Chicken and Bean Quesadilla

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon of oil
• 1 large flour Tortilla
• 1/4 cup of cheese** (cut up or grated)
• Filling* halal refried beans or 1/4 lb of boneless Chicken, cooked and cut up in long strips (leftover chicken works great)
• 1 tablespoon of Salsa (more or less to taste)
• Canned beans, mashed (kidney or black beans work best)
  
• Lettuce

Directions:
Put the oil in a large frypan over medium heat. Place the tortilla in the pan and twirl to make sure the whole side of the tortilla is oiled. Cook the tortilla on that side for a few minutes. Turn the tortilla over and turn the heat to low if the pan is smoking.

Now to add the filling ingredients on the cooked side: Spread the cheese on one half of the tortilla, along with the chicken, salsa, beans and lettuce. Take the plain half and fold over the filling, making sure to crimp the two edges together to make a good seal. The final result should look like a half circle. Place the Quesadilla in a plate and cut in half for easier eating.
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* The filling ingredients are what I generally like. You can make this totally vegetarian or add other types of meats, beans and vegetables.

**Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack is the perfect cheese for Quesadillas. I buy Cabot brand Pepper Jack from Sam's Club, which contains no animal rennet and is certified halal (indicated on packaging). Rennet is the lining of the stomach of the animal, which is used to make the milk curdle and hence we get cheese. Many cheeses use some form of animal rennet or enzymes so check the ingredients carefully.

Hot and Spicy Chicken Soup

Hot and Spicy Chicken Soup

Ingredients:

750ml chicken stock
1/4–1/2 red chilli, de-seeded and very finely chopped
1 small lemongrass stalk, outer leaves removed and finely chopped
1 teaspoon tamarind paste
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
A handful of coriander, stalks left whole and tied in a little bundle and leaves roughly chopped
160–180g skinless free-range chicken breast
1 spring onion, finely sliced
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 and a 1/2 to 2 tablespoons lime juice

Directions:

Bring the stock to the boil in a saucepan with the chilli, lemongrass, tamarind paste, ginger and stalks of the coriander.
Once boiling, gently lower the chicken breast into the stock and simmer for 20 minutes, covered.
Turn the chicken over halfway through the cooking time. Discard the coriander stalks and remove the chicken breast.
Thinly slice the chicken and add back into the soup with the spring onion, chopped coriander, fish sauce and lime juice.
Reheat the soup and when piping hot, serve.

source http://www.grouprecipes.com/15859/hot-and-spicy-chicken-soup.html

Chile Beef Soup

hile Beef Soup

Serve this hearty soup as a first course or main dish with a salad.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 pound lean ground beef
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can (4 ounces) chopped green Chiles
• 1/2 sweet red bell pepper, sliced
• 4 tablespoons flour
• 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes
• 2 1/2 cups beef broth or beef stock
• 1 to 2 cups cooked or canned kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• salt and pepper
• cornbread or crusty bread

In a Dutch oven or large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and ground beef; cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes, until beef is browned. Add garlic, bell pepper, chopped green chile pepper, and flour; stir to blend. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes and broth. Bring to a boil. Stir in beans; season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley and serve with cornbread or crusty French or Italian bread.

Original recipe from about.com

Chicken Biryani (Pakistani Style)

Chicken Biryani (Pakistani Style)

Ingredients:
Native names been given to make it easier to find these in any Indian store.

• 500 grams of Basmati Rice (washed & drained)
• 1 kilogram of Chicken (cut into medium pieces)
• 5 large Onions (peeled, finely sliced and fried until crisp)
• 4 sticks of Cinnamon (Dal Cheeni)
• 2 Big Black Cardamoms (Bari Kaali Ilaichi)
• 6 small Cardamoms (Choti Ilaichi)
• 1 Lemon (extract the juice or use white distilled vinegar)
• 6 Cloves (Loong)
• 2 Bay Leaves (Tezz Patta)
• 1 tsp. Whole Black Peppers (Kaali Mirch)
• 1 tsp. Cumin Seeds (Sufaid Zeera)
• 2 tbsp. Red Chilli Powder (Pisi Lal Mirch) more or less to taste
• 1 tsp. of Turmeric Powder (Pisi Haldi)
• 1 tsp. Ginger Paste (Pisi Adrak)
• 1 tsp. Garlic Paste (Pisa Lehsan)
• 1 1/2 cup Plain Yogurt (beaten)
• 2 pinches of Saffron (Zaffron) (dissolved in warm water or milk)
• 5 Golden Prunes with Pits (Alo Bokhara)
• Salt to taste (2~3 tbsp)
• 4 green Chillies (spice to taste)

For Rice:

• A handful of Mint Leaves (Podina) (chopped)
• 1 Big Black Cardamom (Kaali Baari Ilaichi)
• 2 Cinnamon Sticks (Dal Cheeni)
• 2 Small Cardamoms (Choti Ilaichi)
• 3 Cloves (Loung)
• A handful of Cilantro
• Salt (to taste)
• 6 tbsp. Clarified Butter (Ghee) or Refined Oil

Directions:

1. Fry/Brown all the onions.
2. To the chicken add the beaten curd, ginger-garlic paste, chilli powder, haldi, powdered masala, salt and half of the crushed fried onions. Allow the chicken to marinate for 3 hours (marinate in the refrigerator).
3. Heat water (2 ½ times more than the rice). As soon as it boils, add the whole masala, rice and salt to taste.
4. Cook the rice till ½ done and then drain in the colander. Read the rice bag label to find the exact time.
5. Remove the whole masala.
6. Melt the clarified butter and set aside. Don't mix this with rice yet.

Assemble

1. Take a heavy-bottomed pot and add the marinated chicken and ½ of the melted clarified butter.
2. Cover with chopped pudina and celentro, fried onion and slit green chillies and juice of half a lemon. Spread the rice over this. Sprinkle the remaining clarified butter, saffron milk and lemon juice. Dig the prunes into the rice.
3. Put on the lid and place heavy object on the lid to create "pressure cooker". Another option is to seal the pot with flower (atta) paste.
4. Place over medium high heat for 8 min*.
5. Reduce it to medium heat for 9 min*
6. Lower heat to low heat and cook for another 25 min*.
7. Turn off the stove and keep it for another 10 min.

*These timing are based on my estimates. Your pot may require a little different timing. I would recommend any Non-stick/Enameled type heavy cast iron pot. Avoid burning at all cost.

Recipe based on famous Fuazia's Authentic Pakistani Biryani

Desi Sweet Yogurt (Misti Dodhi)

sweet yogurt

This is one of the most simple, easy and delicious desert you can make in less 10 min of preparation. This is a staple desert in India and Bangladesh.

Ingredients:

• 24 oz of Evaporated Milk
• 16 oz of Plain Yogurt (must have Live & Active Cultures)
• 8 oz of Sour Cream (careful most sour cream contains gelatin)
• 1/2 cup or 1 cup of Plain Sugar (add more or less to taste)

Directions:

Method:

1. Pre-heat oven to 200 F.
2. Mix evaporated milk, yogurt, sour cream in a oven safe bowl.
3. Mix sugar at last after mixing everything.
4. Place the bowl in the oven for 2 hours at 200 F.
5. Remove and bring the newly created yogurt to room temperature.
6. Refrigerate overnight.