Showing posts with label entree. Show all posts
Showing posts with label entree. Show all posts

Sunday, October 23, 2016

Rotisserie Chicken Coconut Curry Soup

Serves 6 to 8

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon finely grated peeled fresh ginger (about a 1-inch piece of ginger)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
6 cups (48 ounces) low-sodium chicken broth
1 (13- to 14-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk
6 cups thinly sliced lacinato or Tuscan kale leaves (from 1 large bunch)
Kosher salt
1 (8-ounce) package vermicelli rice noodles
1 (2-pound) plain rotisserie chicken, meat shredded (about 4 1/2 cups)
Chopped fresh cilantro, thinly sliced red onion, and lime wedges, for serving
In a 5-quart or larger Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the garlic and ginger and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the curry paste and sauté for 2 minutes.
Add the chicken broth, coconut milk, and kale. Stir to combine, bring to a simmer, and cook, uncovered, until the kale is wilted, 3 to 5 minutes. Season with salt to taste.
Add the noodles and continue to simmer until the noodles are al dente, about 3 minutes or according to package instructions.
Divide the soup among bowls and top each bowl with about 1/2 cup shredded chicken. Garnish with the cilantro, onion slices, and a big squeeze of lime juice.
recipe from thekitchn.com

Tuesday, August 9, 2016

One Pot Cranberry Apple Chicken with Cabbage- Instant Pot

This flavorful one pot meal can be cooked quickly in your Instant Pot or slowly in your slow cooker. Have it just the way you like it!

1 small head cabbage, cored and shredded
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts
2 apples, cored and sliced
1/2 cup chicken broth (bone broth, if you have it)
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt + more, to taste
In Instant Pot:

1. Place all ingredients, in order above, into Instant Pot.
2. Close lid.
3. Press Poultry button.
4. Set time for 20 minutes.
5. Instant Pot will start cooking process.
6. When done cooking, press off button.
7. Allow pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes.
8. Open lid.
9. Serve.

Recipe from paleocajunlady.com

White Bean and Chicken Chili

Serves: 6-8 servings

Ingredients
1 pound dried navy beans, sorted
2 cups chopped onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons cassava flour (see notes for substitutions)
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
14 ounces canned diced tomatoes
7 ounces canned diced green chilies
4 cups chicken broth
6 frozen boneless skinless chicken thighs
3 tablespoons lard or vegetable shortening
sea salt to taste
order ingredients

1. In a large mixing bowl, add the sorted dried navy beans and fill the bowl with enough water to cover the beans by several inches. Set aside to soak while you prepare the remaining ingredients.

2. To the Instant Pot bowl, add the chopped onion, garlic cloves, cassava flour, chili powder, ground cumin, ground coriander, dried oregano, ground black pepper, canned diced tomatoes, canned diced green chilis, and chicken broth.

3. Use a colander to strain the beans and discard the soaking liquid. Rinse with fresh water.

4. Add the beans to the Instant Pot bowl, and stir all of the ingredients together.

5. Add the chicken thighs to the bowl, and push them down into the liquid. It’s okay if they aren’t completely covered in liquid.

6. Now add the lard to the bowl. It’s okay if the lard is in a solid lump, as soon as the Instant Pot comes up to pressure/temperature, the lard will melt.

7. Place the lid on the Instant Pot and ensure the steam release valve is set to sealing. Press the “Bean/Chili” key, which will show 30 minutes of cooking time, and then walk away. When the Instant Pot is done cooking, let it cool down/warm for 15 minutes, and then flip the steam release valve to venting, to let the Instant Pot come down from pressure.

8. When the pressure is released, open the lid of the Instant Pot and use a wooden spoon to stir the chili and break up the chicken into small pieces. Taste, and season with sea salt if needed. The chili will appear soupy, but will thicken as it cools. I like to pull my Instant Pot bowl out and place it on top of my oven to cool for 30 minutes and allow it to thicken. Serve warm with cilantro, avocado, and rice or Beanitos/corn chips.

Recipe Notes

I use cassava flour to thicken this chili, but if you don't have it readily available, try corn starch, sweet rice flour, or arrowroot starch.

If you use more than 6 frozen boneless skinless chicken thighs, you'll have to increase the cooking time.

Recipe from "Allergy Free Alaska" blog

Sunday, July 31, 2016

Butter Chicken for the Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker

I LOVE Butter Chicken.  Make Cauliflower rice to serve with this and you have a low carb fantasy come true.

2-3 lbs (family pack) boneless skinless chicken thighs (cut into bite-sized pieces)
1 Tbsp ghee
1½ large onions (chopped)
2½ - 3⅓ tsp salt
2 tsp garlic powder or 2 Tbsp fresh garlic (minced)
2 tsp ginger powder or 2 Tbsp fresh ginger (grated)
2 heaping tsp turmeric
2 heaping tsp paprika
1½ tsp cayenne powder
1½ - 2 cups stewed or canned tomatoes and the liquid
370 ml tomato paste
2 cans coconut milk/cream (allow these to separate - DO NOT shake. Best if left in fridge overnight)
2 heaping tsp garam masala
½ cup sliced almond
½ cup cilantro
Order Ingredients

If your pressure cooker has a sauté setting (as does the Instant Pot), use it to melt ghee. Add 2 tsp salt and onions. Cook until onions are soft and translucent (you can cover with a lid to speed this process.
Add in garlic, ginger, turmeric, paprika and cayenne. Mix in and cook until fragrant.

Add canned tomatoes and the watery portion of coconut milk, mixing thoroughly with spices (getting all of the spices stuck to the bottom off the pan). Add chicken and stir well.

Assuming you've selected to use bite-sized pieces of chicken, the time to cook the chicken will be fast: 8-10 minutes depending on the pressure your cooker uses. With the Instant Pot it took 8 minutes of pressurized cooking time.

Once cooked, stir in coconut cream, tomato paste, garam masala and most of the cilantro. Add more salt if needed.

Top with sliced almonds and garnish with more cilantro.

Recipe from theprimaldesire.com

Southern Cabbage for the Pressure Cooker

Delicious!  Buttery, sweet, and not at all cabbage-y. I added a handful of chopped ham before cooking and it was amazing.

1 head cabbage, cored
3 slices bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/4 cup butter
2 cups chicken broth
salt and ground black pepper to taste
Chopped Ham, optional

Chop cabbage into 1- to 2-inch pieces.

Cook bacon in an open 8-quart pressure cooker over medium heat until tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Do not crisp the bacon unless you just like it that way. Add butter and stir until melted.

Place the chopped cabbage into the pot and pour in chicken broth. Add salt and black pepper to taste and toss the cabbage until coated.
Secure the lid to your pressure cooker, place the regulator on top (depending on the type of pressure cooker you have), and turn the heat up to high. When the regulator begins to rock or the cooker reaches full pressure, lower the heat to maintain a gentle rocking motion (15 pounds per square inch). Cook for 3 minutes.

Immediately remove the cooker from the heat and use the quick-release method recommended by your cooker's manufacturer to reduce the pressure. Transfer cabbage to a serving dish and serve hot.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2016 Allrecipes.com 

American Chop Suey

A more grown-up version of what we all grew up with!

1 pound elbow macaroni or other tubular pasta, such as cavatappi
Kosher salt
2 (28-ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large onion, finely diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 large green pepper, finely diced (about 1 cup)
4 cloves garlic, minced (about 4 teaspoons)
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup finely minced fresh parsley leaves
1 pound 80/20 ground beef
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, plus more for serving
1 cup homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken stock
Freshly ground black pepper
1 pound low moisture whole milk mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3 ounces roughly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

1. Place macaroni in a large bowl and cover with hot water. Season generously with salt. Let rest, stirring twice during the first ten minutes, while you prepare the other ingredients.

2. Using a hand blender directly in the tomato jar or a regular countertop blender, process tomatoes until mostly smooth. Set aside.

3. Heat oil and butter in a 5 quart straight-sided sauté pan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, swirling, until better is mostly melted. Add onions and peppers, reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring frequently, until softened but not browned, about 7 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, and half of parsley, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

4. Clear a space in the center of the pan and add meat. Increase heat to high. Cook, breaking it up first with a wooden spoon, then with a potato masher, until broken into small pieces. Continue cooking until no longer pink, about 4 minutes. Add pureed tomatoes and bring to a simmer.

5. Drain noodles in a large colander set in the sink. Add to pot with beef. Add Worcestershire sauce and chicken stock and stir, folding noodles through the sauce until noodles and sauce are well-integrated. Cover and cook at a hard simmer until noodles are mostly cooked, about half of cook-time indicated on box.

6. Remove lid and stir to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add half of cubed mozzarella and stir to incorporate rapidly (do not overstir or the mixture will stretch and stick to your spoon). Spread remaining mozzarella over surface of dish. Sprinkle half of Parmesan over dish. Cover and cook over the lowest possible heat for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and let rest with cover on for 5 minutes.

7. Uncover, sprinkle with remaining Parmesan and herbs and serve immediately, passing extra Worcestershire sauce at the table.

from seriouseats.com

Sunday, May 1, 2016

Double-Pork Carnitas

This one's from Bon Appetit, God bless 'em. Since I've been doing extremely low carb, recipes like this are my salvation.  Wrap it in a lettuce leaf instead of a tortilla- I won't say it's AS good, but it's pretty darn good. 

It’s worth seeking out pork belly for the amazing texture it lends, but if you can’t get it, substitute with another pound of shoulder.

Ingredients

3 pounds boneless pork shoulder (Boston butt), cut into 1½-inch pieces
1 pound pork belly, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup homemade chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon (heaping) kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Warm corn tortillas, chopped white onion, lime wedges, sliced avocado, dried oregano, chopped cilantro, and shredded cabbage (for serving)

Place pork shoulder, pork belly, stock, salt, and pepper in a large heavy pot; cover and bring to a boil over medium-low. Reduce heat and simmer until pork is tender and shreds easily, about 2 hours. Uncover; cook 10 minutes to reduce liquid (but not completely). Remove from heat.


Transfer half of pork and pan juices to a large skillet, preferably nonstick, and cook over high until liquid evaporates and pork begins to fry in its rendered fat. Fry, stirring occasionally and pressing on pork with spoon to break up, until browned and just beginning to crisp, 10–15 minutes. Most of the pieces should be bite-size with some smaller shredded and super-crisp bits in the mix. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper towel–lined baking sheet. Cover with foil to keep warm and moist. Repeat with remaining pork. 


Serve carnitas with tortillas, onion, limes, avocado, herbs, and cabbage.


Do Ahead: Pork can be braised (do not fry) 3 days ahead. Cover and chill.

Sunday, September 30, 2012

Pizza Hut Style Pizza Crust



1 1/3 cups water
2 tsp sugar
1 1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp cornmeal
3 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1 1/2 tsp yeast

Add ingredients to bread machine, according to manufacturer’s settings, and run dough setting. After the machine beeps, roll out the dough. You can roll the dough into two 9×13″ pizzas (great for kid’s lunches!) or into two medium pizzas or a large pizza and an order of breadsticks (as instructed above). Parbake the crust with a drizzle of olive oil on it at 450 degrees for ten minutes. Remove the crust and add sauce and toppings. If making breadsticks, add your breadsticks at this time. Place into the oven for another ten to fifteen minutes or until golden and bubbly. Enjoy!

I believe it originated here.

I don't have a bread machine, so I tried doing it by hand/stand mixer.  I kneaded it for about 5-7 minutes and let rise for an hour, and then punched it down.

NOTE:  Okay, I tried it.  It was... pretty good.  Not great.  I didn't have onion powder, and maybe that lack made it a little underseasoned.  Husband liked it, however, so I'll give it another try soon.  The texture was very good.

Friday, August 31, 2012

Cream of Carrot Soup

1 cup finely chopped onion
2 tbsps butter
4 1/2 cups carrots (peeled thinly sliced)
1 potato (peeled and cubed)
29 ozs chicken broth
1 tsp powdered ginger
2 cups heavy cream
1 tsp dried rosemary (crushed)
1/2 tsp salt or to taste
1/8 tsp black pepper or to taste


1) In a large stockpot, melt butter and saute onion until soft and tender, about 5 minutes or so.

2) Add carrots, potatoes, chicken broth, and ginger.

3) Cover and cook on medium heat 30 minutes or until veggies are very tender.

4) Remove from heat and let cool 15 minutes.

5) Using a stick blender, puree the soup right in the pot (or pour some into a blender and puree- you'll have to do this in batches though).

6) Return to heat and add milk, rosemary, salt, and pepper.

7) Cook over low heat until heated through, maybe 5 minutes or so.

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Crock Pot Beef with Pepperoncinis

This recipe is from a customer who swears by it.

1 4-lb beef roast
1 large jar of pepperoncini, undrained
1 smaller jar of pepperoncini, drained

Put beef in slow cooker, top with peppers and juice from large jar. Cook on low for about 8 hours, until it shreds easily.

Serve pulled beef and pepperoncinis with corn tortillas and slices of avocado, tomato and onion.

Got to love a recipe with basically 2 ingredients!

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Carnitas (in the Slow Cooker)

3 lbs pork shoulder or 3 lbs pork butt
4 cups chicken broth, hot
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons onion powder
2 tablespoons cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder, medium hot
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt (to taste)
Directions:

Add hot chicken broth to crock pot.

Add spices and lime juice to crock pot and mix well into chicken broth.

Add pork to crock pot.

Cover and cook on High for 4 to 6 hours or until most of water is reduced and a thick gravy like sauce forms.

Shred meat and mix into thickened cooking sauces.

Use to make tacos. Sprinkle with chopped onions and minced fresh cilantro... oh my gosh. Heavenly.
(from food.com)

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Picadillo

2 pounds ground beef
1 large onion,chopped
1 T. olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound mushrooms, chopped
2 red bell peppers, seeded & chopped
1 poblano pepper, red or green, chopped
1 pound ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
1 cup raisins
3 T. vinegar
1 t. sugar or honey
1 t. salt
1 T. chili powder, red or green
1 t. ground cumin
1 t. ground cinnamon
1/2 t. ground cloves
1 cup chopped pecans
Several sprigs cilantro, snipped or chopped

Saute the beef and onions in oil until onions are soft and beef is browned. Add garlic, mushrooms, tomatoes, tomato sauce, peppers, raisins and vinegar. Stir well and simmer 15 minutes. Add salt, sugar and spices. Simmer for an additional 15-30 minutes. To serve add the pecans, reheat (if refrigerated), remove from heat and add a chopped pecans. Serves 8.

This would be great as an empanada filling!

Monday, March 7, 2011

Braised Pork and Fennel Meatballs

Oh, how I love fennel with pork. This recipe is from Gail Simmons- found at kitchendaily.com.



1 pound lean ground pork
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 teaspoons toasted fennel seeds
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Braise:

2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely sliced
1 small onion, finely sliced
1/2 fennel bulb, trimmed and finely shaved
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 teaspoons ground fennel
1 28 oz can crushed San Marzano tomatoes

Crusty baguette, sliced on the bias to serve

Combine the pork, garlic, and fennel seeds in a large bowl and season with salt and red pepper flakes. Mix well then form into approximately 14 2-inch round meatballs. Set on a tray in the fridge to firm up while you prepare the braising sauce.

In a large Dutch oven heat 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add garlic, onion and fennel. Cook until onions and fennel are very tender and lightly caramelized - about 10-12 minutes. Season with salt and pepper then add ground fennel seeds. Deglaze with white wine and pour in tomatoes. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer, covered for 15 minutes.

Set a large saute pan over high heat and add vegetable oil. When very hot, brown meatballs all over, about 2-3 minutes per side. Use a slotted spoon to transfer meatballs to the Dutch oven and nestle them in sauce. Cover slightly with a lid and simmer for 10 minutes until very tender. Serve with toasted baguette points.

Monday, January 10, 2011

Chipotle Chicken with Sweet Peppers

Serve this spicy dish with mashed potatoes.

Ingredients
1 pound frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 pound frozen pepper stir-fry
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can stewed tomatoes, undrained
1 chipotle chili pepper in adobo sauce, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Combine all ingredients except oil in a deep skillet or Dutch oven; bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat, cover tightly and simmer until chicken is no longer pink in center, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove chicken, let cool and cut into chunks.

Increase heat to medium high; boil vegetables 15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in olive oil.

Pour vegetable mixture evenly over chicken. Serves 4.

(American Profile Magazine)

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Carrot Soup with Rosemary

I used to work at a store with a cafe. On Thursdays, this cafe had the BEST carrot soup, with little pieces of rosemary in it. This recipe, from allrecipes.com, looks like a good place to start in recreating it.

1 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup butter, cubed
4 1/2 cups sliced carrots
1 large potato, peeled and cubed
2 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

1.In a Dutch oven, saute onion in butter until tender. Add carrots, potato, broth and ginger. Cover and cook over medium heat for 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Cool for 15 minutes.

2.Transfer to a blender or food processor in small batches; cover and process until smooth. Return all to the pan; stir in the cream, rosemary, salt and pepper. Cook over low heat until heated through.

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Pork Pie (Tourtiere)

Makes 2 pies. Cut recipe in half for 1 pie.

2 lbs ground pork
1/2 lb ground hamburg
Small onion (chopped)

Place in a frying pan. Add a little water, salt and pepper. Brown until done, then drain (don't drain completely, but almost).

Instant potato- make five servings

Allspice - 1 1/2 tsp.

Add potatoes and allspice to meat mixture. Pour into pie shell, top with 2nd crust and vent.

Cook at 450 degrees for 20 - 30 minutes

Serve with applesauce

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Sauteed Lemon Shrimp

From Tyler Florence. Easy, and YUMMY.


1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 shallots, finely chopped
1 lemon, juiced
1/2 cup chicken broth
Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

Put the flour on a plate and season with a healthy amount of salt and pepper; mix with a fork to combine evenly. Dredge the shrimp in the seasoned flour to coat all sides.

Heat the butter and oil in a heavy bottomed pan over medium heat until butter stops foaming and just starts to turn a light brown. Add the shrimp, and give it a toss, saute for 5 minutes until the shrimp is firm and there is a crispy coating on the outside. Remove the shrimp to a side plate and cover to keep warm.

Put the pan back on the heat and add the garlic and shallots. Cook and stir for 1 minute until soft. Add the lemon juice and chicken broth, give it a stir and let it cook down for 1 minute to thicken slightly. Put the shrimp back in the pan and coat in the lemon sauce. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with chopped parsley before serving.

I zested the lemon before juicing it, and added half the zest to the rice pilaf I served it with, and the other half to the lemon/shallot/garlic sauce for the shrimp. Nice sparkle.

Saturday, May 2, 2009

Spicy Pulled Pork

Sauce:
1 cup thick barbecue sauce
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 cans (4.5 oz each) diced green chilies
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 boneless pork shoulder roast, 2 1/2 to 3 pounds, trimmed
1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Preparation:
Combine sauce ingredients in a bowl. Place pork in crockpot; pour sauce mixture over the pork, lifting pork slightly so sauce will flow under the roast. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours, or until pork is very tender. Remove pork to a cutting board and chop or shred with forks. If sauce is very liquid, cook down on the stovetop until desired thickness and flavor is reached. Pour sauce into a serving bowl or leave in slow cooker; stir in the cilantro and the shredded pork. Serve with flour tortillas or split sandwich buns.
Serves 8.

From about.com's section on Southern Food.

Friday, February 27, 2009

Betty's Spaghetti Sauce

1 lb Ground Beef
1 lb Italian Hot Sausage
1 lb Italian Sweet Sausage
1 Green Pepper
2 Medium Onions
1/4 - 1/3 Cup Oregano
1 Cl (3 or 4) Garlic
1 tsp-1 tbsp Salt
1 tbsp Sugar
Red Pepper (couple of shakes)


Cook meat until browned. Remove from pan, drain off most of the fat. In the remaining fat, saute chopped pepper, onion and garlic until softened. Add meat back into the pot, add remaining ingredients and cook briefly to combine ingredients. Continue as below.

Add:
1 lg tomato (cut up and drained)
2 14oz cans tomato sauce
2 6oz cans tomato paste
2 - 4 oz sliced mushrooms (drained)
Wine ( 1/4 cup or less)

Simmer 3-4 hours, stirring occasionally.

I remember this from childhood as being the BEST spaghetti sauce ever. I hope I still like it.

EDIT: Oh, yes. It's still amazing. I think I used more wine than stated. And Betty's recipe called for 1/2 stick butter, I assume to saute the onion/pepper in- I just used fat from the meats. This is a perfect sauce for freezing.

Saturday, February 21, 2009

Mark Bittman's Chicken Biriyani

Yield 4 servings

Time 1 hour

It is important to leave the lid on as much as possible; you want to make sure the chicken cooks fairly quickly and that the aroma remains in the pot.

Ingredients
4 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, chopped
Coarse salt and ground black pepper
1 large pinch saffron
10 whole cardamom pods
5 cloves
1 3-inch cinnamon stick
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 1/2 cups basmati rice
3 cups chicken stock
1 3- to 4-pound chicken, cut up and trimmed of excess fat; skin removed if desired
1/4 cup slivered blanched almonds, optional

Method

1. Put 2 tablespoons butter in a deep skillet or casserole that can be covered. Turn heat to medium-high. Add onion and some salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion softens, 5 to 10 minutes. Add spices, and cook, stirring, another minute.

2. Add rice, and cook, stirring, until ingredients are well combined, 2 or 3 minutes. Add stock, chicken and more salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer.

3. Cook undisturbed for about 25 minutes. When chicken and rice are tender and liquid is absorbed, turn heat off. If either chicken or rice is not quite done, add no more than 1/2 cup boiling water, and cook until done.

4. Melt remaining butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add almonds (or simply melt butter), and brown lightly. Pour mixture over biriyani, and sprinkle with a bit more salt. Let rest 2 or 3 minutes. Take pot to table, and serve.

Note: Cardamom seeds can be eaten, but cloves should be removed after cooking.

Source: The New York Times