Hind's Home Cooking

Ginger and Honey Carrots

2011-12-25T21:27:00.000-08:00

Two pounds baby carrots

Salt
2 Tbsp butter

2 pieces of fresh ginger (each about two inches long), peeled and julienned

3 Tbsp honey

Peel and wash carrots.

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil.

Salt water, add carrots, and reduce heat.

Simmer until carrots are almost tender.

Remove carrots from heat, and drain.

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Add ginger, and saute, stirring, until transparent, about 2 minutes.

Add carrots and honey, and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until carrots are glazed.

Serves 8-10

Moroccan Chicken and Rice

2011-10-13T07:50:00.000-07:00

3 whole chickens (3 to 4 pounds each), cut into 30 pieces
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 small yellow onions, diced medium
6 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
12 carrots, diced medium
1 tablespoon paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
4 1/2 cups long-grain white rice
9 cups sliced green beans (about 3 pounds)
3 cup chickpeas (from canned), rinsed and drained
7 1/2 cups chicken broth (or water)

Preheat oven to 350, with rack in lower third. Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper. Heat oil over high heat in a large Dutch oven (may need to split recipe over two Dutch ovens, depending on your size pots). Cook chicken, skin side down, until golden and crisp, about 6 minutes. Flip and cook until browned, 6 minutes more. Transfer to a large platter.

Reduce heat to medium and add onion, garlic and carrots to pot. Cook, stirring and scraping up browned bits with a wooden spoon, until onion is translucent, about 4 minutes. Stir in paprika, cumin, cinnamon, and rice and cook for 1 minute.

Add green beans, chickpeas and broth. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange chicken, skin side up, on top of rice. Bring to a boil, cover pot, and place in oven. Bake until chicken is cooked through and liquid is absorbed... 25-30 minutes. Let sit 5 minutes before serving.

Serves 12

Chicken and Brown Rice

2011-10-13T07:41:00.000-07:00

3 tablespoons olive oil
12 chicken thighs
Coarse salt and ground pepper
3 large yellow onions, cut into 8 wedges
6 celery stalks, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
6 medium carrots, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
3 bay leaves
3 cups brown rice

In a large Dutch oven, heat oil over medium high. Season chicken with salt and pepper and place in pot. Cook until golden brown on both sides, 10-12 minutes. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat from pot, add onion and celery. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 20 minutes.

Add carrots, bay leaves, and 3 1/2 cups water, stir in rice and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and cook until rice absorbs almost all the liquid, 40-45 minutes. Let stand, covered, for 10 minutes before serving.

Serves 12

Arroz con Pollo, Peruvian Style

2011-10-12T23:06:00.000-07:00

1/2 cup olive oil, divided
12 chicken thighs, skinned and patted dry
12 chicken drumsticks with skin, patted dry
Salt and black pepper
3 bunches fresh cilantro, leaves picked from stems
12 cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 aji (Peruvian) pepper, seeded and deveined
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 cup orange juice
4 cups uncooked white rice
4 onions, chopped
1 cup white wine
7 cups chicken broth
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 large carrots, peeled and diced
2 bell peppers, any color, sliced into rings
1 1/2 cups frozen peas

Place a large skillets over medium heat, pour 4 tablespoons of olive oil into it, and heat oil until it ripples. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, and fry until golden brown and crisp, about 15 minutes. Remove the chicken and drain on paper towels.

Place the cilantro, garlic, aji pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and orange juice into a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into the skillet, bring to a simmer and cook, stirring over medium-low heat until the mixture turns from bright to dark green, about 5 minutes.

Place the chopped onions into 4 tbsp of heated olive oil in a large dutch oven. Cook and stir over medium-low heat until the onions turn translucent, 5-7 minutes. Stir in the rice. Cook and stir until the rice starts to turn opaque, about 5 minutes.

Pour the wine into the blender and pulse a few times to rinse off any extra cilantro mixture, then pour the win into the skillet with the cilantro mixture. Add the cilantro mixture to the rice mixture and bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, stir in the chicken broth and black pepper, then bring to a boil. Place the browned chicken pieces and carrots into the Dutch oven, stir to mix, and cover. Place the pepper rings on the rice and sprinkle in the frozen peas. Reduce heat and cook until rice is separate and the chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes.

Uncover the skillet and allow to rest for about 5 minutes before serving.

Serves 12

Arroz con Pollo

2011-10-12T22:59:00.000-07:00

2 cups dry white wine
A large pinch of saffron
12 chicken thighs
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 large onion2, finely chopped
4 tablespoons minced garlic (4 to 6 cloves)
2 large tomatoes, diced
4 dried bay leaves
9 cups chicken stock, plus more if needed
3 cups short-grain rice, preferably Spanish (like Valencia rice)
1 cup pimiento-stuffed green olives (or twice that... or none) :)
Combine wine and saffron; let stand until ready to use. Season chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chicken, skin side down, until browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Flip, and cook until golden brown, 2 minutes; transfer to a plate.

Reduce heat to medium, cook onion and garlic, stirring often, until tender... for 10-15 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook, stirring often, for about 15 minutes. Stir in wine/saffron mix, 1 heaping Tbsp salt, 1 tsp pepper, and the bay leaves. Cook until wine is almost completely evaporated, for another 10-15 minutes. Add chicken, stock, rice, and olives. Bring to a simmer.

Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook until rice is tender for about 45 minutes, stirring about halfway through. If rice is not done, add another cup of stock. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes. Remove bay leaves.

Serves 12

Spicy Coconut Chicken Casserole

2011-10-11T23:34:00.000-07:00

3 tablespoons olive oil
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 4 pounds total)
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 cans (14.5 ounces) light coconut milk
3 cups chicken broth
2 to 4 teaspoons Thai red curry paste, depending on how spicy you want it
2 cups jasmine rice
2-3 red bell peppers, cut into 1-inch pieces
16 ounces green beans, cut into 1-inch lengths
1 lemon, cut into wedges, for serving

In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat oil over medium high. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Working in batches, cook chicken until browned, 6-8 minutes; transfer to a plate.

Add coconut milk, broth, 1 cup water, and curry paste to the pot; bring to a boil; stir in rice. Add chicken in a single layer, if possible. Cover and reduce heat to medium low. Cook without stirring until rice is almost tender, about 15 minutes.

Add bell peppers and green beans on top of chicken; cover and cook until vegetables are crisp tender, 8-10 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges on the side. (Lemon will cut the spice... if your mouth gets too spicy and feels like it's burning, bite on a lemon! It helps instantly.)

Serves 12

Gluten Free Skillet Lasagna

2011-10-11T23:18:00.001-07:00

84 ounces canned whole peeled plum tomatoes (from three 28-ounce cans)

6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 large egg yolks
3 cups ricotta cheese, room temperature
2 boxes (12 ounces each) Tinkyada brown rice lasagna noodles
1 pound fresh mozzarella, shredded
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (the fresh stuff, not the Kraft stuff)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a food processor, pulse tomatoes until coarsely pureed. In a large Dutch oven, bring tomatoes, garlic, and oil to a boil. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce to a simmer and cook on medium until thickened, about 12 minutes (you should have 10 cups marinara sauce).
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix together egg yolks, ricotta, and 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper.
Carefully pour sauce 1 1/2 cup in casserole; spread sauce evenly. Add a single layer of noodles, breaking them up to fit, if needed. Top with half the ricotta mixture, spreading evenly. Follow with a second layer of noodles, then 3 cups marinara. Add a third layer of noodles, then remaining ricotta mixture. Follow with a final noodle layer, then remaining sauce. Sprinkle mozzarella and Parmesan over top.
Bake lasagna until golden and bubbling, 30 to 35 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Chicken Cacciatore

2011-10-11T23:13:00.000-07:00

12 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, about 4 1/2 pounds
Coarse salt and ground pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 pounds mushrooms, trimmed and quartered
6 garlic cloves, minced
3 cans (14.5 ounces) stewed tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried oregano

Season chicken with salt and pepper. In a large dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid, heat oil over medium-high heat; swirl to coat bottom of pan. Cook chicken, turning when it easily releases from the pan, until golden, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Add mushrooms to pan; cover, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, tomatoes, and oregano. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook, covered, until tomatoes have broken down, 10 to 15 minutes.

Return chicken and any accumulated juices to pan; cover, and cook until chicken is done, 4 to 6 minutes or longer, as needed. Turn chicken to coat with sauce, and serve.

Serves 12

Apple Squash Soup

2011-10-01T13:04:00.000-07:00

- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 medium onions, diced
- 2 butternut squashes (about 4 pounds), peeled, seeded, and chopped
- 8 red or golden apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
- 1 tablespoon coarse salt
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 5 cups water, plus more if needed
- Sour cream, for garnish (optional)
- Melt butter in a dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until it begins to soften, about 4 minutes. Add squash, and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 10 minutes.
- Add apples, salt, cumin, coriander, ginger, cayenne, black pepper, stock, and the water (just enough to cover). Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, and cook until vegetables are very soft, about 30 minutes.
- Puree in batches in a food processor or blender until smooth, and return to pan. Heat over low, thinning with more water if necessary. To serve, ladle into shallow bowls; garnish with diced apples and sour cream if desired.
Serves 12.

Olive Relish

2011-10-01T02:30:00.000-07:00

20 green Cerignola olives, pitted and coarsely chopped (1 cup)
1 cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
2 tablespoons white-wine vinegar
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
Mix together olives, parsley, oil, mint, and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper.

Roasted Carrots, Parsnips and Shallots

2011-10-01T02:28:00.000-07:00

1 1/2 pounds medium carrots (about 8), scrubbed well (peeled if desired)
1 1/2 pounds parsnips (about 6), scrubbed well (peeled if desired)
8 shallots, halved if large
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
Olive Relish, for serving (see under Pickles and Relishes label in sidebar)
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Toss carrots, parsnips, and shallots with oil, and season with salt and pepper. Spread mixture onto 2 baking sheets, and roast, turning sheets twice and rotating once, until vegetables are golden brown and tender, about 35 minutes (remove shallots if cooked first). Serve with olive relish.

Serves 12

Carrot Puree

2011-10-01T02:07:00.000-07:00

6 pounds carrots, cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick pieces
1 tablespoon coarse salt
Freshly ground pepper
Place carrots in a dutch oven, and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until carrots are tender, about 20 minutes. Drain, reserving cooking liquid.
Puree carrots in a blender or with a potato masher, adding cooking liquid as needed, until thinned but still chunky. Stir in salt, and season with pepper.

Serves 12

Spiced Carrots

2011-10-01T02:04:00.000-07:00

1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
4 pounds carrots, sliced diagonally 1/2 inch thick
2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest
1 1/3 cup water
Coarse salt

In a large nonstick skillet, heat olive oil over low heat. Add garlic cloves, and cook until tender, about 2 minutes. Stir in chili powder and ground cumin; cook 1 minute.

Add carrots, lemon zest, water, and coarse salt; bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer; cover, and cook until carrots are tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

Uncover, raise heat to high, and cook until any remaining liquid has evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, and serve.

Serves 16

Honey Glazed Carrots

2011-10-01T02:00:00.000-07:00

2 tablespoons oil, such as safflower or coconut oil
4 pounds carrots, cut into 1-inch lengths, halved if thick
2 cups canned chicken broth or water
1 cup honey
4 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
Coarse salt and ground pepper
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Add carrots; cook, stirring once, until beginning to brown, 2 minutes.
Add broth, honey, and vinegar; season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until crisp-tender, 10 minutes. Uncover, and cook over medium-high until carrots are tender and liquid is syrupy, 7 to 9 minutes more (there should be only a small amount of liquid remaining).
Remove skillet from heat; add butter, and swirl skillet until melted. Season with salt and pepper.

Serves 12

Creamy Carrot Rice

2011-10-01T00:55:00.000-07:00

3 cans chicken broth, 14 1/2 ounces each
3 cups carrot juice
6 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
Coarse salt and ground pepper
3 cups long-grain rice
1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

Combine broth, carrot juice, and 6 cups water in a 6-quart saucepan; bring to a simmer over medium-low heat.

Meanwhile, melt 3 tablespoons butter in a 9-quart saucepan over medium-low heat.

Cook onion, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 minutes.

Season with 1 tablespoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

Raise heat to medium; add rice and cook, stirring until grains are translucent around the edges, about 3 minutes.

Add 1 cup hot broth mixture, stirring with a wooden spoon until most liquid is absorbed.

Continue adding broth, 1 cup at a time, stirring until it is incorporated and rice is tender but still a little firm to the bite, 25 to 30 minutes.

Stir in remaining butter and Parmesan.

Season with salt and pepper.

Divide among dishes, and sprinkle with parsley and more Parmesan.

Serves 12

Curry Carrot Soup

2011-10-01T00:41:00.000-07:00

6 tablespoons butter
3 cups chopped onion
1 tablespoon curry powder
Coarse salt and ground pepper
10 cups chicken broth
6 pounds carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish (optional)

Heat butter in a 12 qt (large!!) Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, curry powder, 1-2 tablespoon salt (remember, this is a big batch of soup), and 1 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft, about 5 minutes.

Add broth, carrots, and 9 cups water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover, and simmer until carrots are tender, about 20 minutes.

In a blender, puree soup in batches until smooth; transfer to a clean saucepan. Do not fill the blender more than halfway since you are pureeing hot liquid that will expand! To prevent the liquid from spattering, allow the heat to escape: Remove the cap from hole in lid, and cover lid with a dish towel when blending. Add more water to thin to desired consistency. Reheat, if necessary. Stir in lemon juice. Serve garnished with cilantro, if desired.

Serves 12! Leftovers can be frozen.

Glazed Ginger Carrots

2011-09-30T17:51:00.000-07:00

1 1/2 lbs baby carrots
3 tablespoon butter
3 tablespoon honey
One 3-inch-by-1 1/2-inch-piece ginger, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch-thick matchsticks

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add carrots; cook until just tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain carrots; pat dry with paper towels.
Melt butter in a large skillet set over medium-low heat. Add the carrots, honey, and ginger, and cook, turning carrots frequently, until carrots and ginger are browned, about 9 minutes. Remove from heat, and serve.

Serves 12

Pasta e Fagioli Soup for the slowcooker/crockpot (12-14 servings)

2009-11-04T09:26:00.000-08:00

2 lbs ground beef
1 onion, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
2 (28 ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (16 ounce) can red kidney beans, drained
1 (16 ounce) can white kidney beans, drained (or sometimes I use one can of dark red, one can of light red)
3 (10 ounce) cans beef stock or one of those "liter" packages without MSG.
3 teaspoons oregano
2 teaspoons pepper
5 teaspoons parsley
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce (optional)
1 (20 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce (I use Newman's Own with garlic or basil)
8 ounces rice pasta (we like Tinkyada)

Brown beef in a skillet. Drain fat from beef and add to crock pot with everything except pasta. Cook on low 7-8 hours or high 4-5 hours. During last 30 min on high or 1 hour on low, add pasta.

Nasi Goreng

2009-03-18T08:15:00.000-07:00

8 slices of bacon

2 cups diced red onion
1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced green onion
1/2 cup grated carrots
6 cloves garlic
2 cups sliced mushrooms

1/4 cup soy sauce (ketjap manis)
1/4 cup fish sauce
1/4 cup catsup/ketchup (without corn syrup)
2 tsp brown sugar
1 tbsp crushed coriander seeds
2 tsp white pepper
2 tsp curry powder
One pinch to 1 Tbsp sambal oelek (red pepper paste) to individual taste

10-12 cups cooked & cooled rice (basmati or jasmine)

4 beaten eggs
8 chopped green onions
1/2 cup chopped cilantro

2 cans of low sodium Spam, cubed (believe me, you want Spam, and you want low sodium) :)

In a very large pan or dutch overn, saute the bacon and set it aside, reserving the bacon fat in the pan.

To the bacon fat, add the red onion, celery, first bunch of green onions, grated carrot, garlic, and mushrooms. Saute until tender.

Add the soy sauce (ketjap), fish sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, coriander seeds, white pepper, curry and sambal. Stir & saute for a couple of minutes to let flavors mingle.

Mix in the cooled cooked rice. Put pan aside and keep warm.

In another pan saute the cubes of Spam until just crispy. Mix into the rice.

In the Spam pan add a bit of butter or oil and scramble the beaten eggs, or cook them like an omelet, then cut them into strips.

Crumble the bacon. Serve the nasi topped with egg bits, bacon bits, raw green onion, and cilantro.

Bread & Butter Pickles

2009-03-11T20:02:00.000-07:00

15 c. sliced pickling cucumbers, make sure they are unwaxed and wash them well, esp. around stem area
3 onions, thinly sliced
1/4 c. coarse salt (without iodine! use pickling salt)
4 c. cracked ice
2 1/2 c. cider vinegar (make sure it's 4 to 6 percent acetic acid)
2 1/2 c. sugar
3/4 tsp. turmeric
1/2 tsp. celery seeds
1 tbsp. mustard seeds

Combine cucumbers, onions, salt and ice in a large bowl.

Put a weight on and allow to stand 3 hours. I top them with a clean plate, then top the plate with jars of water.

After 3 hours, drain thoroughly.

Combine vinegar, sugar, turmeric, celery seed and mustard seed in a large pot. Add drained cucumbers.

Place pot on medium low heat.

Bring almost to a boil, but do not boil! Remove from heat.

Seal in sterilized jars for 10 minutes in a hot water bath.

Makes 3 qts.

Strawberry Spinach Salad

2008-06-27T14:50:00.000-07:00

Mary (8): I love this salad. It's like eating juice.

Catherine (6): I had one whole plate of it. And then I had more.

Dressing
2 lemons
4 tbsp. white wine vinegar
2/3 c. sugar
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
2 tsp. poppy seeds

Salad
1/2 c. sliced almonds, toasted
3 c. strawberries (1 lb)
1 medium cucumber
1/2 small red onion, sliced into thin wedges
12 oz baby spinach

For dressing:
Zest lemon to measure 1 teaspoon zest.
Juice lemon to measure 4 tablespoons juice.
Combine zest, juice, vinegar, sugar, oil and poppy seeds in a bowl.
Whisk until well blended.
Cover; refrigerate until ready to use.

For salad:
Preheat oven to 350 F
Spread almonds in single layer over a baking sheet.
Bake 10-12 minutes or until lightly toasted
Remove from oven & let cool.
Hull strawberries & cut them into quarters.
Peel cucumber, cut in half lengthwise, then slice halves.
Slice onion into thin wedges.
Place spinach in large salad bowl; add strawberries, cucumber & onion.

Whisk dressing; pour over salad & gently toss to coat.

Top with toasted almonds.

Farmer's Scramble

2008-04-17T17:01:00.000-07:00

All ingredients "per person"

2 eggs
1 Tbsp half-and-half
1/2 c shredded cheese

Any combination of the following:
sauteed mushrooms
sauteed chopped onions
chopped red & green peppercooked & chopped bacon
cooked & chopped ham
salt & pepper to taste

fresh chopped tomatoes & fresh chopped parsley for garnish

Whip the eggs with half-and-half. Cook in a buttered skillet until it starts to set. Add any combination of the meat and veggies. Scramble eggs as usual, adding salt, pepper and cheese. Garnish with tomatoes & parsley.

Lemonade #1

2008-04-17T16:11:00.000-07:00

1 1/2 c. lemon juice
7 c. ice water
1 c. sugar

Boil 1 c water, add sugar, stir until dissolved. Let simmer for 5 minutes, then cool for about 1/2 hour. Stir in the lemon juice and the ice water. Add ice cubes and garnish with lemon slices.