...sure but very good nevertheless). You can scramble a few eggs in one side of the pan and then mix them into the rice. So cook some rice, lots of rice, and then make fried rice or rice custard or tell me what your favorite thing to do with leftover rice is . . . Happy Cooking! Cook-With-What-You-Have Fried Rice This is the quintessential quick dinner, utilizing whatever bits and pieces you have on hand. Asparagus, corn, turnips, radishes, leeks,...... Read more »
Arborio rice and small French green lentils (or if you can’t find them you can use small brown Italian lentils from Umbria) Rice and lentils are a classic combination. All over the Middle East you find versions of Mujaddara, a dish of rice and lentils garnished with caramelized onions often flavored with cumin. Sometimes there’s a little tomato sauce in the mix or a spicy harissa. There are Indian versions as well. This simple Italian combination of arborio rice and...... Read more »
...thing you need to have thought of in advance is the rice. I always make more rice than I need at any given time and then freeze the rest for the fried rice nights. Or make it in the morning and leave it sitting out all day and then you’ll have nicely dried out rice for the fried rice that evening. And, if you want regular inspiration for cooking tasty and creative dishes on a regular basis you might subscribe...... Read more »
Previously frozen brown rice thawed and mixed with roasted squash and seasonings makes for a delicious fritter. Mid last week I had one section of that beautiful, giant squash leftover. I had unearthed a bag of cooked, frozen rice–rice that I had almost dumped on the compost because I inadvertently left the burner on when I went to pick up my son and found very, very soft though not burned, short-grain brown rice upon my eventual return. In the back...... Read more »
.... . . The idea might be sparked by a small container of leftover rice I spot. It might come from considering what my now-pickier adolescent son might eat using what I already have in the house (it’s a good thing I stock pasta, rice, couscous and polenta since he’d live on carbs alone). I had one such idea recently–rice patties with lots of herbs, egg to hold them together, a little leftover green sauce and a little cheese. I...... Read more »
...down to a simmer and cook, partially covered for about 20 minutes. You may need to add more water or broth, in 1/2-cup increments if it seems too dry. When the peas and rice are tender and the liquid is absorbed let it sit off the heat, covered, for 10 more minutes to steam. While the peas and rice are cooking, stir together the relish ingredients. Serve the rice and peas with the relish and some yogurt, if you’d like....... Read more »
...the old Fannie Farmer Cookbook (1959) where this recipe originated. This last weekend Brian made the rice custard again, on a lovely lazy Saturday (the first Saturday in a month that I hadn’t taught a class) and we ate rice custard at 4:30pm with the sun shining in the window. Ellis exclaimed gleefully mid-way through his bowl, “we’re having dessert right before dinner!” I spooned the very last of my boozy fruit (mostly cherries preserved in rum that had been...... Read more »
My husband learned to make this when he was 12. I think the recipe originally came from an old Fannie Farmer cookbook. I've now been making it for 25 years and it's absolutely to die for and so quick. It's fantastic as is but if you have some fruit compote or not-very-thick jam you can top it with a little of that or sliced fresh fruit.
... Read more »
...of salt into the warm rice. The whole thing went into a bowl, topped with egg and Sriracha. Perfect lunch on a hot day! That ratio of herbs to rice was inspired by Sabzi polo the Iranian dish with loads of herbs and rice. This is my 5-minute, totally oversimplified version. You could easily scale this up for more people. Leftover rice, like for any fried rice, will work much better than fresh. Freshly cooked rice will be too sticky....... Read more »
...in the fridge. Dress lettuces and greens as well as roasted vegetables or plain chickpeas/beans with the same vinaigrette, adding some chopped herbs and toasted seeds. . . Cook a good quantity of beans. Cook twice as much rice, barley or farro as you need for any given meal and freeze half of it to make fried rice, rice and beans or a soup the following week. Toast sunflower or pumpkin seeds. Use in salads or as a snack. Make...... Read more »
...I was in need of a quick hearty meal for our family. I had leftover black bean soup in the fridge so I cooked a pot of white rice (I was in a hurry and I love white rice but tend to cook brown rice more frequently these days) to make the soup stretch. As I was heating up the soup I realized that this was going to be just one-too-many bean meals in a row for my husband. I’ve...... Read more »
...thought I’d invert the ratio of rice to greens. I used 1 pound of spinach (which is a lot of spinach) and one large bunch of pea shoots in addition to three large green garlic stalks and 1 scant cup of rice. Much like this recipe which calls for copious amounts of mustard greens to a small amount of bulgur, the technique melted all those greens into a perfect bowl of creamy goodness. And my son happily ate a big...... Read more »
...undisturbed, for 15 -20 minutes. Check to see if rice is dry and just tender. If not, keep cooking for another 5 minutes and remove lid if there is excess liquid. If rice looks too dry but still is not quite done, add a small amount of stock or water (or wine). When rice is ready, turn off oven and let pan sit for 5 to 15 minutes. If you like, put pan over high heat for a few minutes...... Read more »
...(with Spinach and Pea Shoots) Leeks and Goat Cheese Bruschetta Mid-Summer Pizza (Zucchini, Bacon, Sweet Onions) Moroccan Bulgur and Greens (with Poached Egg) Nicoise Salad Onion and Winter Squash Panade Quinoa “Risotto” with Asparagus Rice, Herbs, Egg Wild Rice with Veggies and Sausage (“Dinner Pilaf”) Parsnip and Celery Root “Cake” (Gratin) Pasta Carbonara (with Peas) Pasta with Green Garlic & Parmesan Pasta “Risotto” with Leeks, Tomatoes & Greens Potato and Cabbage Gratin Potatoes & Kale Baked with Tomatoes & Bacon...... Read more »
...wasn’t really a pilaf but somehow the idea of cooking rice or other grains or a combination of rice and beans with aromatics and veggies or meat with just enough liquid to cook it all seems rather clever. So I’m going to try this with barley and quinoa and other kinds of rice and with different veggies, spices and herbs . . . And I’d love it if you experimented with this idea/method and reported back what you discover. Or...... Read more »
Growing up (in Germany) I loved to eat “Wunderreis” (wonder rice) at my godmother’s house. Her mother had made it and she made her own variations. As far as I recall it was rice with whatever bits of vegetables and sometimes meat, and various herbs and spices that seemed appropriate or happened to be within arm’s reach. She was raising four boys and the four of us (my siblings and I) plus all the parents made for a pretty hungry...... Read more »
...but I guess what is this blog if not personal. So here’s a recipe for a very comforting and nourishing dish: Brown rice with lime peel, lemon zest, cinnamon stick Citrus and Coconut Brown Rice Pudding –adapted from Mark Bittman’s Food Matters This takes a while to make but it’s almost all unattended time in the oven and it’s a treat especially in the winter. You can vary this in many ways to suit your tastes. Mark Bittman suggests pulsing...... Read more »
...another 2-3 minutes. Add the wine and stir well and cook until evaporated. Now add the hot water/broth, ladle by ladle once the rice has more or less absorbed the liquid, stirring almost constantly. If you’re using water (not broth) add several big pinches of salt at this stage. Continue cooking the rice in this manner until the kernels are tender on the outside with just a bit of firmness on the inside. You may not need all the broth/water....... Read more »
...across lettuce. Top noodles with one-fourth each of scallion, carrot, tofu, and cilantro and mint. Roll up filling tightly in rice paper, folding insides after first roll to completely enclose filling, and continue rolling. Blot remaining soaked rice paper round on dish towel and blot other side then move to the plate. Wrap rice paper around spring roll in same manner. (Double wrapping covers any tears and makes roll more stable and easier to eat.) Wrap spring roll in rinsed...... Read more »
...cooks, or aspiring cooks. . . Spicy Cabbage & Sausage Fried Rice This is a simpler fried rice than my typical ones–no eggs, no soy or fish sauce–just ginger, garlic, pepper, cabbage, pork and rice, basically. It’s extra pretty with red cabbage but delicious with red, green or savoy. Serves 4 2 tablespoons oil 1/2 onion, finely chopped 3 scallions, white and green parts, separated, all thinly sliced 1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger 2 large garlic cloves,...... Read more »
...steamed or roasted vegetables, grains and vegetables, etc. Soy Dipping Sauce: for scallion pancakes, rice dishes, roasted veg, grilled meat, etc. Harissa (North African spice paste/sauce): wonderful with eggs, grains, beans, meat, fish, greens, etc. Quick-pickled Onions: in green salads, bean salads, with rice, sautéed greens, on sandwiches, etc. Pickled Jalapeños & Carrots (Escabeche): traditionally added to tacos but equally good with beans and rice, eggs, seafood, beef, on sandwiches, etc. Stale Bread & Herb...... Read more »
...Pure Beef by Lynne Curry This is perfect alongside a good hamburger or some thinly sliced flank steak or meatloaf (as Lynne does) or with rice or other grains or seafood or just as a snack. 2 medium cucumbers, washed but not peeled unless the skin is very thick 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar (or more, to taste) 2 teaspoons sugar 1 teaspoon soy sauce (or tamari) 1/4 teaspoon sea salt Pinch or two of red pepper flakes Slice the...... Read more »
...with the rice for lunch the next day. Sweet, Sour and Hot Eggplant My favorite way to serve this quick Chinese-inspired dish is over short grain brown rice but any rice is excellent. It’s a rich-tasting dish though actually fairly light in preparation. 2 medium eggplant (or several smaller ones—any kind of eggplant will work in this dish—the long slender Japanese ones, more common Italian, globe ones, . . .), skin on, cubed 1 medium onion, diced 1 sweet red...... Read more »
…sure but very good nevertheless). You can scramble a few eggs in one side of the pan and then mix them into the rice. So cook some rice, lots of rice, and then make fried rice or rice custard or tell me what your favorite thing to do with leftover rice is . . . Happy Cooking! Cook-With-What-You-Have Fried Rice This is the quintessential quick dinner, utilizing whatever bits and pieces you have on hand. Asparagus, corn, turnips, radishes, leeks,…
Arborio rice and small French green lentils (or if you can’t find them you can use small brown Italian lentils from Umbria) Rice and lentils are a classic combination. All over the Middle East you find versions of Mujaddara, a dish of rice and lentils garnished with caramelized onions often flavored with cumin. Sometimes there’s a little tomato sauce in the mix or a spicy harissa. There are Indian versions as well. This simple Italian combination of arborio rice and…
…thing you need to have thought of in advance is the rice. I always make more rice than I need at any given time and then freeze the rest for the fried rice nights. Or make it in the morning and leave it sitting out all day and then you’ll have nicely dried out rice for the fried rice that evening. And, if you want regular inspiration for cooking tasty and creative dishes on a regular basis you might subscribe…
Previously frozen brown rice thawed and mixed with roasted squash and seasonings makes for a delicious fritter. Mid last week I had one section of that beautiful, giant squash leftover. I had unearthed a bag of cooked, frozen rice–rice that I had almost dumped on the compost because I inadvertently left the burner on when I went to pick up my son and found very, very soft though not burned, short-grain brown rice upon my eventual return. In the back…
…. . . The idea might be sparked by a small container of leftover rice I spot. It might come from considering what my now-pickier adolescent son might eat using what I already have in the house (it’s a good thing I stock pasta, rice, couscous and polenta since he’d live on carbs alone). I had one such idea recently–rice patties with lots of herbs, egg to hold them together, a little leftover green sauce and a little cheese. I…
…down to a simmer and cook, partially covered for about 20 minutes. You may need to add more water or broth, in 1/2-cup increments if it seems too dry. When the peas and rice are tender and the liquid is absorbed let it sit off the heat, covered, for 10 more minutes to steam. While the peas and rice are cooking, stir together the relish ingredients. Serve the rice and peas with the relish and some yogurt, if you’d like….
…the old Fannie Farmer Cookbook (1959) where this recipe originated. This last weekend Brian made the rice custard again, on a lovely lazy Saturday (the first Saturday in a month that I hadn’t taught a class) and we ate rice custard at 4:30pm with the sun shining in the window. Ellis exclaimed gleefully mid-way through his bowl, “we’re having dessert right before dinner!” I spooned the very last of my boozy fruit (mostly cherries preserved in rum that had been…
…of salt into the warm rice. The whole thing went into a bowl, topped with egg and Sriracha. Perfect lunch on a hot day! That ratio of herbs to rice was inspired by Sabzi polo the Iranian dish with loads of herbs and rice. This is my 5-minute, totally oversimplified version. You could easily scale this up for more people. Leftover rice, like for any fried rice, will work much better than fresh. Freshly cooked rice will be too sticky….
…in the fridge. Dress lettuces and greens as well as roasted vegetables or plain chickpeas/beans with the same vinaigrette, adding some chopped herbs and toasted seeds. . . Cook a good quantity of beans. Cook twice as much rice, barley or farro as you need for any given meal and freeze half of it to make fried rice, rice and beans or a soup the following week. Toast sunflower or pumpkin seeds. Use in salads or as a snack. Make…
…I was in need of a quick hearty meal for our family. I had leftover black bean soup in the fridge so I cooked a pot of white rice (I was in a hurry and I love white rice but tend to cook brown rice more frequently these days) to make the soup stretch. As I was heating up the soup I realized that this was going to be just one-too-many bean meals in a row for my husband. I’ve…
…thought I’d invert the ratio of rice to greens. I used 1 pound of spinach (which is a lot of spinach) and one large bunch of pea shoots in addition to three large green garlic stalks and 1 scant cup of rice. Much like this recipe which calls for copious amounts of mustard greens to a small amount of bulgur, the technique melted all those greens into a perfect bowl of creamy goodness. And my son happily ate a big…
…undisturbed, for 15 -20 minutes. Check to see if rice is dry and just tender. If not, keep cooking for another 5 minutes and remove lid if there is excess liquid. If rice looks too dry but still is not quite done, add a small amount of stock or water (or wine). When rice is ready, turn off oven and let pan sit for 5 to 15 minutes. If you like, put pan over high heat for a few minutes…
…(with Spinach and Pea Shoots) Leeks and Goat Cheese Bruschetta Mid-Summer Pizza (Zucchini, Bacon, Sweet Onions) Moroccan Bulgur and Greens (with Poached Egg) Nicoise Salad Onion and Winter Squash Panade Quinoa “Risotto” with Asparagus Rice, Herbs, Egg Wild Rice with Veggies and Sausage (“Dinner Pilaf”) Parsnip and Celery Root “Cake” (Gratin) Pasta Carbonara (with Peas) Pasta with Green Garlic & Parmesan Pasta “Risotto” with Leeks, Tomatoes & Greens Potato and Cabbage Gratin Potatoes & Kale Baked with Tomatoes & Bacon…
…wasn’t really a pilaf but somehow the idea of cooking rice or other grains or a combination of rice and beans with aromatics and veggies or meat with just enough liquid to cook it all seems rather clever. So I’m going to try this with barley and quinoa and other kinds of rice and with different veggies, spices and herbs . . . And I’d love it if you experimented with this idea/method and reported back what you discover. Or…
Growing up (in Germany) I loved to eat “Wunderreis” (wonder rice) at my godmother’s house. Her mother had made it and she made her own variations. As far as I recall it was rice with whatever bits of vegetables and sometimes meat, and various herbs and spices that seemed appropriate or happened to be within arm’s reach. She was raising four boys and the four of us (my siblings and I) plus all the parents made for a pretty hungry…
…but I guess what is this blog if not personal. So here’s a recipe for a very comforting and nourishing dish: Brown rice with lime peel, lemon zest, cinnamon stick Citrus and Coconut Brown Rice Pudding –adapted from Mark Bittman’s Food Matters This takes a while to make but it’s almost all unattended time in the oven and it’s a treat especially in the winter. You can vary this in many ways to suit your tastes. Mark Bittman suggests pulsing…
…another 2-3 minutes. Add the wine and stir well and cook until evaporated. Now add the hot water/broth, ladle by ladle once the rice has more or less absorbed the liquid, stirring almost constantly. If you’re using water (not broth) add several big pinches of salt at this stage. Continue cooking the rice in this manner until the kernels are tender on the outside with just a bit of firmness on the inside. You may not need all the broth/water….
…across lettuce. Top noodles with one-fourth each of scallion, carrot, tofu, and cilantro and mint. Roll up filling tightly in rice paper, folding insides after first roll to completely enclose filling, and continue rolling. Blot remaining soaked rice paper round on dish towel and blot other side then move to the plate. Wrap rice paper around spring roll in same manner. (Double wrapping covers any tears and makes roll more stable and easier to eat.) Wrap spring roll in rinsed…
…cooks, or aspiring cooks. . . Spicy Cabbage & Sausage Fried Rice This is a simpler fried rice than my typical ones–no eggs, no soy or fish sauce–just ginger, garlic, pepper, cabbage, pork and rice, basically. It’s extra pretty with red cabbage but delicious with red, green or savoy. Serves 4 2 tablespoons oil 1/2 onion, finely chopped 3 scallions, white and green parts, separated, all thinly sliced 1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger 2 large garlic cloves,…
…steamed or roasted vegetables, grains and vegetables, etc. Soy Dipping Sauce: for scallion pancakes, rice dishes, roasted veg, grilled meat, etc. Harissa (North African spice paste/sauce): wonderful with eggs, grains, beans, meat, fish, greens, etc. Quick-pickled Onions: in green salads, bean salads, with rice, sautéed greens, on sandwiches, etc. Pickled Jalapeños & Carrots (Escabeche): traditionally added to tacos but equally good with beans and rice, eggs, seafood, beef, on sandwiches, etc. Stale Bread & Herb…
…Pure Beef by Lynne Curry This is perfect alongside a good hamburger or some thinly sliced flank steak or meatloaf (as Lynne does) or with rice or other grains or seafood or just as a snack. 2 medium cucumbers, washed but not peeled unless the skin is very thick 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar (or more, to taste) 2 teaspoons sugar 1 teaspoon soy sauce (or tamari) 1/4 teaspoon sea salt Pinch or two of red pepper flakes Slice the…
…with the rice for lunch the next day. Sweet, Sour and Hot Eggplant My favorite way to serve this quick Chinese-inspired dish is over short grain brown rice but any rice is excellent. It’s a rich-tasting dish though actually fairly light in preparation. 2 medium eggplant (or several smaller ones—any kind of eggplant will work in this dish—the long slender Japanese ones, more common Italian, globe ones, . . .), skin on, cubed 1 medium onion, diced 1 sweet red…
