Beef Fajitas

1 Tbl. chili powder
1/2 tsp ground oregano
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp salt
pepper to taste

12 oz. beff sirloin, cut into strips of 1/2 in wide and 2 inches long
1 red onion, cut into strips
1 green pepper, cut into strips ( I like to use two peppers)
1/4 cup shredded sharp cheese
2 med tomatoes diced
2 cups shredded lettuce
1/2 cup salsa
( I like avocado with mine)

Directions:

In a small bowl, stir together the chili powder, oregano, paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper.   Dredge the sirloin pieces in the seasoning, coating completely.

In a non stick frying pan, cook the sirloin strips over medium heat until slightly pink, about 8 minutes.  Add the onion and pepper strips and sauté until the vegetables are tender, about 5 min.

Shrimp Biryani

I got this recipe from an arabic food blog.  It is sooo good. What's in the parenthesis is from me. When I made it, I didn't cook the rice as long because it doesn't take long to cook the kind I bought.  After layering the shrimp and rice, you just want to cook it until it's done.  

Cuisine: Arabic

Category: Arabian Gulf

Serves: 8 persons

Difficulty: Medium

Cost: Medium

Preparation time :     20 minutes

Cooking time :     1 hour, 30 minutes

Ingredients

2 cups basmati rice or 400 g

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 medium onion or 250 g, finely sliced (if you want crunchy fried onions, wring out the onions in a towel before frying)

2 medium onion or 250 g, finely chopped

500 g shrimp, peeled, raw, de-shelled & de-veined

2 tablespoons tomato paste

4 cloves garlic, crushed

1 cup fresh dill or 50 g, finely chopped

3 tablespoons curry powder

2 cinnamon sticks

5 whole cardamom pods

3 cubes MAGGI® Chicken Bouillon or 30 g (the bouillon cubes here are bigger so be generous)

½ cup water or 125 ml, hot

2 cups cilantro leaves or 100 g, roughly chopped

6 cups water or 1½ liters

2 tablespoons ghee (or oil)

1 tablespoon saffron, powder (didn't use this as I haven't found it yet and it's very expensive)

pinch of salt

pinch of ground pepper

Preparation

Wash and Soak rice in cold water and set aside for 30 min.

In a large pot, heat vegetable oil, fry sliced onions till golden brown, remove and set aside.

In the same pot on medium high heat fry chopped onions till golden, add shrimp and sauté till pink (about 4-5 minutes), add tomato paste, Garlic, Dill, Spices, Cinnamon sticks, Cardamom pods, MAGGI® Chicken Bouillon , and Water and bring to a simmer. Add chopped fresh coriander leaves and remove from pot and set aside.

In the same pot, bring to boil 1.5 liters of water, place rice and cook until rice is ¾ cooked (andante).

Drain rice in a colander and discard excess water.

Melt Ghee on the bottom of the same pot; add a layer of strained rice, followed by a layer of shrimp and onion mixture and a sprinkle of Saffron powder. Follow this step until all the rice and shrimp sauce is used.

Steam rice and shrimp on med-low heat until rice is fully cooked (about 20 minute).

Gently fluff cooked rice ensuring even distribution of rice and shrimp.

Serve on a large plate, and garnished with fried sliced onions.

Orange Julius

1 small can orange juice

1 cup milk

1/2 to 1 tsp vanilla

A little sugar to sweeten

About 10 ice cubes.

Blend until smooth.  (my blenders always left a few lg. chuncks of ice)

Adjust ingredients to your taste.

Banana Drink

I made this today and my kids loved it.  I told them that Mom used to make it for us when I was little.  It brought back memories of home. Anyone have the Orange Julius recipe?

1 banana
1 cup milk
1 tbs honey
1 tbs peanut butter
3-4 ice cubes

put all ingredients into a blender and blend.  

Slow Cooker Bean and Cornbread Casserole

I got this recipe from The Vegetable Collaboration.  I think the website is run by one of Deb's roommates.  Steve and I really like this.  I haven't made the cornbread yet as I tried this recipe to use up some almost inedible corn muffins Big E and I made (they were way to dense and dry).  It was just right.  So I'm sure making it with the cornbread would be delicious. 

Ingredients:

• 1 large green or red bell pepper
• 1 large sweet or white onion
• 3 cloves garlic (or more, if you’re a garlic fiend!)
• 1 can (16oz) red kidney beans (drained and rinsed)
• 1 can (16oz) pinto beans (drained and rinsed)
• 1 can (16oz) black beans (drained and rinsed)
• 8-10 oz tomato sauce
• 16 oz diced tomatoes with chilies
• 1/2 can cream corn
• 2 t chili powder (I used a “NM” blend, but any kind will work)
• 1 t pepper
• 2 t salt
• 1 t hot sauce
• 1/2 cup yellow corn meal
• 1/2 cup AP flour
• 1 1/4 t baking powder
• 1 t salt
• 1 T sugar
• 3/4 cups non-dairy milk
• 1 egg replacer mix of choice
• 1 1/2 T vegetable oil
• 1/2 can cream corn

Directions:

1. Chop onions and bell peppers, and mince garlic cloves.
2. Spray inside of slow-cooker with non-stick spray.
3. Sautee onions, peppers and garlic in water in a pan until tender, then add to the slow-cooker.
4. Add beans, tomatoes, tomato sauce, 1/2 can of corn, spices and hot sauce.
5. Cover, and cook on high for about 1 hour.
6. In a separate bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt and sugar, then stir in  the milk, egg replacement, oil and the rest of the corn.
7. Ladle over the bean mixture in the slow-cooker, making it nice and smooth.
8. Cover again, and cook for about another 1.5 hours, but sometimes my cornbread takes a little longer to cook all the way through. (ETA: This could take up to an additional 30 minutes, but you can slice into the cornbread to see if it’s cooked)

Makes 5-6 servings 

Notes about this recipe:

1. I am afraid of making things too spicy so I only added a fraction of the hot sauce called for. It turned out mild and could have used a teensy bit more kick but was still yummy.
2. Also, it says to use your choice of egg replacer to the amount of one egg; one real egg works just fine too.

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

This is one I got from Mom's recipe folder when I left for college.  Nate and I love it and have it regularly.  Super easy and delicious.

8 tortillas
1/2 c chopped onion
1 C cheese
1/4 tsp pepper
2 T butter
8 oz sour cream
1 can diced green chili pepper
4 cloves minced garlic
1 t ground coriander ( I substitute cumin)
2 c cooked chopped chicken ( I use 2 cans of chicken)
3 T flour
2 c chicken broth

Warm tortillas. For sauce cook onion, garlic, coriander and pepper in butter until onion is tender. Stir flour into sour cream and add to onion mixture. Stir in broth and chili peppers all at once. Cook until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in cheese.

For filling: stir 1/2 cup of sauce into chicken (I wind up using about 1 cup of the sauce). Place about 1/4 cup filling atop each tortilla and roll up. Arrange rolls seam side down, in lightly greased 9x13 pan. Top with remaining sauce.

Bake at 350 for 35 min.  Sprinkle with cheese after removing from oven.

Serve with delicious guacamole, salsa, sour cream, etc.

Corned Beef and Cabbage

This slow-cooker corned beef recipe is awesome!  I only cook it on St. Patty's day (is corned beef even available at other times of the year?), but this year we enjoyed it so much I bought another one and we made it again the next week.

From Southern Living Slow-Cooker cookbook

4 ish lb cured corned beef brisket with spice packet
1 large onion, sliced
8 large carrots, halved lengthwise and cut into 2-inch pieces
2 bay leaves
3 garlic cloves, sliced
14oz beef broth
2 T brown sugar
1 1/2 T mustard
1t carawayseeds
1 small cabbage, cut into 8 wedges

(I omit the bay leaves and caraway seeds because I never have them, and substitue chicken broth for the same reason.  It still turns out really delicious.)

Place onion and carrot in a 6 quart slow-cooker; place brisket on top of veggies. Sprinkle bay leaves and garlic over brisket.
Combine spice packet, beef broth, sugar, mustard and caraway seeds; pour over brisket.
Cover and cook on HIGH 1 hr. Reduce heat to LOW, and cook 8 hrs. Add cabbage, and cook on LOW 1 1/2 hours or until cabbage is tender. Remove and discard bay leaves and onion (I never do this.  We just eat the onions with the rest of it.)
Cut brisket across grain into slices; serve with cabbage and carrots.  Makes 6-8 servings.

(I also never adjust the temp. because I'm usually putting it on and leaving for the morning.  It does just fine on LOW the whole time)  Total cook time: about 10 hrs