes in juice -- canned, undrained

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 Tablespoon chili powder

2 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup water

1/8 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper

8 ounces skinless boneless chicken breasts -- cooked and shredded

5 ounces canned black beans -- drained and rinsed (about 1/2 of a 15-ounce can)

1 Tablespoon chopped cilantro

garnishes:

2 whole corn tortillas

1 tablespoon light sour cream -- thinned with 1 teaspoon milk

1/2 small tomato -- chopped

1/2 small avocado -- diced

• Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Add onion and saute for 2 minutes. Add garlic and chopped tortillas. Saute for 2-3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes. Bring to a boil and add spices and chicken broth. Return to a boil, reduce heat, stir in cayenne, simmer for 20 minutes.
• Add chicken, black beans, and cilantro and cook for 10 minutes.
• Preheat oven or toaster oven to 375F. Using scissors, cut the remaining two tortillas in half, then each of those pieces lengthwise in 1/2" wide strips. Cut those strips across their width into 1/4" wide "matchsticks". On a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray, arrange the matchsticks in a single layer. Apply a coating of cooking spray to the top surface. Bake for 5-7 minutes, or until golden brown.
• Divide half of the tortilla strips in each of two bowls. Ladle soup into bowls. Garnish with remaining tortilla strips, drizzle sour cream, then sprinkle on the chopped tomato, avocado

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Per serving: 500 Calories (kcal); 18g Total Fat (3 saturated); (31% calories from fat); 39g Protein; 46g Carbohydrate; 66mg Cholesterol; 1164mg Sodium

Food Exchanges: 1 1/2 Grain(Starch); 4 1/2 Lean Meat; 1 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates

NOTES : Can make a vegetarian soup by using vegetable broth; adding one small carrot, chopped, along with the onion; 1/3 cup frozen corn kernels with the cilantro; and garnishing each serving with 1/2 ounce shredded cheese (Monterey Jack, jalapeno Jack, cheddar, etc.)