Chuck's Potatoes Au Gratin

This is yet another example of making what you want, with what you have in the kitchen.

• Butter, 1 T (opt).
• Celery, 1 stalk.
• Cornflakes or similar cereal, crumbled / crushed, 1 C (opt).
• Onion, 1 medium.
• Potatoes, 5 - 6 medium, sliced and quartered.
• Soup, anything creamy (I used tomato), 1 can.
• Milk, 1/4 C or so.
• Cheese, 1 C (I used Parmesan grated).
• Cumin, 1/4 t.
• Ginger, 1/2 t (OK, I like ginger).
• Pepper, 1/4 t (I add pepper to everything).
• Salt, 1/4 t (If you wish).
• Tumeric, 1/4 t (It's good for you).

1. Slice the potatoes, 1/4" thick - then quarter the slices.
2. Dice the onion, and the celery.
3. Mix celery, onion, and potatoes in a large casserole dish, and microwave until the potatoes are chewy (15 - 30 minutes).
4. Grate or mince the cheese, if necessary.
5. Mix the cheese, milk, soup, and spices - pour the mixture over the vegetables, and mix well.
6. (Opt) Melt butter / margarine, mix with cornflakes, pour over the soup / vegetable mixture.
7. Bake in oven or microwave, until potatoes are soft, and cheese is nicely melted (another 15 - 30 minutes).

Dumlyama / Dymlyama

All of the other recipes (see below) say beef or lamb for the meat - and basil / dill is the green herbs.

»http://www.youtube.com/v/sAldVsayIm8

Another version of the recipe:

»http://www.youtube.com/v/VCcgLJ-gHfE

As the old saying goes,

Google is your friend.

And using Google for Dumlyama, and again for Dymlyama, I found one recipe, in English (accompanied by a lot of recipes, predictably, in Russian).

Mutton - two kg potatoes - two kg, carrots - one kg, Bulgarian pepper - one kg, cabbage - forks (1 kg), onion - one kg tomatoes - one kg, garlic - 10 cloves, a bunch of dill, a bunch of basil vegetable oil - 0, five l, salt, pepper, bitter - 1struchok. First, prepare all the food. The meat cut into chunks, see my 3x3, clean all vegetables. Potatoes are leaving a whole, a major cut in half, carrots, peppers in half, tomatoes, onion rings, cabbage in large pieces (10 pieces of forks). Tying thread bunches of greens. Take the cauldron at the bottom of the pour vegetable oil, laid a layer of meat, salt, onion layer on it, a little tomato, a layer of potatoes and carrots on it, the top layer of tomatoes and peppers, salt. All pours garlic, put a pod of red hot pepper, keeping stalk. Laid a layer of cabbage, add some salt again, cabbage, cover with tied bundles of herbs, then put the whole cabbage leaves, cover with all the big dish, cover with lid and set on fire. Cook for one hour.

Starting with the first ingredient (translated)

4 pounds of mutton

It is obvious that this recipe is designed to feed a large family. I'll not be attempting this in my own kitchen - so I'll plan to post an actual recipe, in 2 - 3 months, at the soonest.

And briefly glancing at the Russian recipes, in the Google searches, and translated, I can tell that there are many variations - with different meats, herbs, spices, and vegetables.

Corn / Mushrooms / Peas

Lots of the veggies, that I like.

• 1/4 t black pepper
• 1 t bouillon (1 cube)
• 1/8 t cayenne pepper
• 1/4 t cumin
• 1 t ginger
• 1/4 t paprika
• 1/8 t tumeric
• 2 cl garlic
• 1/2 medium onion
• 1/2 jalapeno pepper
• 1/2 pimiento pepper
• 1 can corn
• 1 can mushrooms
• 1 can peas
• 1 can tomatoes
• 1 T vegetable oil

1. Dice onion and pimiento, and mince garlic and jalapeno.
2. Saute garlic, in oil, until golden brown.
3. Add onion, saute until transparent.
4. Add other vegetables.
5. Bring to boil, reduce to simmer, cook 10 - 15 minutes.

Garlic Ginger Carrots

Simple to make, using just what I had on hand.

• 4 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced or thinly sliced
• 4 C water
• 2 t bouillon / 2 bouillon cubes
• 1/8 t cayenne pepper
• 1/4 t coriander powder
• 1/2 t cumin
• 1/4 t garam masala
• 1/2 t ginger
• 1/4 t black pepper
• 1/4 t tumeric

1. Saute garlic and onion, briefly - just long enough for garlic odor to arise.
2. Add water, and other ingredients.
3. Bring to boil, mix well.
4. Reduce to simmer, cook until carrots are soft enough.
5. Serve over boiled rice.

Banana Curry Rice

A quick and easy way to use up a left over banana, and improve on plain white rice.

• 1 C white rice.
• 2 1/2 C water.
• 1 T chicken bouillon / 2 bouillon cubes.
• 1/2 t curry powder.
• 1/4 t garam masala.
• 1/4 t ground coriander seed.
• 1/8 t cayenne pepper.
• 1/8 t tumeric.
• 1/4 medium onion, diced.
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed and minced.
• 1 banana, sliced horizontally, 1/4" thick slices.

1. Combine rice and water, bring to boil.
2. Stir constantly, adding bouillon, spices and vegetables.
3. When rice starts to thicken, turn heat down to slow simmer, stir frequently.
4. Add banana.
5. When rice starts to get sticky, stir then cover.
6. Remove from heat, let rice absorb the remainder of the water, until soft.
7. Serve with pasta sauce / salsa / chili sauce to taste.

Chicken Gizzards, With Ginger And Ramen

My Mom used to serve us chicken gizzards and rice, pressure cooked, years ago. This month, I'm visiting Mom and sister - and sister buys a pound of chicken gizzards and asks me to cook them. I hated the pressure cooker, when I was young - but I loved the gizzards and rice - so I found a recipe with microwave cooking instructions, and I added my favourite spices. Not bad, for a first attempt.

• 2 packages Ramen soup mix
• 1/4 t Cayenne pepper
• 1/2 t Ginger
• 1/4 t Paprika
• 1 lb Chicken Gizzards / Hearts / Livers. Not the healthiest parts of the chicken - but tasty.
• 1 medium onion
• 1 T oil (olive, vegetable, whatever)
• 1/2 C flour
• 2 C water

1. Combine Ramen flavour packets, Cayenne, Ginger, Paprika, and flour.
2. Wash, rinse, drain, dry chicken parts.
3. Mix chicken parts, and flour mixture.
4. Chop onion.
5. Brown floured chicken, and onion, in a skillet with oil.
6. Put browned chicken / onion in a microwave safe container, add water.
7. Cook chicken / onion on High, until the meat is just barely tender. The original recipe claimed 30 minutes - my microwave needed 60 minutes.
8. Crumble Ramen noodles, mix with chicken. Add water as necessary.
9. Cook until noodles are tender, and mixture is thick enough to eat with a fork.

Seven Seas (7 Cs) Rice

• 4 bouillon cubes, chicken or vegetable
• 1/2 t Cayenne pepper
• 1/2 t ground Coriander
• 1/2 t Cumin
• 1 t Curry powder (to taste)
• 1 t garam masala (to taste)
• 3 lg cloves garlic, smashed then minced
• 1/2 head Cabbage, chopped
• 2 lg Carrots, chopped
• 2 or 3 Chicken thighs (I like dark meat), or equivalent in whatever pieces you like
• 1 med onion, diced
• 2 C rice, well washed
• 16 C water

1. Add Chicken and water, in a deep pot (a dutch oven is good).
2. Bring water to a boil.
3. Add bouillon, spices, and garlic.
4. Cook for an hour or so until the Chicken falls off the bone, as you use a fork to lift it out of the pot.
5. Put the Chicken on a plate. If you like healthy chicken, and the skin is still on the chicken, it should scrape off quite easily with a fork. Then use a pair of forks to remove the bones, and shred the chicken. Return the shredded chicken to the pot.
6. Add Cabbage, Carrots and onion, bring to boil again. Cook until the carrot pieces are soft.
7. Add rice, mix well, bring to boil.
8. Make sure that water just covers top of mixture.
9. Stir rice frequently, reduce to slow boil, cook until the rice is soft. If the mixture is too soupy, add 1/4 C oatmeal, and mix well.
10. Turn off the heat, cover, let sit for 1/2 hour so it's cool enough to enjoy.
11. Serve with sourdough bread, and lots of beverages.
12. If you sneeze or your nose runs just slightly, you have enough just cayenne and curry. Keep Kleenex handy.