Pilaf of Rice and Split Peas

After a weekend of picking at whatever is around, in addition to regular meals, and celebrating an early Thanksgiving with all the kids, it has to be back to normalcy for us. You have to love the holidays, but they are never waistline friendly!

We try to eat meatless meals during the week, whenever we can, while still making them healthy and tasty. Our employees from India are teaching us some wonderful vegetarian meals and they take relatively little time to prepare. I have prepared this ahead of time so I can just pop it into the oven when I get home from work and heat it through. This, along with some Naan and a salad is quite fortifying on its own, but you could serve it as a side dish with some kabobs for a summer cookout.

Pilaf of Rice and Split Peas

1/2 cup yellow split peas

2 cups Basmati rice (Or other long grain rice)

1/2 tsp. ground turmeric

4 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 large onion, peeled, cut in half lengthwise, and then cut crosswise into fine half rings

2 tsp grated peeled fresh ginger

1 tsp crushed fresh garlic

5 Tbsp plain yogurt

Salt

1/8-1/4 tsp red chili powder (cayenne pepper)

2 Tbsp unsalted butter cut into small pieces

2 Tbsp lemon juice

2 Tbsp milk

1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh coriander(cilantro)

1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh mint

2-4 fresh green chilies, very finely chopped

1/2 tsp. garam masala

Sort through the split peas for any stones and wash in several changes of water. Leave to soak in enough water to cover it by 3-inches for 1-1/2 hours.

Wash the rice in several changes of water. Leave to soak in water to cover by 2-inches for 30 minutes.

Put the split peas and it soaking liquid into a pan. Add 1/4 tsp turmeric and bring to a boil. Cover, leaving the lid slightly ajar, turn the heat down and simmer for about 30 minutes or until it is almost tender but the grains are still whole. Drain.

Heat the oil in non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat. When hot, put in the onions. Stir and fry them until they are a rich reddish-brown color and crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and spread out on a plate lined with paper towels. Put the ginger and garlic into the same oil Stir and fry until lightly browned. Now put in the remaining 1/4 tsp of turmeric and 1 Tbsp of the yogurt. Stir and fry until most of the liquid in the yogurt evaporates and the remaining particles brown lightly. Add the remaining yogurt 1 Tbsp at a time and cook in the same way, Now put in the drained split peas, 1/2 tsp of salt and the chilies powder (cayenne). Stir to mix. Saute the peas for about 1 minute.

Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Bring 12 cups of water to a rolling boil. Add 1 Tbsp of salt and stir. Now put in the drained rice and bring to a boil again. Boil vigorously for 5 minutes or until the rice is about 3/4 cooked. It should retain a slim, hard, inner core. Drain the rice and empty half of it into a wide, oven proof casserole pan.

Cover the rice with the split pea mixture and cover that with the remaining rice. Spread the browned onions and bits of butter over the rice. Sprinkle the lemon juice and milk, fresh coriander, mint, green chilies and garam masala over the top. Cover tightly, first with foil and then with a lid and place in the oven for 30 minutes. Stir gently to mix before serving. Serves 6.

Stuffed Chicken Breast...2 Dinners!

My husband and I stayed in to watch a movie on pay-per-view Saturday evening. Since we always seem to be on the go, it was a good feeling to know we could enjoy a beautiful day and just relax at home in the evening. With that decision made, it also meant I had to come up with a dinner idea!! I had been looking through my magazine from my Cook's Club and had seen this recipe. Since I didn't want to go to the store, I managed to find everything I needed right in the freezer and pantry. I thawed some chicken breasts and when I was ready to cook, I gathered all my ingredients and started to create. What we ended up with was a delicious and colorful platter of chicken, rice and vegetables....simple, yet with a bit of a flair! And if you have leftover chicken like we did , you can slice it in pieces and serve it over a beautiful salad for dinner the following day, with a dressing of your choice! Sprinkle with toasted pecans and serve with a crusty bread and a cold bottle of white wine! Also, if you have leftover rice, you can add some butter to a frying pan, add an egg, scramble it and add the rice...instanly you have some fried rice!!

Stuffed Chicken with Rice and Vegetables

4 chicken breasts, rinsed and dried

1/2 slice of pancetta (or you can use a strip or two of bacon)

1 shallot, chopped

1/2 cup Italian-style breadcrumbs (if you don't have these, add some dried parsley and oregano to the breadcrumbs)

3-4 slices Deli-sliced provolone cheese, chopped

1-1/2 Tbsp fresh sage (I didn''t have this so I just sprinkled in some dried sage, but not a Tbsp of it...maybe a tsp.)

1to 2 cups cooked rice

1/2 medium onion, chopped

1/2-3/4 bag of frozen mixed vegetables

1/2 cup Balsamic vinegar

1 cup non-fat chicken broth

Olive oil

Butter

Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a saute pan, saute the chopped pancetta until starting to get crisp and add chopped shallots. Saute until shallots are soft. Add 1 tsp butter and add breadcrumbs. Cook, stirring constantly until breadcrumbs turn toasty brown. Remove from heat and put into a bowl. Let cool 2-3 minutes. Add chopped provolone and mix together.

Cut a pocket in each chicken breast, being careful not to cut all the way through. Salt and pepper each breast inside and out. Stuff each breast with 1/4 of the breadcrumb mixture. Close the pockets with toothpicks. In a frying pan, add 1 Tbsp of olive oil. (you can use the same pan you cook the breadcrumb mixture in). Carefully add the chicken and sear both sides. Place on a foil lined baking sheet and place in a 400 degree oven for about 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Prepare cooked rice according to directions.

While rice is cooking and chicken is in the oven, add chopped onion to large frying pan with 1 Tbsp olive oil. Saute until onion is soft. Add frozen mixed vegetables, add salt and pepper and sage to taste and saute until cooked through.

When rice is done and right before serving. add rice to pan with 1 Tbsp butter and saute for 3-4 minutes over medium heat. You may have to add more salt and pepper.

Remove chicken from oven, and remove toothpicks prior to serving. In the same saute pan you cooked the breadcrumb mixture, add balsamic vinegar and cook until it starts to turn syrupy. Add chicken broth and cook until it starts to look thicker. Remove from heat and whisk in a pat of butter. To serve, place rice mixture on platter, place chicken breasts on top of the rice and spoon the sauce over the top of the entire platter. Garnish with a little fresh parsley and serve.

GRILLED PORK TENDERLOIN WITH CASHEW RICE

Last night I pulled out a recipe that I never tried because we needed something new. It was really good! The tenderloin was very, very tender and so tasty! I think if I make this again I would kick it up a little with a dried hot red pepper in the marinade and take it out before cooking. But overall, I think it was very good and made a great dinner.
GRILLED PORK TENDERLOIN WITH GARLIC CILANTRO BUTTER AND CASHEW RICE
1 1/2 LB. Pork Tenderloin
1/4 cup roasted garlic
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
3 Tbsp lime juice
Freshly ground pepper and salt to taste

For Roasted Garlic: 12 cloves garlic, peeled
Olive Oil
Place peeled garlic cloves in small baking dish and cover with olive oil. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes until garlic is soft.

For Cashew Rice: 1 to 1/2 cups hot cooked rice
1 tsp. grated fresh ginger
4 green onions, chopped and sauteed
3 cloves garlic, chopped and sauteed
1/2 cup salted cashews
To hot cooked rice, stir in grated ginger, sauteed green onions and garlic and cashews.

For Garlic Cilantro
Butter: 1 stick butter, softened
3 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
2 Tbsp roasted garlic
2 Tbsp lime juice
Mix together all ingredients until smooth.

Cut tenderloin crosswise into 2-in pieces and flatten slightly. Combine all but 2 Tbsp of the roasted garlic, olive oil, cilantro, lime juice, salt and pepper. Marinate in mixture 4 hours or overnight.
Remove pork from marinade; pan broil in heavy skillet or grill pan with the marinade over medium-high heat 2-3 minutes per side. Serve atop cashew rice. Top each serving with a pat of the Cilantro-Garlic Butter.