Peppers Stuffed with Beef and Rice

I had two lovely, big orange peppers in the fridge, that I knew were going to go bad soon, if I didn't use them, so I decided to try making Stuffed Peppers. I couldn't really find a recipe I like, so I decided to make one up as I went along, and the results were really nice. Nice enough for my husband to ask me to write down the recipe, so that I can make it again. I ended up using a can of tomato soup because I didn't have a can of tomato sauce in the house, and I think it was even better. If I had used sauce, the tomato flavor would have overpowered the herbs. 

Peppers Stuffed with Beef and Rice

2 orange/ red/ or yellow peppers, top and seeds removed

1 lb beef mince

½ cup rice, raw

1 can tomato soup

1 tomato, chopped

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

1 tsp oregano

½ tsp rosemary

½ tsp marjoram

 1 tsp thyme powder

1 onion, chopped fine

3-4 cloves garlic, chopped fine

Heat a little oil in a pot, and brown the onions. Add in the garlic, and tomato and cook for a minute or so. Next add all the spices, including some salt. Stir well, and add the beef mince, breaking it up as it cooks. When it’s half cooked, add the rice, tomato soup and some water (One tomato soup can full). Cover and simmer till the rice is cooked.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Using a slotted spoon, fill the peppers with the beef and rice mixture. Place in an oven proof dish, and pour the leftover beef and rice around the peppers. If it’s dry, add in a little water. Bake for about 45 minutes or until the peppers are soft and cooked, adding a little water if needed. In the last 5 minutes, place a slice of cheese over each pepper, and allow it to melt. Serve immediately. 

Bacon CheeseBurgers

Bacon CheeseBurgers

When I was growing up, a beef burger was hard to come by in India; so we often made ours at home. However, we always used to fry our burgers and never grilled them, until last night. Last night, I decided to try grilling these burgers, which would make them a little less of a calorie abomination and would save me from cleaning the oil of my stove. Admittedly, the bacon and cheese quickly nullified that calorie-conserving-halo that had started to glow over my head. Anyway, the burger turned out great and I am going to start making it more often.

Bacon CheeseBurgers

1 pound ground beef
About ¼ cup ketchup
Approximately 3-4 dashes Worcestershire sauce
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
2-3 tsp dried oregano 

1 tbsp (heaped) bread crumbs
5 strips thick sliced bacon
4-6 slices cheese
4-6 leaves lettuce
1 medium tomato, sliced thin (optional)
Some Mayonnaise, ketchup, and mustard

Mix together the ground beef, oregano, Worcestershire sauce, ¼ cup ketchup, breadcrumbs, salt, and pepper. Form into patties and place on a hot grill. Do not turn the burger until the underneath has browned. Flip over, after it's brown, and grill the other side. Once cooked place a slice of cheese over the patty and allow it to melt. Remove from grill.

Cut bacon into half to make it fit on the burger. Place in a baking tray and broil for 20 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit or until crispy. Remove and allow to cool a little.

Toast buns on the grill. When done, remove and spread some mayonnaise on the bottom bun and ketchup and mustard (or any other condiments) on the top. Place the cheeseburger on the bottom. Top with 2-3 pieces bacon. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper to taste. Then put some lettuce and tomato and close the bun. Serve hot.

Notes: Your options with this burger are endless. You can add onion rings, raw or caramelized, and an unlimited amount of toppings like avocado, coleslaw, or lettuce tossed in vinaigrette. I occasionally also add a couple of finely chopped green chilies and/or chopped garlic to the beef mixture.

Chorizo Burger with Caramelized Onions and Roasted Peppers

Hello Food-Loving-People!

First off, I apologize for not having put up any recipes in the last few months. Spring always heralds a hectic routine. There is spring cleaning to do, gardens to tend to, celebratory picnics and dinners to throw, and family visiting from India. Couple all that with a failed attempt at dieting and I was left with a slump in my cooking. I ended up using a lot of recipes I’ve already put up and ergo had nothing new to add.

However, summer is here - I know it’s been here for a while – but my guests/ family is gone, and I finally have some time to experiment and to put up some recipes. I have a new obsession with burgers but haven’t been able to make too many. Here is one that I made for a little bicycling picnic we took a few weeks back.

Chorizo Burger with Caramelized Onions and Roasted Peppers

1 pnd ground beef
About 7oz chorizo, removed from skin
Some smoked paprika (optional)
Salt to taste
1/2 onion,  finely chopped
1-2 chilies, finely chopped
Oil for frying

12-15 small sweet peppers
1 onion, cut into rings
8-10 leaves lettuce
Some mayonnaise
Ketchup to taste
Burger Buns

Chorizo Burger - Squeeze most of the water out of the ground beef. Mix together ground beef, chorizo, smoked paprika, salt, chilies, and finely chopped onion, until well blended.  Form the mix into burgers slightly larger than the bun. In a frying pan, heat the oil, fry the burgers on both sides till well browned. Allow to cool slightly.

Caramelized Onions - In the mean time, in another frying pan, heat a little oil. Toss in the onion rings. Sprinkle over them a pinch of chili powder, some salt and pepper, and about 1-1 ½ teaspoons sugar. Toss until onions are brown and the sugar starts to caramelize on the onions. When the edges start to burn remove from heat and set aside.

Roasted Peppers - Turn your gas stove onto high and using a pair of tongs hold the entire pepper directly over the flame. Allow to burn slightly, then turn the pepper over and repeat. Put in a plate to cool.

Spread a liberal amount of mayonnaise on the top and bottom of the bun along with a little ketchup. Place the chorizo burger on the bottom of the bun. Next put in 3-4 rings of onion and a leaf or two of lettuce. Top with the top of the bun and serve with the peppers on the side.

Beef Mince Biryani

Kheema Biryani

Biryani is a dish in which you cook the meat in spices under a layer of rice. There are tons of different types of biryani, each one cooked in a different way. I grew up in Hyderabad, India, which for the longest time I believed was the home of Biryani, so imagine my surprise when I looked up the history of Biryani and found that it originated in Iran (Persia).  I LOVE a good biryani, my whole family does; and maybe it’s because I grew up in Hyderabad, but to me Hyderabadi Biryani is the best Biryani out there.

I believe Hyderabadi biryani is cooked by putting all the raw ingredients into a huge pot, meat and then rice. The pot is sealed with a lid, and a specially made dough is wrapped around the lid, to completely seal it so that no steam escapes. Then the whole thing cooks on a medium-slow flame and not opened until it’s cooked. I have never made a biryani is this manner. My biryani’s are usually a lot quicker, even if I am not using a ready packet of spices, I still cook the meat and rice separately and then layer them together.

The company that makes these ready packets of spices is called SHAN. They make several different types of biryani mixes. My favorite one is the SHAN Biryani Masala, however, their Bombay Biryani Masala is quite good too, and pretty different tasting. Any of these packets are available at an Indian Store. 

1 pnd beef mince

2 cups raw basmati rice (or any long grain white rice)

1 large onion, chopped

1 large tomato, chopped

1 cup plain yogurt

1 bunch cilantro, stalks removed and finely chopped

1 pkt SHAN Biryani Masala

Salt to taste

Little oil

Cook rice as instructed on the packet and set aside. Whip the yogurt in a bowl with a little salt and keep.

Heat a little oil in a pot with a well-fitted lid and fry the onions until they brown well. Then add the tomato, the beef mince, and the contents of the SHAN packet. Mix well, and cook till the mince is almost completely cooked. Now add the yogurt, and continue to cook till the mince is done. Switch off the stove.

Place the rice over the mince, so that it is two distinct layers. (Do not mix). Sprinkle generously with the chopped cilantro and put the lid on. With the lid on, put the stove on low, and cook the dish for 5-10 minutes. DO NOT STIR. You should be able to hear the mince bubble under the rice. When serving, make sure everyone gets a little rice and a little meat. Serve hot with raita and dal.