There is a vegetarian biryani in from Olive Trees and Honey: A Treasury of Vegetarian Recipes from Jewish Communities Around the World. If you use oil rather than ghee, it is dairy free. The vegetarians/vegans like it as a main and it can serve as a side for the rest. It has a layer of rice, then a layer of vegetables including garbanzo beans and topped by another layer of rice mixed with nuts. Vegetable Biryani RICE LAYER: 3 tablespoons ghee ( Indian Clarified Butter ) or vegetable oil 2 cups white or brown basmati or other long-grain rice 4 cups water (5 cups for brown rice) 2 teaspoons ground turmeric About 1 1 ⁄ 2 teaspoons table salt or 1 tablespoon kosher salt VEGETABLE LAYER: 1 ⁄ 4 cup ghee or vegetable oil 1 large onion, chopped 1 1 ⁄ 2 teaspoons black or yellow mustard seeds 1 teaspoon poppy seeds 1 teaspoon ground coriander 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon ground turmeric 1 ⁄ 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 ⁄ 4 to 1 ⁄ 2 teaspoon cayenne 3 small or 2 medium-small eggplants, peeled and diced, or 3 cups cauliflower florets 1 large zucchini, diced 1 large red or green bell pepper, seeded, deribbed (white removed), and diced 1 cup lima beans or green peas 2 cups tomatoes purée, or 1 cup water mixed with 3 seeded and diced plum tomatoes 1 teaspoon sugar About 1 teaspoon table salt or 2 teaspoons kosher salt 3 ⁄ 4 cup cooked or canned chickpeas (optional) NUT MIXTURE: 1 ⁄ 4 cup ghee or vegetable oil 2 ⁄ 3 cup raw slivered almonds 2 ⁄ 3 cup raw cashews 2 ⁄ 3 cup golden raisins 1 ⁄ 4 cup chopped fresh cilantro for garnish 1. Preheat the oven to 350 ° F. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. 2. To make the rice layer: In a large, heavy saucepan, melt the ghee over medium heat. Add the rice and sauté until opaque, about 3 minutes. Add the water, turmeric, and salt. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the liquid is absorbed, about 18 minutes for white rice; about 40 minutes for brown rice. 3. To make the vegetable layer: In a large, heavy saucepan, melt the ghee over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the mustard and poppy seeds and sauté until they begin to pop, about 30 seconds. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the coriander , cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, and cayenne. 4. Increase the heat to medium-high, add the eggplants, zucchini, and bell pepper, and sauté for 2 minutes. Stir in the lima beans , tomato purée, sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the vegetables are crisp-tender, about 10 minutes. If using, add the chickpeas. 5. To make the nut mixture: In a small, heavy saucepan, melt the ghee over medium heat. Add the nuts and sauté until golden, about 3 minutes. Stir in the raisins. Remove from the heat. 6. Spread half of the rice in the prepared dish and top with the vegetable mixture. Combine the remaining rice with the nut mixture and spread over the vegetables. 7. Cover with a lid or aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with the cilantro. Serve warm. VARIATION Omit the mustard seeds and poppy seeds and add 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger with the other spices. Marks, Gil (2008-03-11). Olive Trees and Honey: A Treasury of Vegetarian Recipes from Jewish Communities Around the World (Kindle Locations 14024-14031). Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Kindle Edition. For vegetarian chili, I don't use a recipe. If not using canned beans, I soak dried beans overnight (or do a quick soak by bringing the water to a boil with the beans, turning off heat and letting them sit for a few hours). I usually use a mix of pintos and kidney beans or black and pinto beans. I saute onions. Add some other diced vegetables - bell peppers, summer squash and carrots are good. Add to the beans and pour in a can of diced tomatoes with the juice (or you can use tomato sauce or tomato paste and water). Add chili powder to taste (for 3 16 oz cans of beans, I start with about a tablespoon). Making it for our family where the grandkids don't like it too spicy hot, I usually add some ground cumin and oregano to flavor it without getting more chili heat than they will accept. Also add a bit of salt. Sometimes I'll add soy crumbles (i.e. some soy ground beef substitute). but most of the time I don't

I am a picky eater. DH is not. My kids -- well, two out of three of them -- eat a wide range of foods. But because I am picky and I am Head Chef, my family only gets adventurous foods (my term) when they eat elsewhere! It's become a joke with people who know us. "Can we go to this restaurant? Can you find anything on the menu that you'll eat?" I'm not THAT bad but I am a baby and won't try ethnic foods like Indian, Moroccan, etc... I do eat Chinese food and Thai and Mexican. I can't stand dishes that mix meat and fruit. It just makes me want to gag. I won't eat hummus. I don't get it. Blecch. But it's always in the fridge because my family likes it. I balk at eating casseroles when I can't identify the ingredients. I don't like certain foods to "run together" on the plate -- I got that one from my father. Certain things are okay, but OMG, if I have a cold salad on a plate and it's running into something hot on the plate? IWWWW. Raw oysters or clams? Grosss. But I love lobster and shrimp. I am fully aware that I am a baby and perhaps a little bit crazy in this regard!

1.__________________________________________________________ Butterflied and grilled Greek leg of lamb Posted by: san_ (My Page) on Wed, Nov 20, 02 at 18:43 Butterflied and grilled Greek leg of lamb NOTE: I buy a half leg of lamb, bone it and halve the herb rub ingredients. If marinating overnight, I suggest not adding the salt until just before grilling it, as it was more salty than we like. If you have leftovers, slice the meat and bring it to room temperature and serve over a bed of salad greens or better yet, use it for stuffed grape leaves (dolmathes)! For herb rub 8 garlic cloves, 3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves, 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, 1 tablespoon coarse salt, 3 tablespoons olive oil, a 7- to 8-pound leg of lamb, trimmed of all fat, boned, and butterflied by butcher (4 to 4 3/4 pounds boneless) 1 lemon Make herb rub: Finely chop garlic and in a small bowl stir together with remaining herb-rub ingredients. Put lamb in a large dish and with tip of a sharp small knife held at a 45-degree angle cut 1/2-inch-deep slits all over lamb, rubbing herb mixture into slits and all over lamb. Marinate lamb at room temperature 1 hour. Prepare grill. Lightly pat lamb dry. On a lightly oiled rack set 5 to 6 inches over glowing coals grill lamb about 10 minutes on each side, or until an instant-read thermometer horizontally inserted into thickest part of meat registers 125F for medium-rare. (Alternatively, roast lamb in a roasting pan in middle of a 425°F oven about 25 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer horizontally inserted into meat registers 125°F for medium-rare.) Transfer lamb to a cutting board. Halve and seed lemon. Squeeze juice over lamb and let stand, loosely covered with foil, 15 minutes. Cut lamb into slices and serve with any juices that have accumulated on cutting board. Serves 8. Gourmet July1999 Gourmet Entertains 2.__________________________________________________________ Chicken with Artichokes and White Wine Posted by: Linda_inTennessee (My Page) on Sun, Dec 1, 02 at 17:37 a few recipes from my cookbook to my children and very best friends: Chicken with Artichokes and White Wine 4 Servings 4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves, All purpose flour, 1/4 cup ( 1/2 stick ) butter, 12-18 green globe baby artichokes trimmed to hearts and quartered, (((or 2 boxes frozen hearts, defrosted))) 1 cup chopped onion, 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, 1 3/4 cups canned low-salt chicken broth, 1 cup dry white wine Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper; dust with flour. Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to skillet and saute until brown, about 3 minutes per side. Using tongs, transfer chicken to plate. Add artichokes, onion and Italian seasoning to skillet. Saute until onion is tender, about 6 minutes. Add broth and wine and boil until liquid is reduced by half, about 8 minutes. Return chicken and any accumulated juices to skillet. Cover; reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until chicken is cooked through and artichokes are tender, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve. 3.__________________________________________________________ The Frugs Stuffed Grape Leaves Posted by: san_ (My Page) on Sun, Dec 8, 02 at 13:26 i've tried several recipes for stuffed grape leaves, but this one is really good--pretty easy too (especially if you have some rare roast lamb leftover. if not, use raw ground lamb). The Frugs Stuffed Grape Leaves A jar of grape leaves For the broth, 2 C chicken stock and the juice of 1 lemon For the filling, mix together: 1# coarsely chopped or ground lamb, 1 C raw, long-grain rice, ½ C olive oil, 1 C chopped yellow onions, ¼ C chopped flat-leaf parsley, 1 T dried dillweed, juice of 1 lemon, 1 tsp allspice, 2 cloves minced garlic, a little salt and pepper Use some of the smallest grape leaves to line the bottom of a 2-quart stock pot. Place the grape leaves, bottom side up, on a counter, stem side toward you. Place 1 tsp of filling in the center of the leaf and fold the stem end over the filling, fold the sides inward and then roll towards the tip of the leaf. Dont wrap them too tightly as the rice expands during cooking. Place the rolled leaves in layers on the bottom of the pot close to each other, to help keep them from unrolling. Cover each layer will a couple of plain leaves, including the top layer (I usually end up with about 3 layers of stuffed leaves). Pour the broth over the leaves and place a plate on top to weight them down while they cook. Cover with a lid and cook on a low simmer for about an hour. Remove the pan from the heat, leaving the lid on so the leaves dont darken, and allow to cool for an hour before serving. Best at room temp but pretty good cold, too. Serve with avgolemono sauce. 4._________________________________________________________ GINGER ALE CHICKEN Posted by: Linda_inTennessee (My Page) on Mon, Jan 13, 03 at 9:16 GINGER ALE CHICKEN Ginger-garlic paste: 2 tablespoons peeled, finely chopped fresh ginger, 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped, 2 scallions, both white and green parts trimmed and finely chopped, 1 teaspoon coarse salt, 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, 2 tablespoons Asian (dark) sesame oil or vegetable oil, 1 can ginger ale, 1 chicken (3 1/2-4 pounds), 2 slices peeled fresh ginger (each 1/4-inch thick) Combine ginger, garlic, scallions, salt, pepper and oil in a mini-chopper or blender and puree to a paste. Pop the tab off the can of ginger ale, pour half of it ( 3/4 cup) into a measuring cup and drink or set aside to make a sauce. Make 2 additional holes on top. Remove the giblets from the body cavity. Remove and discard the fat just inside the body and neck cavities. Rinse the chicken, inside and out, under cold running water and then drain and blot dry, inside and out, with paper towels. Place half of the ginger-garlic paste in the body and neck cavities of the chicken and rub the remainder over the outside of the bird. Put a slice of ginger in the body cavity and in the neck cavity of the chicken. Put the can on a roasting pan. Lower the chicken over the can so it fits inside the body cavity. Pull the chicken legs forward to form a tripod so the bird stands upright. Tuck the tips of the wings behind the chicken's back. Put the pan in the oven on a low rack (so the chicken will fit) and roast at 350 degrees for 1 1/4-1 1/2 hours. Test for doneness. Present the chicken to your guests. Let it rest for 5 minutes, then carefully lift it off the can and serve, taking care not to burn yourself. Recipe adapted from "Beer-Can Chicken" by Steve Raichlen. 5.__________________________________________________________ Macaroni Grill's Scaloppine di Pollo Posted by: Linda_inTennessee (My Page) on Mon, Jan 13, 03 at 9:23 Macaroni Grill's Scaloppine di Pollo Lemon Butter Sauce: 4 ounces lemon juice, 2 ounces white wine, 4 ounces heavy cream, 1 pound (4 sticks) butter, Chicken & Pasta: 6 to 8 (3-ounce) chicken breasts, pounded thin, Oil and butter for sauteing chicken, 1/2 to 3/4 cup flour, seasoned with salt and pepper, for dredging, 6 ounces pancetta, cooked, 12 ounces mushrooms, sliced, 12 ounces artichoke hearts, sliced, 1 tablespoon capers, 1 pound cappellini pasta, cooked, Chopped parsley, for garnish To make the sauce: Heat the lemon juice and white wine in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and reduce by one-third. Add cream and simmer until mixture thickens (3 to 4 minutes). Slowly add butter until completely incorporated. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and keep warm. To make chicken and pasta: Cook pasta and drain. Heat a small amount of oil and two tablespoons butter in a large skillet. Dredge chicken in flour and saute in pan, turning once, until brown and cooked through. Remove chicken from pan and add to pan remaining ingredients. Heat until mushrooms soften and are cooked; add chicken back to pan. To serve: Place cooked pasta on each plate. Add half of butter sauce to chicken mixture and toss. Taste and adjust, adding more sauce if needed. Place chicken mixture over pasta. Garnish with parsley. Alternately, mix pasta and chicken mixture together. Toss with butter sauce. Yield: 10 servings 6.__________________________________________________________ Posted by: san_ (My Page) on Wed, Jan 15, 03 at 19:44 Mom's Barbecued Spare Ribs i hadn't made this in a couple of years and sort of forgot about it until someone asked for a country spare rib recipe. this is Mom's recipe and if you like a little sweet/tangy sauce it works great! and she always did these in the oven... Mom's Barbecued Spare Ribs par boil 3-4# of ribs for 20 minutes in salted water stir together: 1 C catsup, 2 cloves minced garlic, 2/3 C chili sauce, 4 T brown sugar, 2 T salad mustard, 4 T chopped onion, 2 T worcestershire sauce, 2 tsp celery seed (i like a little more of that...), 1/2 tsp salt, a few drops of "hot sauce" bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes 7._______________________________________________________ chicken Suzanne Posted by: Linda_inTennessee (My Page) on Thu, Apr 3, 03 at 21:42 chicken Suzanne 6 boneless (8oz) chicken breast halves, 1 cup flour, 1 egg beaten with 1 cup milk, 3 cups good quality fresh bread crumbs, 1/2 to 1 cup cooking oil dip chicken breasts in flour, dip in egg/milk mixture, the completely in bread crumbs. saute in hot oil untill well browned on each side. cook till done but not overcooked. serve with the following herb butter Herb butter 1/2 cup chopped green onions, 1/2 cup chopped parsley, 2 cloves garlic, 1 tsp basil (2 tbs fresh), 1/2 tsp oregano (1/2 tbs fresh), 1 tsp marjoram (1 tbs fresh), 1 tsp tarragon (1 tbs fresh), 1 tsp dillweed (1 tsp fresh), dash tabasco, 1 pound unsalted butter mix all the above in a food processer. this herb butter can also be used on french bread toasted,steaks,hamburgers or steamed veggies 8.__________________________________________________________ BARBECUE MEATLOAF Posted by: Daisyduckworth on Mon,Aug 25,03at 0:42 Culpeper's meatloaf got rave reviews: BARBECUE MEATLOAF 500g minced beef, 500g sausage mince, 1 cup breadcrumbs, 2 onions, diced, 1 tablespoon curry powder, 1/2 cup water, salt and pepper to taste, 1 tablespoon parsley, chopped, 1 egg, beaten, 1 garlic clove, crushed (optional), 1/2 cup milk, Combine all meatloaf ingredients and mix until well combined. Shape into a loaf and put into greased baking pan. Bake 30 minutes at 180C. Sauce: 1 onion, chopped very fine (optional), 1/4 cup water, 1/2 cup tomato sauce, 1/4 cup dry red wine or beef stock, 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce, 2 tablespoons vinega,r 1 teaspoon instant coffee, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 30g butter, 2 teaspoons lemon juice, Saute onions until golden and add all other ingredients. Bring slowly to the boil, lower heat and simmer about 5 minutes. After loaf has cooked for 30 minutes, pour the sauce over the meat, return to oven and bake 45 minutes more, basting often. The sauce goes well with ribs or chicken. 9.__________________________________________________________ Salt- and Pepper-crusted Pork Tenderloin Posted by: LoriJean44 on Mon, Aug 25, 03 at 23:18 Salt- and Pepper-crusted Pork Tenderloin 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crumbled (or 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped) 1 large garlic clove, minced, 1 12-ounce (approx.) pork tenderloin, 1 tablespoon olive oil Combine pepper, salt, rosemary and garlic in small bowl. Rub over pork. Let pork stand at room temperature at least 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 400 F. Heat oil in heavy medium ovenproof skillet over high heat. Add pork and brown on all sides, about 6 minutes. Transfer skillet with pork to oven and roast until pork is cooked through, turning occasionally, approximately 20 minutes. Remove pork to cutting board to stand for a few minutes. Deglaze pan with 1 cup red wine (or broth), allowing wine to reduce slightly. Season to taste. Slice pork and serve with wine gravy.

Beautiful ! Lemon in the cavity , butter, lemon-pepper seasoning yumm - the crispy skin you achieved looks divine! Did you cook to the recommended 165? I ask because that has been confusing to me, I've been going up to 175 or even 180 and it still seems juicy and not overdone. I guess it's about finding the right spot to measure but more than once we've had a 165 degree bird seem underdone . We do our roast chickens out on the weber grill these days in a cast iron skillet (our oven is temporarily off limits because my son objects to gas and we just can't decide what to do about that) . I found the recipe from Le Pichet in seattle, so simple where they roast it at 500 degrees for an hour (their birds are consistently 4 pounds from a local farmer?) and baste with plenty of butter - it's been hard to go wrong, even if we have to cook our typical 5 pounders for 1.5 hours.