Indial Dal

Indian Dal

1 cup lentils

2 Serrano chilis
½ tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp mustard seeds
½ tsp tumeric
1 inch piece ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tomato romas, chopped
1 tbsp oil
salt to taste
cilantro to garnish

Boil lentils, salt, and tumeric in water and mash with a whisk. Heat a pan with oil and add seasonings. Add chilis, onions, tomatoes, and salt. Cook until vegetables are well done. Add the lentils and let cook until reaching a boil. Remove from stove and garnish with cilantro. Serve hot with any naan, pita, or rice.

No-bake Chocolate Cookies (2/20/06)

No-bake Chocolate Cookies

1 stick butter
½ cup evaporated milk
1 ½ sugar
3 tbsp cocoa
½  cup peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups rolled oats

Melt butter. In a stovepot, add butter and milk to sugar and cocoa. Stir together. Boil on low for 1 minute. Mix in peanut butter and vanilla. Pour mixture over oats. Drop onto waxed paper. Refrigerate until firm.

Valentine's Day Sangria

Valentine's Day Sangria (2/13/05)
 
1 cup seedless red or black grapes
1 orange, sliced and seeded
1 lemon, sliced and seeded
2 apples, one red and one green, cored and cut into ½-inch wedges
1 tbsp superfine sugar
3 tbsp Grand Marnier
3 tbsp brandy
2 cinnamon sticks
750 mL Little Penguin shiraz, chilled
½ cup orange juice
½ cup pomegranate juice

Combine fruits in a pitcher. Sprinkle in sugar and stir to combine. Add Grand Marnier, brandy, and cinnamon sticks.

Let set for at least 1 hour.

Stir in shiraz, orange juice, and pomegranate juice. Add more sugar if sweet tooth desires. Discard cinnamon sticks. Serve chilled. Enjoy with a loved one.

Stuffed Sweet Peppers

Stuffed Sweet Peppers

4 red or green bell peppers, preferably with flat bottoms
½ cups rice
3-4 links sweet Italian sausage or chorizo
2 cups tomato or pasta sauce
Parmesean cheese
Mozzarella cheese
Oregano
Salt
Pepper
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
Oil (olive or canola)
 
Put the rice on. Sauté the sausage, either crumble and cook like hamburg or cook as links and chop up afterwards. Sauté garlic in oil in a large saucepan or wok. Mix in rice, cooked sausage, sauce, and herbs. Add salt and pepper to taste, and cheese to consistency, which should hold together but not be soupy. Cut the tops off raw peppers and clean out white parts and seeds. Stuff with mixture. Add a bit of sauce over and around peppers and place on baking sheet or uncovered casserole dish close together so they don't fall down. Bake for about 45 minutes. Serves 3-4.
 
If time is short, microwave peppers for 15 minutes in 5 minute increments. Alternatively they can be microwaved for 10 minutes and baked for 15-25 minutes in the oven. Bake until outer rice is beginning to crisp.
 
 
 
 

Spicy Shrimp

PJ's Famous Spicy Shrimp

Serve with buttered & toasted French bread, lemon wedges, and rice

 

   

½ cup olive oil

2 tbsp Cajun seasoning (i.e. Emeril’s all natural rish rub, Konriko Dry Mojo, Luzianne; best if it has orange/prange peel in it and no MSG)

2 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp parsley, chopped

1 tbsp honey

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 pound shrimp (I like size 31-40 shrimps/lb, peeled and deveined, tails on)

 

Preheat oven to 450°F.

 

Add first 6 ingredients together. Add shrimp and mix well to coat the shrimp. (Can marinate for 30 min to 1 hr, if you like.)

 

Put shrimp in a shallow pan in 1 layer. Bake on middle rack for 12-14 minutes. Serves 2-3.