Light Chicken Biryani & My Garden

Pretty much everyone at my house could stand to lighten up a bit.

I don't mind eating light. But I refuse to skimp on flavor!

While looking for flavorful, light recipes containing chicken breast, I stumbled across this recipe from Cooking Light. It's BURSTING with flavor! I couldn't wait to try it! I tweaked it a bit and came up with this.



Light Chicken Biryani
1 1/2 C jasmine rice, uncooked
2 1/4 C water
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp saffron, crushed
1 cinnamon stick
1 1/2 pounds skinless chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces
1 tsp salt (yup another one...)
1 TBLS olive oil
1 1/2 C onion, diced
4 tsp hot curry powder
1 tsp cardamom
1 1/2 tsp ginger root, grated
3 garlic cloves, grated
3 serrano chiles, seeded and minced
2 C plain yogurt (do not use non-fat)
1 C golden seedless raisins
1 C dry-roasted cashews, chopped
1/2 C fresh cilantro

In a rice cooker, combine jasmine rice, water, 1 tsp salt, saffron and cinnamon stick. Cook according to rice cooker directions.

Season chicken with 1/2 tsp salt and saute in olive oil. When lightly browned, remove from pan and keep warm.

Add onion, 1/2 tsp salt, hot curry powder, cardamom, ginger, garlic and serranos to pan and saute until tender.

Add yogurt and whisk until well combined. Add chicken and raisins. Cook until heated through.

Remove cinnamon stick from rice and discard. Stir rice into chicken mixture until well combined.

Sprinkle with cashews and cilantro.

Makes 8 hearty satisfying 1 cup servings.

Enjoy!

Per Serving:
Calories:447.1
Fat: 11.9g
Carbohydrates: 58.3g
Protein: 28.4g

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


In a rice cooker, combine jasmine rice, water, 1 tsp salt, saffron and cinnamon stick. Cook according to rice cooker directions.


Season chicken with 1/2 tsp salt and saute in olive oil.
When lightly browned, remove from pan and keep warm.


Add onion, 1/2 tsp salt, hot curry powder, cardamom, ginger, garlic and serranos to pan and saute until tender.


Stand back! The fumes of the chiles are very strong!


Add yogurt and whisk until well combined.


If you look closely you can see that my yogurt broke down.


I used low-fat yogurt. And the dish tasted fine.

But next time, I think I'll use full fat yogurt.
It should be creamy with full fat... and there aren't a ton of calories in yogurt, so this would still totally be a low fat dinner.

Definitely don't use NON fat yogurt.

Ok... back to cooking!

Add the chicken & raisins to the sauce.




Remove the cinnamon stick from your rice.
(the rice smelled amazing while it was cooking!!)


Stir the rice into the pan with the chicken.

I didn't use a big enough skillet, so I had to move everything to a pot.


Garnish with chopped cashews & cilantro leaves and enjoy!!




Now I've never tasted Chicken Biryani, so I don't know how this stands up to the full fat, baked, made with ghee version.

But it was really good and I will be making it again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And for a garden update!

Just for a refresher...

Here's the previous picture of my Grape Tomato Plants.


This is them this morning.


They've been moved to their summer home (against my house, instead of the back wall)

Oh yeah...

My snack bar is getting ready to open!


Very few Grape Tomatoes actually make it into the house.

I just eat them every time I walk by!

Along the back wall, I had originally intended to just put pots of something cheap and green. Well... green stuff isn't necessarily cheap.

I ended up putting alternating pots of Celosia and Petaluna.


I'm not super thrilled with it. Maybe once they start blooming I'll like it better.
I'll just have to wait and see.

To the left of the Celosia & Petaluna, I planted some seeds.
Mustard in the round one and Cilantro in the long one.


Back row is:
Grape Tomato, Poblano Chile, Jalapeno Chile, Habanero Chile, Thai Chile.

Front row is:
Dahlias, Begonias, Petunias, Celosia, Petunias

Two pots of Jasmine in the back.

In the front: Melampodium (Butter Daisy... I had to look up Melampodium), Begonias, Celosia & Petunias

My herb garden pic has a weird sun angle and is hard to see... I'll post a better pic next time.


Another funky sun pic... Caladium


I've never grown it, but when Jon pointed it out... I LOVED it!

Gerber Daisies


Little Yellow Roses (I've never grown these either)


Looking toward the door.


Looking toward the street.


We melted a hole in Lil Pete's pot!! He got too close to the grill! Oops!

Well... that's it for today!

Thanks for stopping by!!

Hummus - it's what's for breakfast...

Everyone at Casa de Spryte needs to lighten up a bit. (well... except Bob) If you're a regular reader of my blog... you've seen the endless parade of fried stuff and stuff covered in cheese... plus all the baked stuff!

Anyway... I've been trying to eat a healthier breakfast at home lately. (as opposed to driving through Wendy's or McDonald's for a Chicken Biscuit or McSkillet Burrito; which I do FAR too often)

I had some hummus left over from Baba D's. Their hummus is so creamy and delicious. It's a gazillion times better than the hummus I make at home.

I also had a gorgeous tomato, half a cucumber and my favorite flat bread.

It's not like me to go meatless. I usually like lean turkey or chicken for breakfast. But I decided to make a veggie wrap for breakfast today.

I LOVE these... they're always very soft and pliable.




Spread flat bread with creamy delicious hummus.


Add gorgeous fresh veggies


Enjoy!!


This was a tasty, satisfying breakfast!

Just a quick garden update...

Tomatoes one week ago and this morning.


And two Crack Cilantro plants!


I haven't found any Crack Dill yet this year... but I keep checking!

Have a great weekend!

May Wine Tasting ~ Pinot Grigio & A Little Bit of Garden

It's Wine Tasting time again. The wine of the month is Pinot Grigio.

This whole wine tasting thing is mostly just educational for me. For some reason I was thinking that I'd like Pinot Grigio better than Chardonnay. I didn't like Chardonnay at all. I have to say, so far, I'm not a big fan of Pinot Grigio either.

The first wine we tried this month was HRM Rex~Goliath Giant 47 Pound Rooster. I selected it because, as much as I don't like Chardonnay, I was pleasant surprised when I tried the Giant 47 Pound Rooster Chardonnay last month. I still wouldn't say that I liked it. But it wasn't as gross as I expected.

Unfortunately, I can't say the same about the Giant 47 Pound Rooster Pinot Grigio.

Name: HRM Rex-Goilath Giant 47 Pound Rooster Pinot Grigio

Price: $8.99

Year: 2008

PHOTO of bottle:




Short intro from the wine maker about the wine:
From the bottle: Bright, juicy and floral - say howdy to our California version of this Italian classic: cultured but racy and very romantic.

From the website: This wine expresses lovely aromatics of pear and honeydew. Bright, juicy flavors of citrus and apples that lead to a sweet mineral core. The finish is soft and lingering; thanks to a balanced acidity that carries the fruit well into the back of the palate. Yum. I can think of a number of foods that would be great with this wine. Try it with a bowl full of Little-necked clams, steamed in a broth of Pinot Grigio, garlic, onions, and butter (my personal favorite!), Linguini with homemade pesto (OK, my other fave), or baked boneless-skinless chicken breasts that have first been rubbed in a lemon zest/Herbs de Provence mixture and drizzled with extra virgin olive oil. Fantastico! - Marty Spate, Enologico

Review:
Very pale yellow.

Me ~ smells like wine... I liked the Chardonnay better. It feels warm and burny... tongue puckery... definitely not diggin' it... can't pick out any specific flavors...

Jon ~ ooooo tart... tastes good... tastes like an energy drink... first sip was the best

Ericka ~ likes it

Drew ~ a little sweet... oh interesting, a little tart...

Would you buy again?: probably not

Wine Pairing Ideas/Recipes: I'd cook with it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Name: Fish Eye Pinot Grigio

Price: $7.99

Year: 2008

PHOTO of bottle:


Short intro from the wine maker about the wine:
From the bottle... It's floral, crisp, refreshing and bright. An Ideal match for sole, fowl or light pasta dishes.

From the website... The aromatics in this bottle are like a tropical adventure in paradise! There's a spirited and fresh infusion of ripe melon, apricot and white ginger with intense citrusy notes of juicy red grapefruit and mineral that lingers on the finish. Pair with sushi, shellfish, crisp salads or anything that calls for some zing!

Review:
Very pale yellow

Me ~ Not as puckery as the 47 Pound Rooster... but still not diggin' it... I tried mixing this with 7up to make a wine cooler... and that didn't help.

Jon ~ not as intense as 47 Pound Rooster

Whitney ~ mmmmmmm

Jeff ~ Dry & fruity

Would you buy again?: No

Wine Pairing Ideas/Recipes: I'd cook with it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Name: Black Tower

Price: $8.99

Year: 2006

PHOTO of bottle:


Short intro from the wine maker about the wine:
From the bottle: Full of fruit flavours with a touch of spice.

From the website: Black Tower Pinot Grigio has the typical spicy character of Pinot Grigio and expressive fruit. Full of flavour and with a warm finish.
This wine is a perfect match for dishes with mushrooms such as wild mushroom risotto or rocket salad with pears and walnuts.

Review:
Golden color

Me ~ better than the 47# Rooster & Fish Eye... but I think I'm just not feeling the Pinot Grigio... I'll be tasting some more with my mom and niece over Memorial Day weekend... so we'll see...

Jon ~ This one is sweeter and peppery

Whitney ~ Very mild... nice not puckery... consistent flavor... no aftertaste

Would you buy again?: probably not

Wine Pairing Ideas/Recipes: I would cook with it.

Have you joined the BakeSpace Wine Club yet?

What are you waiting for??

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A garden update....

My grape tomatoes... 10 days difference
April 29...............................May 9


The barrel of violas is bright and beautiful!


Flowers & herbs doing well...


Little Lil Pete came out to get some sun.


Everything survived Mother's Day Eve!

Happiness is an Herb Garden & a little Chardonnay

Just an update on my container garden. =)



It was sunny and 85 degrees here in Pittsburgh on Friday. So I was compelled to stop at Home Depot to pick up some plants for my garden. It is still April, so it's still a little early. But I think our growing season is getting longer. Plus if we get a chilly night, I can just cover them up or bring them inside.

I really wanted herbs. I really miss having fresh herbs at my fingertips during the cooler months. But unfortunately I can't seem to keep plants alive inside the house. When they are in the house, they feel like just another chore. But when they're outside, it's how I unwind after work; tending my garden.

Anyway! Herbs... I wanted herbs. They really didn't have many. They had tons of basil, but, and I know this will sound weird, I'm not a big basil fan. So I passed on it. They did have rosemary! Yay! I grabbed one of those. One is usually all I need. They had Greek oregano... yay! Grabbed one of those. They had 3 or 4 wicked scrawny cilantro plants. I LOVE cilantro. But I can't seem to grow enough of it. I can wipe out an entire plant in one meal. Since its in a container, its not really reseeding itself. I think I'll try again this year, but in one of my much larger pots with several plants. I also wanted some dill. They didn't have any. Although two years ago my dill reseeded itself in the crack next to the driveway. I didn't plant any last year, just used my crack dill.

I LOVE my crack plants!

Here are a few crack violas that have popped up this year. Nothing makes me smile like surprise blossoms!





Ok... so Jon took Lil Pete out of the attic. Lil Pete is our palm tree. Lil Pete moved in about 7 or 8 years ago with Jon's friend Kevin.

I have to tell ya... Lil Pete is a survivor. He was small potted plant that easily fit on a shelf and moved in when Kevin moved in. When Kevin moved out, he left Lil Pete for Jon. Lil Pete was here when I moved in. He still fit on a shelf then. But he was growing. Once I started gardening next to the house, and Lil Pete had grown to a state where 'Lil' didn't really fit anymore, we put him out in the garden during the summer. He LOVED that... he loves the hot sunshine. He grew and grew. During the early years, my garden was a challenge. People stole plants and just plain vandalized them; throwing pots around, smashing, ripping them out. (just so you know... the police do NOTHING for this kind of activity!!) They did this regularly.

Here's a lil Lil Pete history.

I thought I had pictures of the assassination attempt on Lil Pete... but I can't find them. (you probably don't really want to see crime scene photos anyway!) A few years ago some @#$%&^% grabbed Pete by the trunk and just smashed him all over the driveway. It looked like he was done for... but while waiting to be disposed of, he continued to grow. So we repotted his main trunk, and put some of his offshoots into other pots... and they continued to thrive.

This is probably near the end of that summer.


Our house is very small... so we really didn't have room for so many palm trees in the house over the winter. One was adopted by my son's best friend's mother, Judit. She owns Judit European Day Spa If you scroll down, you will see part of Lil Pete in her reception area. If you are in need of spa services and in Pittsburgh, I HIGHLY recommend giving Judit a call. She and her mother Elizabet are wicked nice as is the rest of her staff! Whenever my mom is in town we always treat ourselves to some pampering.
Judit of Judit European Day Spa


Ok... sorry... I'm getting off track... so we gave Judit a piece of Lil Pete... and kept big Lil Pete... and one of the Lil Lil Petes. That was cool for a while... then late last winter I re-decorated my living room... and Lil Pete has very pokey leaves... and I didn't want him to put pulls in my new silk curtains, so sadly, I put big Lil Pete outside in February or March... Lil Pete does NOT like cold. He's tropical. So I felt bad... but hey, those curtains were expensive. So Lil Lil Pete stayed inside, and Big Lil Pete was put out in the cold. And he died. Or so I thought. I wanted to use his big pot for other gardening purposes. So I started to pry him out. And what did I find buried in the warmth of the soil? Yes!! A brand new little Lil Pete growing off of his trunk, under the dirt. He's still just a baby, but he's also still in the window in the attic. I'll post pics of him in my next garden update since this is getting pretty long and your eyes are probably getting glazed over, if you haven't already clicked away.

Anyway... Jon brought Lil Pete outside.


He was REALLY pot bound... so I put him back into the pot I pulled him out of when I killed him last winter. This is the palm formerly known as Lil Lil Pete... but now is Big Lil Pete.

NOT a happy camper.




Ahhhh.... doesn't he look like he feels better now?


And onto my other plants!

I keep my supplies in big plastic tubs... one is filled with potting soil... the other with supplies... manure, blood meal, bone meal, tools, some small pots.
I use them also use them to refresh the soil at the beginning of the season, by tossing last season's soil with good stuff. However I only had a little manure and a little bone meal left... so I need to go shopping!



First up... Grape Tomatoes.


I love these! I grew them last year and it was like having a snack bar next to the house.




They won't live back there... but I don't get enough sun next to my house yet. I'll move them in a month or so.

I do want to find some kind of inexpensive, very hot sun tolerant green plants to put back there for the summer.

Oregano & Rosemary. Ok... not much of an herb garden, but it will be.


Plus my chives from last year came back as always. They just needed all the dead stuff trimmed away.

I also planted some Petunias & Dahlias.


Sometimes I end up with crack petunias; which always makes my day! So I'm crossing my fingers for some later in the summer.

I love how sunny the dahlias look.


Plus a filled in my barrel with some more violas.

It was looking a little skimpy.


Now so you can see the progression throughout the summer.

Before clean up... empty pots lining the side of the house.


Spring cleaning.




I store more supplies under the table... mostly empty pots.


So that's my garden update!!

I promise the next update won't be so wordy... or long!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If you're still awake... here's a quick Chardonnay review too.


Name: Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi Chardonnay

Price: $7.99/4 pack

Year: 2008

PHOTO of bottle:


Short intro from the wine maker about the wine:
Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi Chardonnay displays delicious fresh citrus, apple and ripe tropical fruit character, with hints of orange blossom and spice.

Review:
Very pale yellow.

Me ~ I made a squinchy face. This is the wine I usually cook with when I need dry white wine. It's the reason why I've always said I don't like wine. But I do LOVE to cook with this. I can't imagine steamed mussels or clams without it.

Jon ~ semlls like fruit juice - not as sour as other chardonnays

Whitney ~ mild not too dry - but drier than she likes

Jeff ~ very smooth - a little fruity

Would you buy again?: Definitely!

Wine Pairing Ideas/Recipes: Steaming mussels or clams, poaching fish or chicken, in sauces & gravies.

Don't forget to check out the BakeSpace Wine Club!


Back to food tomorrow!!