Slow Cooker Biryani

Easy and quick Biryani recipe. You can add or change out vegetable or even the protein as desired. I've added quite a few recipes compared to the original. Delicious with raita sauce (recipe not included).

Slower Cooker Biryani
Serves 4
Adapted from Awaken Living

Ingredients:
1 lb. chicken, cut into small cubes (optional, can make as veg by adding hard boiled eggs sliced at serving time)
4 Tbs. ghee (or butter)
1 green chili, chopped
1 cup fresh mint, chopped
2 Tbs. ginger & garlic paste
1/2 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. black cumin
1 tsp. cayenne pepper or chili powder
1/2 tsp. tumeric powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cumin powder
2 tsp. coriander powder
2 bay leaves
1" stick cinnamon, whole
2 cloves, whole
3 green cardamom, whole
2 black cardamom, whole
1 star anise, whole
1 1/2 cups yogurt
2 cups rice
3 cups water
1/4 cup onions, diced small
1 large carrot, diced small
1 potato, diced small
1 handful green beans, cut into small circles
1 handful corn kernels
1 handful peas
1 handful cooked Lima beans

Quick raita sauce:
1/2 sweet red onion, sliced into thin quarter-circles
1 cucumber, diced small
1 tsp. salt
2 cups yogurt, plain

Instructions:
1. Heat some oil in a frying pan on medium heat. Add carrot, onion and potato and cook until carrots are semi-soft. Add green beans, corn, and peas and fry for a few more minutes.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine all ingredients except rice and sauteed vegetables.
3. Place chicken and spice mixture in the bottom of your crock pot. In the same mixing bowl, add vegetables and rice and stir to combine.
4. Pour rice and vegetable mixture over chicken and spice mixture in crock pot.
5. Cook on high for 2-3 hours, until chicken and rice is cooked. Serve with raita sauce.

German Tomato Salts (TomatenSalz)

I was introduced to the deliciousness that is tomato salts by my Canadian boyfriend, who hosted German couch surfers and left some as a gift. They are absolutely delicious! But completely unavailable in the US. I scoured and found some places in Germany to order them, but alas they do not ship to the US. Thankfully, it seems that German labeling laws are stricter, and I found an explicit recipe on one of the brands of German tomato salts! 

 I made a batch to bring down to one of my bestie's weddings. It's a potluck, but I'll be doing some traveling before and don't have a good way to bring down something more intricately crafted. So, I'll pick up some local tomatoes day-of, along with some pumpernickel and liverworst pate and make small hand sandwiches garnished with the salt.

Note: I am still tweaking this recipe, but will update each discovery/trial.

TomatenSalz

based on Bad Reichenhaller

Ingredients:

4 Tbs salt

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1.5 tsp thyme

2 tsp basil

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp rosemary (optional)

Instructions:

1. Combine all ingredients. Server sprinkled generously over fresh tomato slices.

Crustless Salmon Spinach Quiche

Good solid dish, serve with some crusty baguette. Next time I'm going to play with mixing the salmon into the egg custard. We tripled this recipe and the cook time was much longer. I recommend a single batch, which is what I'm transcribing here.

Crustless Salmon Spinach Quiche
from Lynns Kitchen Adventures

Ingredients:
2 Tbs butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
10 oz. frozen spinach
14.5 oz canned boneless salmon, drained and flaked
16 oz. plain full-fat yogurt
4 eggs
1.5 cups cheddar cheese, grated
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
0.5 tsp herbes de provence, dried
tomato, sliced thin, for garnish

Instructions:
1. Pre-heat oven to 350F.
2. Bring a skillet to medium heat and melt butter. Sautee onion until golden-brown, then add garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
3. Combine well all other ingredients to create the egg custard and set aside.
4. In a 9x13" pan, spread spinach in bottom. Then layer salmon on top of spinach, then the sauteed onion, then the custard mixture. Make single-layer of tomato on top of custard.
5. Bake for 50 minutes, or until egg custard is completely set in the middle when cut.

Brown-butter sage with blue cheese and a pesto & walnut topping

Tasty and delicious. Don't skimp on the walnut topping! Next time I'm going to try more bleu cheese.

Brown-butter sage with blue cheese and a pesto & walnut topping

adapted from Jamie Oliver

Ingredients:

2 Tbs. butter + 3 Tbs. for browning

3 Tbs. flour

6 cloves garlic, peeled and finely sliced

4 bay leaves

3 cups  milk

1 lb. macaroni

handful of walnuts

couple sprigs of thyme

125 g bleu cheese, crumbled and divided

2 splashes Worcestershire sauce, optional

1 grating nutmeg, optional

6 sage leaves

basil pesto, for garnish

Instructions:
1. Melt butter in oven-proof sauce pan on low, add flour, turn to medium and stir until roux is formed.

2. Add sliced garlic and cook until golden and garlic is sticky, stirring constantly.

3. Add bay leaves and slowly whisk in milk.

4. Bring to a boil, then turn to low and leave simmering. Stir in ¾ or so of the bleu cheese until well combined with sauce.

5. In a separate small pan, fry the sage leaves with the 3 Tbs. butter over low heat until darkened and nutty.

6. Add cooked pasta to sauce, stir in browned butter, the rest of the blue cheese crumbles, and optional ingredients.. Salt and pepper to taste.

7. Place macaroni mixture in oven pan. Coarsely chop walnuts and thyme together, and scatter on top of pasta.

8. Bake for 30 minutes at 425F, until walnuts are golden and thyme has crisped.

9. Serve with dollops of basil pesto on top.

Mexican-style with green chilli, smoked paprika and a guacamole topping

This was a clear win as well. Add some sauteed chorizo and this is a main. There isn't cilantro pictured because my normal grocery store doesn't stock it! But the cilantro really takes it to the next level. Make sure to get it.

Mexican-style with green chilli, smoked paprika and a guacamole topping
adapted from Jamie Oliver


Ingredients:

2 Tbs. butter

3 Tbs.  flour

6 cloves garlic, peeled and finely sliced

4 bay leaves

3 cups  milk

 4 fresh jalapenos, seeded and minced

1 tsp. smoked paprika

1 Lb. macaroni

125 g Leicester cheese, freshly grated

75 g Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

2 splashes Worcestershire sauce, optional

1 grating nutmeg, optional

guacamole, for serving

red onion, thinly sliced

red wine vinegar

tsp salt

tsp sugar

cilantro, for serving

Instructions:
1. Melt butter in oven-proof sauce pan on low, add flour, turn to medium and stir until roux is formed.

2. Add sliced garlic and cook until golden and garlic is sticky, stirring constantly.

3. Add bay leaves and slowly whisk in milk.

4. Bring to a boil, add paprika and jalapeno, then turn to low and leave simmering.

5. Add cooked pasta to sauce, stir in cheeses and optional ingredients. Add salt and pepper to taste.

6. Place in oven pan, and bake for 30 minutes at 425F.

7. While baking, make a quick-pickle by combining red onion, red wine vinegar, salt, and sugar. Let set combined for at least 10 minutes.

8. Serve macaroni with quick pickle, guacamole, and cilantro.

Ham hock with mustard cheese sauce & rosemary pangritata

For this recipe, we cheated and used baked ham slices. We mixed together the ham marinade, let it sit for a bit, then fried the ham with the marinade until caramelized. If you don't have the 3.5 hours to cook ham hocks, I recommend this!

This recipe came out delicious and is a main as-is.

Ham hock with mustard cheese sauce & rosemary pangritata

adapted from Jamie Oliver

ham hocks (see recipe below)

2 Tbs. butter

3 Tbs. flour

6 cloves garlic, peeled and finely sliced

4 bay leaves

3 cups milk

1 lb. dried macaroni

 large spoon of mustard

125 g Cheddar cheese, freshly grated

75 g Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

2 splashes Worcestershire sauce, optional

1 grating nutmeg, optional

2 big handfuls fresh breadcrumbs (pumpernickel works well)

rosemary

For the jerk pork

3 x 500g ham hocks, skinned

2 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped

2 scotch bonnet peppers, deseeded and chopped

2 red shallots, peeled and diced

2 sprigs fresh thyme

2 fresh bay leaves

2 cloves

2 level teaspoons sea salt

2 teaspoons allspice

2 teaspoons runny honey

2 tablespoons golden rum

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar or malt vinegar

oil, for drizzling

1. For the ham hocks, combine all ingredients except pork using a food processor.

2. Rub seasoning over hocks, drizzle with oil, then place in roasting tray. 

3. Cover with foil, and cook for 3.5 hours at 350F.

Instructions:

1. Melt butter in oven-proof sauce pan on low, add flour, turn to medium and stir until roux is formed.

2. Add sliced garlic and cook until golden and garlic is sticky, stirring constantly.

3. Add bay leaves and slowly whisk in milk.

4. Bring to a boil, then turn to low and leave simmering.

5. Add cooked pasta to sauce, stir in cheeses, shredded ham hocks, ham juices, and optional seasonings. Add salt and pepper to taste.

6. Place in oven pan, toss breadcrumbs with rosemary and a bit of olive oil, then sprinkle over pan.

6. Bake for 30 minutes at 425F.

Green mac ‘n’ cheese with spinach & broccoli

 Cut down to fit a 1 lb. macaroni bag. Raymond decided he wanted to make ALL THE MAC AND CHEESE. So we made all 4 of the Jamie Oliver mac and cheese variations. He believes that they need more cheese, as Jamie Oliver is "a health nut" according to him so I may come back around and tweak these recipes. But overall delicious and great as a side. 

I think to make this into an entree, all you'd have to do is bake some chicken with herbs, oil, and salt to cut up into this. I'd say 250 g. of cooked chicken would be plenty.

Green mac ‘n’ cheese with spinach & broccoli

adapted from Jamie Oliver

2 Tbs. butter
3 Tbs. flour  
6 cloves garlic, peeled and finely sliced  
4 fresh bay leaves
3 cups milk
1 lb. macaroni
125g Cheddar cheese, freshly grated
75 g Parmesan cheese + more for sprinkling, freshly grated
150g. spinach 
1 head broccoli

2 splashes Worcestershire sauce, optional  

1 grating nutmeg, optional 
a few sprigs fresh basil

1. Melt butter in oven-proof sauce pan on low, add flour, turn to medium and stir until roux is formed.

2. Add sliced garlic and cook until golden and garlic is sticky, stirring constantly.

3. Add bay leaves and slowly whisk in milk.

4. Bring to a boil, then turn to low and leave simmering.

5. While bringing to a boil, chop up and steam broccoli for 8 minutes until fork-tender.

6. Once sauce is ready, add broccoli and spinach to sauce and combine using immersion blender.

7. Add cooked pasta to sauce, stir in cheddar Parmesan, and optional ingredients. Add salt and pepper to taste.

8. Place in oven pan, sprinkle over some more Parmesan over top along with a few springs of basil.

9. Bake for 30 minutes at 425F.