Basmati Rice & Potatoes

This week on I Heart Cooking Clubs as we continue to cook with Yotam Ottolenghi, the theme is "Going with the Grain."  Ottolenghi has a lot of interesting grain recipes. Unfortuntaely, I really wimped out this week.  I was planning my weekly menu at the last minute and didn't want to make anything time consuming or with ingredients that I thought the kids wouldn't eat.  I ended up making his Basmati Rice & Potatoes, based on his Basmati Rice & Orzo recipe from his cookbook Jerusalem.  This recipe was almost too easy, but it was in his cookbook!  I was set to make the rice with orzo and meant to check my pantry to make sure I had orzo before I went grocery shopping....but I forgot.  Only when I went to make this did I realize that I didn't have orzo.  I was NOT running back out to the grocery store to get some and I didn't have vermicelli noodles which was listed as a substitute.  However, he notes that "other substantial elements - vericelli, potatoes, lentils, nuts - could also be included.  I had some leftover roasted potatoes and went with that!  I'm not sure if cooking method affects the recipe either.  Again, I went quick and easy and used my rice cooker.   Have I mentioned that this was quick and easy?!!  The chicken broth gives the rice some flavor and my daughter loved it.  I thought it was okay and a nice change from plain white rice, though I'm not sure if I'll end up making this again.

                                 

Basmati Rice & Potatoes
recipe inspired by Ottolenghi's Basmati Rice & Orzo recipe in Jerusalem

Ingredients:
2 cups basmati rice
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup leftover roasted potatoes, diced

Directions:
1. Put 2 cups of rice in rice cooker.  Add chicken stock to the 2 cup fill line and cook. While rice is cooking, melt butter in large saute pan.  Fry potatoes in butter, turning as needed, until heated through about 10 minutes.  Once rice is cooked transfer to a large bowl and mix in potatoes.

Family Rating: 1 thumb up.

Rice Cheesecake with Praline Sauce

Last Saturday was our supper club dinner.  This month's theme was rice.  Everyone had to make a dish using rice, in any form....rice, rice flour, etc.  I quickly claimed dessert and then jokingly said I'd make rice krispy treats.  I do love them but they're not quite supper club caliber material!  I didn't want to make rice pudding because I had made that for our Indian themed dinner a couple of months ago.  I found this recipe on the Riceland Foods website.  In the picture on their site it looked like the rice sunk to the bottom, almost like a crust, with the cheesecake on top.  In mine, the rice stayed mixed with the cheesecake which gave it a texture that I didn't like.  Everyone else seemed to enjoy the cheesecake and I did really like the praline sauce.  This was something different but I probably won't be making it again. 

Rice Cheesecake with Praline Sauce
recipe from Riceland.com

Yield:  16 servings

Ingredients:

FILLING:
3 pkgs. (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 cup half-and-half
2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups cold cooked Riceland Plump & Tender Medium Grain Rice

PRALINE SAUCE
1/2 cup margarine or butter
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 Tbsp. light corn syrup
1/2 cup half-and-half
1 cup pecan halves

Directions:
Heat oven to 325F. Spray 10-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray. In large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Gradually add sugar, beating until smooth. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating after each addition. Add 1 cup half-and-half and vanilla; beat until smooth. Stir in rice. Pour into prepared pan. Bake 50-60 minutes or until set. (To minimize cracking, place shallow pan half full of hot water on lower oven rack during baking.) Cool cheesecake to room temperature on wire rack. Remove sides of pan. Refrigerate 1-2 hours. To prepare sauce, melt margarine in medium saucepan. Stir in brown sugar and corn syrup. Bring to a boil; boil 1 minute stirring constantly. Gradually stir in 1/2 cup half-and-half; return to a boil. Remove from heat; cool. Stir in pecans. Serve with cheesecake. (From our "Riceland Collection" cookbook)

Family Rating: 1 thumb up.

Sausage Broccoli Rabe Risotto

My husband and I enjoy risotto but it's a time-consuming dish (and not in the takes a while in the oven....I mean active, stirring, cooking time).  I had torn this recipe out of Food Network magazine back when I still had a subscription and have been meaning to make it for awhile.  I recently bought some sausage and with the cold weather, risotto sounded really good.  The grocery store didn't have broccolini, which was what the original recipe called for, so I substituted broccoli rabe.  I was a little skeptical of this recipe because it cooks in a Dutch Oven with little stirring involved.  I have previously tried making risotto in a slow cooker with little luck.  I figured the constant stirring was key.  However, we were pleasantly surprised at how good this turned out!  The flavors were really good.  Even leftover this was super tasty.  I'm not a huge fan of leftovers, but ended up eating this for lunch two days in a row.  This is definitely worth repeating!

Sausage Broccoli Rabe Risotto
recipe adapted from foodnetwork.com, courtesy of Food Network Magazine

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 bunch broccoli rabe, roughly chopped (about 8 ounces)
12 ounces sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
1 cup arborio rice
1 clove garlic, minced
1/3 cup dry white wine
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a Dutch oven or ovenproof pot over high heat. Add the broccoli rabe and stir-fry until just tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate using a slotted spoon. Add the sausage, onion and carrot to the pot and cook, breaking up the meat, until browned, about 5 more minutes. Add the rice and garlic and cook, stirring, 1 more minute.

Add the wine to the pot and cook until evaporated, about 2 minutes. Add the chicken broth, tomatoes and 1 cup water; cover and bring to a boil. Transfer the pot to the oven and bake until the rice is tender, about 15 minutes.

Remove the pot from the oven. (Don't worry if the risotto seems wet; it will thicken when you add the cheese.) Vigorously stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and the cheese until creamy, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the broccoli rabe and divide among bowls.

Family Rating: 2 thumbs up!

This post is shared at:
Tasty Tuesdays @ 33 Shades of Green
Show Me What You Got Tuesdays @ Our Delightful Home
Totally Tasty Tuesdays @ Mandy's Recipe Box

The Weekend Chef: Indian Rice Pudding

For our Indian themed supper club my husband decided to make Indian Rice Pudding.  When he did a search for Indian desserts this was by far the most popular.  We've eaten this plenty of times at the local Indian Buffet.  But I have to say that this isn't my most favorite dessert.  If I'm going to eat rice pudding, I have to admit that I like it plain, without the spice and in this case, pistachios.  This did get me to visit the local Middle Eastern store to buy some rose water.  While the recipe is easy enough, like my recipe for Saag Paneer, the cooking time does not account for the constant stirring of the milk to bring it to a boil which took forever!  Everyone at supper club seemed to enjoy this....so I think it's my own biased opinion (and blog!) that's giving this 1 1/2 thumbs up versus the 2 that my husband would like to give it!

Indian Rice Pudding
recipe from foodnetwork.com, courtesy of Aarti Sequeira

Ingredients:
1/2 cup basmati rice
6 cups whole milk
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon rosewater, or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons minced unsalted pistachios or almonds, plus extra for garnish

Directions:
In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, bring the rice, milk, and cardamom to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly with a heat-safe spoonula to help keep the milk from burning.

Reduce the heat so that the milk is gently simmering and cook for 45 to 50 minutes, stirring often. The rice should be tender and the milk will have reduced by half, giving a porridge-like consistency.

Add the sugar, rosewater or vanilla, and pistachios. Stir and turn off the heat. Serve either warm or chilled, garnished with extra pistachios. Goes well with fresh fruit too.

Family Rating: 1 1/2 thumbs up.

Pilaf for a Curry Banquet

This is the rice dish that I served with the Mughlai Chicken for my supper club's "spice grab bag."  This dish complemented the chicken dish wonderfully and also had cardamom (my spice) in it.  The spices really flavored the rice.  I ate my chicken over the rice, with the sauce.  However, this dish is definitely flavorful enough as a stand-alone side.  It is definitely true to the 8 servings and we had a lot of rice left over.  These were the first Nigella Lawson recipes that I have made.  They turned out really tasty and I may need to try out some of her other stuff!

Pilaf for a Curry Banquet
recipe slightly adapted from foodnetwork.com, courtesy of Nigella Lawson, Nigella Feasts

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 cloves
3 cardamom pods, bruised
1 cinnamon stick, broken into 3
1/2 teaspoon cumin
2 1/2 cups basmati rice
4 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted, for garnish
2 to 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish

Directions:
Cook the onion in the oil, in a deep saucepan with the cloves, cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, and cumin, until the onion is slightly browned and soft. Keep the heat medium to low and stir frequently; this should take about 10 minutes.

Add the rice and move it about in the oily spiced onion until it is slicked and glossy, then pour in the stock and bring the pan to the boil. Cover the pan with a lid and cook over the lowest heat possible for 20 minutes.

Turn off the heat, take the lid off, cover with a tea towel and clamp the lid back on the saucepan. You can leave the rice to rest like this for at least 10 minutes, and up to about 1 hour. Fork the rice through when you are ready to serve it, scattering the toasted sliced almonds and cilantro on top.

Mommy & Daddy Rating: 2 thumbs up!

Caribbean Jerk Salmon Bowl

My kids like salmon and I felt like I had to redeem myself after the (canned) salmon cake disaster from a couple of weeks ago.  I first saw the picture of this recipe and it looked so good.  This was easy enough to make but taste-wise it was just so-so.  The kids weren't big fans and were mostly eating the pineapple and rice.  I even omitted the spicy components of the original recipe to make it kid-friendly.  I don't remember what kind of salmon I had bought but it wasn't the pink kind!  My husband came home and said he thought it was tuna (as in the canned kind!)  :(   Overall, this looked better than it tasted.

Caribbean Jerk Salmon Bowl
recipe slightly adapted from Pink Parsley

Ingredients:
1 lb salmon filet, skin on
2 tsp vegetable oil
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chile powder
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp brown sugar
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups cooked rice
1 (15-oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
juice of 1/2 lime
Pineapple Salsa (recipe below)

Directions:
Preheat the broiler. Line a baking sheet with foil and place the salmon on the foil. In a small bowl, combine all the spices with the oil to form a paste. Rub over the salmon, then broil the salmon until just cooked through, about 10 minutes. When it's cool enough to handle, break the salmon into bite-sized pieces, removing the skin as you go.

Meanwhile, stir together the rice and beans, lime juice, and season with salt and pepper.

To serve, divide the rice mixture evenly among bowls and top with salmon and pineapple salsa.

Pineapple Salsa
1/2 cups chopped fresh pineapple
1/2 cup finely diced red onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
kosher salt
juice of 1/2 lime

Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl. Season with salt to taste, and allow to sit at room temperature for at least 20 minutes before serving.

Family Rating: So-so.

Around the World: Arroz Branco

I often make rice.....in a rice cooker.  Put the rice in add the water and in about twenty minutes the rice is cooked!  I don't know if I would have ever bought myself a rice cooker, but a friend gave it to me as a present when I was in college.  According to sonia-portugese.com, most Brazilians eat rice with beans for lunch and dinner every day.  I'm not a big bean eater, but regardless, I don't think I could eat the same thing every day!  I have to say that this dish is super simple with few ingredients.  The sauteed onion and garlic added nice flavor to otherwise plain rice.  We all enjoyed this as an accompaniment to a not so flavorful chicken dish.

Arroz Branco
recipe from sonia-portuguese.com

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon of oil
1 (small) chopped onion
1 (small) clove of crushed garlic
1 cup of rice
1 1/2 cup of boiling water
1 teaspoon of salt

Preparation:
1. Sauté the onion and the garlic in hot oil.

 2. Add the rice and stir-fry well.

 3. Add the water and the salt.

4. Let the water boil for some minutes.

5. When the water level drops, cover the pan and lower the heat.

6. When the rice is cooked, turn off the heat and let the rice rest for about 10 minutes.

7. Put the rice in a bowl and serve.

Family Rating: 1 1/2 thumbs up.

Slow Cooker Afghan Risotto

This was the first Afghan recipe that I made.  Shohla, also known as Afghan Risotto, can either be sweet or savory.  This one is savory, made with meat and split peas.  I thought I'd start out easy, with this one, since it uses the slow cooker.  I have a finnicky slow cooker that usually cooks dishes much faster than recommended cook times.  Unfortunately, I ended up cooking this a little later than I had planned.  To get dinner eaten in time I served it, though the rice still had a little "bite" to it.  I modified the original recipe by omitting the jalapeno, so it wouldn't be too spicy for the kids (though I think it would have added more flavor to the dish).  The recipe also called for dried mung beans, which I could not find.   I served this with store-bought whole wheat naan.  As our first recipe I thought this was okay. My daughter ate hers but my son only ate a bite but devoured his naan. 

Afghan Risotto
recipe adapted from Afghan Culture Unveiled

Ingredients:
2 large yellow onions, peeled and quartered
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 lb. beef stewing meat, cut into medium chunks
1 tbsp. tomato sauce
1/3 cup olive oil
2 cups beef broth
¼ cup yellow split peas
2 cups short-grain white rice, rinsed and drained in a colander
½ tsp. ground black pepper
2 ½ tsp. dried dill
6 cups water
Plain yogurt


Preparation:
Puree the onions and garlic in a food processor. Put the onion/garlic puree, meat, tomato sauce, olive oil and beef broth into the slow cooker. Mix well and cook on low for 4 hours until the meat is cooked through and most of the liquid is absorbed. The sauce be aromatic and it will have a rich brown color.

Add all the rest of the ingredients except the yogurt to the slow cooker. Stir thoroughly; continue to cook on low for 2 more hours. Cook until the meat is tender enough to easily cut with a fork and all the water is absorbed. If all the water is absorbed but the rice is still crunchy, add another cup of water, stir well, and cooks for another 15 minutes. Serve hot with a spoonful of plain yogurt.

Family Rating: 1 thumb up.

The Weekend Chef/ Meatless Monday: Lentils and Rice with Fried Onions

 Our weekends have been pretty busy recently so my husband, The Weekend Chef, hasn't had that much of a chance to really get to cook.  A couple of Sundays ago we had been visiting our neighbors and had spent most of the afternoon outside.  By the time we got back home I was exhausted and ended up taking a nap on the couch while my kids watched a show.  I had my husband, who was responsible for cooking dinner make this.  This was one of those recipes that I had picked out awhile ago and had all the ingredients for. Although it takes a little time to cook, it was easy to make.  Although I'm trying to eat more lentils and other "good-for-me" foods, I wasn't a big fan of this dish.  The onions and yogurt really helped make it palatable for me.  The kids barely ate theirs.  But please don't let the opinion of someone who doesn't really like lentils sway you!  My husband who does like lentils enjoyed this. 

Lentils and Rice with Fried Onions
allrecipes.com - by Melissa Mueller

Yields:  4 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 large white onion, sliced into rings
1 1/3 cups uncooked green lentils
3/4 cup uncooked long-grain white rice
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup plain yogurt

Directions:
1.Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onions, and cook about 10 minutes, until browned. Remove from heat, and set aside.

2.Place lentils in a medium saucepan with enough lightly salted water to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer about 15 minutes.

3.Stir rice and enough water to cover into the saucepan with the lentils. Season with salt and pepper. Cover saucepan, and continue to simmer 15 to 20 minutes, until rice and lentils are tender.

4.Mix half the onions into the lentil mixture. Top with yogurt or sour cream and remaining onions to serve.

Family Rating: 1 thumb up.

Roasted Cauliflower Risotto

I am super excited to be involved in another cooking challenge (I love a good challenge!) called Eating the Alphabet.  It's hosted by Brenda at Meal Planning Magic. Each month we're supposed to prepare a dish using fruits or vegetables from the selected letters.  Unfortunately, I found her wonderful blog and challenge after the first month had already started.  So, I missed letters A/B.  This month the challenge was to prepare a dish with a fruit or vegetable beginning with the letters C & or D.  Due to the short amount of time I had to find and prepare a recipe I went with only one letter, the letter C and I used cauliflower.  Although I like cauliflower I have to admit I have rarely, if ever cooked with it, so I thought it would be a good vegetable to use.  I'm really trying to challenge myself with this challenge and try using fruits and vegetables that I dont' normally cook with. 

I have made risotto a number of times.  I've cooked the traditional risotto which requires you to pour in broth a little at a time, constantly stirring.  A little while back I tried using the slow cooker to make risotto.  This recipe that I found uses the Dutch Oven.  After adding the liquid to the rice you cook it in the oven.  If you want the "bite" from the rice, cooking the traditional way is definitely the way to go.  However, if you want something with little hands-on time, cooking in the Dutch Oven or slow cooker is an easy way to make risotto. 

As for this dish, I liked the taste of the roasted cauliflower (heck, I like any vegetable roasted!).  The almonds gave the dish a nice crunch and added a little color.  I think the best part was that my son ate all of his dinner!  He does love rice, but he even ate all of his cauliflower!  That spells winner right there!  The dish wasn't amazing, I definitely have to make it again.  But because it was pretty quick and easy and everyone ate it, I have to give it 1 1/2 thumbs up!

Roasted Cauliflower Risotto
Food Network Magazine, March 2011

Total time: 40 minutes
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes

Yield:  4 servings

Ingredients:

1 head cauliflower, florets cut into 1/2-inch pieces, stems chopped
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups short-grain Italian rice (such as arborio or vialone nano)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 ounces Italian fontina cheese, grated (1 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh parsley

Directions:
Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 475 degrees F. Toss the cauliflower florets with 1 tablespoon olive oil on a baking sheet. Spread in a single layer and season with salt and pepper. Roast on the upper oven rack, 5 minutes. Add the almonds and roast until the cauliflower is tender, about 15 more minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a Dutch oven over high heat. Add the onion and cauliflower stems and cook, stirring, until the onion is translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the rice and garlic and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Add the wine and cook, stirring, until evaporated, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the broth, 2 cups water and 1 teaspoon salt; cover and bring to a boil. Transfer the pot to the lower oven rack and bake until the rice is tender, about 15 minutes.

Remove the rice from the oven and add the butter, fontina and parsley, stirring vigorously until the risotto is creamy, 1 to 2 minutes. Divide among bowls and top with the roasted cauliflower and almonds.

Family Rating: 1 1/2 thumbs up!

Meatless Mondays: Slow Cooker Parmesan Risotto

For real risotto lovers, this is not the recipe for you!  However, if you're in a rush and like risotto but don't have the time to make it, you may enjoy this tasty recipe. This only takes two hours to cook on high, so it's not a great recipe to make if you're at work all day.  This is great though if you're going to be around the house or just have a few errands to run and need a quick dinner. My kids love rice so this was a hit with them.  My husband thought it had a funny texture. It doesn't have the "bite" normally expected from risotto. However, the flavor is good.  From the picture you can see it lacks in color! 

Parmesan Risotto
found on Cooking Light Message Boards, posted by SallyT
originally from Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook


Ingredients:
1/4 cup olive oil
2 medium shallots, minced
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 1/4 cups Arborio rice
3 3/4 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Directions:In a skillet over medium heat, warm the oil. Add the minced shallots. Allow them to soften, but not brown. Add the wine and stir for a minute or so. Add the rice and cook for about four minutes. Using a heat-proof spatula, transfer the rice to a slow cooker. Add the chicken broth and salt. Cook on high for two hours, or until the rice has absorbed all the liquid but is still moist. Add in 1/2 cup of the cheese, using the remaining 1/4 cup for garnish. Serve immediately.

Family Rating: 1 1/2 thumbs up.