9 posts tagged “rice”

So, remember last week, when I was telling you how badly I wanted to try ZenChef’s (over at Chefs Gone Wild) Clam Risotto?  Well, I did it.  I made his absolutely remarkable risotto and I’m sort of half wondering if I have died and gone to heaven?  Did I?  Somebody let me know if you read this post…to let me know if I died or not.  I mean seriously…it’s *that* good.  I even screwed it up a little–I forgot the lemon juice until after we finished eating it.  Did I mention there was not a single grain of rice left over?  We even licked the cockle shells clean.   I was going to make some really inappropriate joke about sucking cockle shells, but I’d better not.  But we did. lol  ;)  If you know me, you know that I cannot follow a recipe exactly.  It really is some sort of impossibility for me.  I do not feel complete if I don’t change things up at least just a little.  After all, a recipe really should just be a springboard for our own creativity, right?  So, I will note my (minimal) changes, even though I did stick pretty close to Zen’s original post. 

So, would you look at this?  Don’t you just want to dive into that plate of creamy risotto bliss?  Trust me, it’ll be the best dive you’ve ever performed.

 

There are so many awesome Greek food bloggers out there on my regular reading list…Peter, Elly and Valli spring immediately to mind….seeing all their delectable dishes, and hearing wonderful stories of Greece and the Greek language spark my desire to visit the idyllic islands even more….Greece is my dream vacation spot…I have wanted to go for years and years….and will probably have to wait years and years before I actually get the chance to go. :(  In the meantime, reading all about these lucky folks and their fabulous food, I’ve been craving Greek.  While this is certainly not Greek, it does have Greek flavors….the idea was to use Spanakopita filling nestled within a chicken breast.  The pictures this time are disappointing…I’m still adjusting to the new kitchen, and am finding it more and more necessary to get to work constructing a photo box, because the dreary overhead fluorescent light and the auxiliary halogen lamp are just not cutting it. :P  I miss my kitchen window!  Wah!  Ok, ok….enough whining for this post. lol  The rice is something I just threw together….sort of like a pilaf, I guess…sauteed garlic, onions, bay and oregano with rice, chicken broth and sliced almonds…a little lemon juice squeezed on to serve and there you have it.  I hope in spite of the photos the recipe will appeal to you guys as much as it did me….even my picky pants kids loved it!

Recipes are here: http://canarygirl.com/?p=153

Wine recommendation?  Pinot Grigio of some kind, I think.  I had it with plain old white table wine..ok, but not great. LOL

 

 

So, as most of you already know, yesterday was Chinese New Year.  While I’m not Chinese, I must admit I’ll look for any excuse to celebrate! LOL  So, I made some Asian treats in honor of this special day.  Chuck over at Sunday Night Dinner posted his mom’s top secret recipes for Nuoc Cham (dipping sauce) and Cha Gio (Spring Rolls) recently, and I just couldn’t go another day without making some of my own…my Gawd that stuff is good!  It’s also been a while since I’ve made fried rice, and my dear hubs really loves a chicken curry version that I do, so it was set…spring rolls and fried rice would be our menu for the day.  I realize that my menu doesn’t have all of he traditional elements of a Chinese New Year menu, but heck, it’s the sentiment that counts, right? lol  I decided to do a step by step for the spring rolls, like Chuck (sheesh I’m such a total copycat!), for those of you who might not have rolled them before…I know that before I tried to make them the first time I was a little intimidated by the idea.  But, it’s really very simple, as you’ll soon see. Go and check out my site for the step by steps and recipes: http://canarygirl.com/?p=147

First of all, the Curry Chicken Fried Rice:

 

And now the Spring Rolls (Cha Gio)….I was much inspired by Chuck’s recipe, though I just had to make some changes (you know me!)…I sort of morphed his mom’s recipe with mine, and the resulting roll was just fab.

Risotto…what can I say about it that you probably don’t already know?  Not much, I’m guessing.  Creamy rice mixed with a touch of wine, a bit of parmigiano-reggiano, and whatever ingredients suit your fancy at the time.  It’s all about the technique I suppose…a proper risotto must be cared for and tended to for it to come out perfect.  I’ve found that the only way to get perfect results is to add the liquid little bits at a time, stirring constantly until the liquid is absorbed, then repeating until desired “creaminess” is achieved.  This makes it difficult to nail down the exact quantities of liquid, but, as I always say, each person’s tastes are different, some prefer their rice more al dente, others prefer it softer, and yet, others prefer it downright soupy.  I’m not judging anyone’s tastes, I’m just saying that you’ll need to take your desired result into consideration when preparing risotto.  :)  Cooking is all about being creative, letting your inner Julia Child or Rick Bayless come out to play…I’m a firm believer that a recipe is just the starting point to creating a dish that your own family will love.

For the recipe, please visit my blog:  http://canarygirl.com/?p=111

 

Recently, my blogger friend, Elly, did a five question interview with me. One of the questions she asked was, “What would your husband or kids say is their favorite thing you make?”  It was then that I realized that I hadn’t posted one of my hubs’ favorite recipes yet!  Whaaaa?  How did that happen?  Hubs loves….no…*loves*  Middle Eastern food, and one of the things he asks for fairly frequently is this rice.  It is such a simple preparation, but so incredibly tasty.  You can change up the nuts, add dates, lamb or whatever else to suit your own tastes, but this is the basic version of the recipe.

For the recipe, please visit: http://canarygirl.com

 

Asparagus is at it’s peak here in canaryland, it’s crisp and fresh, and can be attained at an excellent price….not so common round these parts!  We can generally get white asparagus, especially canned (though that’s not really the same food now, is it?), since it’s grown extensively in Navarra….but the green variety, the thin stalks of deliciousness are somewhat evasive here…well, the fresh kind anyway.  The soft, bendy shrively kind is readily available most of the time.  But who the heck wants that? lol  I adore asparagus season…it is easily one of my favorite vegetables, and even the simplest of preparations gets my heart beating in excitement…but this dish, my friends…risotto…with asparagus tossed in near the end so that it still has that hint of crunch, and combined with big white mushrooms?  Well, that’s just taking it to a whole ‘nother level, now isn’t it? 

For the recipe, please visit: http://canarygirl.com

 

Or "Chicken-n-rice." :)  This is another one of those wing it recipes....but it's very forgiving, and very versatile...you can sub other meat or seafood for the chicken, and incorporate whatever vegetables you have on hand.  I love this one because it's a no fuss, easy and quick meal for when I'm really not in the mood to cook (like earlier this week when I was under the weather).  If you don't have saffron, feel free to either omit it, use a little yellow food coloring or tumeric to color the rice.  This week my grocer had chicken drummies on sale for a fabulous price, so that's what I used, but you could also use a whole chicken, cut up.

 

Ingredients:

2 pounds chicken pieces

a little olive oil

2-3 cloves garlic

1 large onion, chopped

1/2 red pepper, chopped

1/2 green pepper, chopped

saffron

1 beef double boullion cube

2 tablespoons tomato paste

thyme...to taste...I added about 1 teaspoon or so?

bay leaf

2 cups rice

4 cups water

Preparation:

Brown chicken pieces in olive oil and season with salt and pepper (they don't have to be all the way done, just browned).

Add vegetables and continue to sautee until translucent.

Add saffron, rice, thyme and bay, and stir around for about a minute.

Add water, boullion and tomato paste.

Stir well and bring to a boil over moderately high heat.

Boil 5 minutes, then cover and reduce heat to low, cooking another 10 minutes.  Do NOT lift the lid!

Remove from heat and let rest for 5 minutes before lifting the lid.

Serve....you can serve with lemon wedges and alioli like paella if you like...it's good that way. :)

Don't you just LOVE sushi? Me too!  I cannot think of a more fabulous foodstuff right off the top of my head, and I have been having mad cravings for it lately.  Tuna is still in season here, and the fishmonger has his stand just loaded with marvelously fresh sushi grade tuna almost daily.  Lucky me!  Craving satisfied.  I find that the most difficult part of making sushi is getting the rice right.  More important than the rice, however, is making sure that you get only ultra fresh "sushi grade" fish.  The first time I made sushi, it was difficult to intuit the amount of rice to put on the nori...I ended up putting way too much and had super fat maki rolls that barely sealed. hahaha  So, with that in mind, let's get started.

 

 

First, you'll need to make The Rice:

Ingredients:

1 cup sushi rice

1 1/4 cup water

salt

5 tablespoons rice vinegar

3 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

Preparation:

Rinse rice with cool water several times, until the water runs clear.

Drain, and place in a bowl.

Cover rice with fresh water and allow to rest 30 minutes.

Drain.

Place rice in a saucepan (one that has a lid) with the water and a bit of salt and bring to a boil.

Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer 20 minutes, or until all water is absorbed.

Meanwhile, in another small saucepan, heat vinegar, sugar and salt until dissolved.

Set aside and allow to cool.

Using a large plate or sushi rice bowl and a wooden paddle, fan rice, adding the vinegar mixture and folding through, until shiny and well combined.

Your rice is now ready for making sushi.

Making Tuna Sushi (or other fish) is fairly simple.

Ingredients:

1/2 pound sushi grade tuna

pickled ginger

wasabi paste

soy sauce

Preparation:

Thinly slice tuna and place on paper towels to absorb excess moisture.

Form ovular balls with rice, and put a little dab of wasabi paste on it.

Top with a slice of tuna (or other fish).

Serve with pickled ginger and soy sauce for dipping.

***a variation I like is cooked prawns: Shell and devein prawns, and insert a toothpick before cooking to keep them straight.  Boil prawns 2-3 minutes until just done, then remove toothpick and slice open.

To make California Rolls is a little trickier, but way worth the effort.

 

 

Ingredients:

3 sheets of nori

sushi rice

cucumber, cut into larger sized matchsticks

avocado, cut into slices

crab legs (or faux crab legs)

Preparation:

Place 1 sheet of nori on a bamboo sushi mat.

Spread thinly with rice leaving about 1/2-1 inch border at the top to allow for sealing.

Place cucumber, avocado and crab at lower edge of the nori.

Using the bamboo mat as your aid, roll up the sushi maki, pressing to make a tight roll.

Seal edge with a bit of water.

Slice roll into 6 pieces.

Repeat with remaining nori.

Serve with soy sauce.

Making "Inside Out" Maki is little tedius, but the end result is so pretty. (please forgive the picture...it's an old one, and it's not very good....but at least you get the idea. ;) )

 

 

The Ingredients are the same as for california rolls, but with the addition of sesame seeds.

The Preparation is a little bit more involved, though:

Place a sheet of plastic wrap over the bamboo sushi mat.

Sprinkle with sesame seeds and then with rice.

Top with a sheet of nori.

Proceed as with the california rolls, sealing the edge with the rice, and slicing into 6 pieces.

 

 

It's been a while since I've made an Asian inspired meal, so today I put on my apron and fastened it tight, and got bizzy in the kitchen.  Most of these recipes I've been making for quite a while, they're all pretty easy, albeit a bit putzy.  Most of the time I just eyeball the ingredients, it makes prep time a lot quicker--and prep time is the main portion of preparing any Asian meal.  Once the prep is done, the dishes come together fairly quickly.  The fried appetizers can be made in advance and frozen (raw or cooked) and thawed before deep frying or reheating in the oven.  The temperature of the oil when frying should be quite hot--about 375º F (190º C).  And I find the best recipient for making fried rice is a wok.  Be sure that for the rice, you start with *cold* cooked rice, it'll make all the difference in the world (hot rice causes the rice to stick together and become unmanageable, not to mention unappetizing).

So why don't we start with the Wontons?

 

Ingredients (for about 20 wontons):

1/2 pound ground pork

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 geen onions, chopped

1 egg (size small)

salt and pepper to taste

a few drops of sesame oil

20 wonton wrappers

Preparation:

Mix all filling ingredients in a bowl and allow to rest for 30 minutes.

Fill each wrapper with a small amount of filling and pinch the top, forming little packets.

Deep fry at 375ºF/190ºC for 7-10 minutes or until golden.

Drain on paper towels.

Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.

The Dumplings are similar to prepare, but instead of frying, we steam them.

 

Ingredients:

For Dumplings:

1/2  lb ground pork 

3  green onions, finely chopped 

1  clove garlic, minced 

1/4  teaspoon sesame oil 

salt and pepper 

1  package dumpling wrappers or wonton wrappers, about 20 

For Sauce:

1/4  cup soy sauce 

2  tablespoons rice vinegar 

1/4  teaspoon sesame oil 

2  tablepoons sugar   

2  cloves garlic, minced 

1/2  teaspoon grated ginger (or more to taste) 

3  tablespoons water (optional) 

1  tablespoon cornstarch (optional) 

Preparation:

In a small bowl combine pork, onions, garlic, sesame oil, salt and pepper.

Fill each wrap with a small spoonful of the pork mixture and seal with water, pressing edges and folding a bit to"ruffle" them.

Heat water to boiling, and place bamboo steamer (or seive) lined with a large cabbage or lettuce leaf (to prevent sticking) over the pot.

Reduce heat to medium.

Place dumplings in a single layer (not touching each other) on leaf, cover and steam for 20 minutes or so--until cooked through.

Meanwhile, make sauce.

In a small sauce pan,  heat soy sauce, vinegar and sugar, then add garlic and ginger.

Cook until sugar dissolves, about 3 minutes.

If desired, whisk cornstarch and water to make a slurry and use this to thicken the sauce.

Thickening the sauce allows for better coating of the dumplings while dipping, but is not necessary.

Garnish with chopped green onions and sesame seeds.

Serve hot dumplings with sauce. 

The Spring Rolls are probably the most time consuming, but they are easy to do, and freeze well (I like to make a double batch and freeze half for later.)

 

 

Ingredients:

1 lb ground pork

1 (4  ounce) package rice vermicelli, soaked in cold water for 15 minutes,drained and chopped 

1 egg 

1 green onion, minced 

1 small onion, minced 

2 cloves garlic, mashed

2 tablespoons grated ginger 

1/4 cup finely grated carrots 

1 cup finely grated cabbage 

1/2 cup bean sprouts 

3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped 

2  tablespoons white wine  

salt 

white pepper 

20  spring roll wrappers (I like the frozen ones, though the dry rice wraps are good too, just more difficult to work with) 

oil (for frying) 

Preparation:

Combine all ingredients except wraps and oil in a bowl.

On a damp tea towel, place a wrap, and fill with a couple of tablespoons of the pork mixture in a sausage like shape at one end of the wrap.

Fold sides in, then begin rolling spring roll at the mixture side.

Seal roll by moistening edge with water.

Heat oil over medium-high heat.

Fry rolls, turning frequently until cooked through and golden, about 5-7 minutes.

Drain on paper towels, and serve with Spring Roll Sauce (Nuoc Mam).

Keep warm in heated oven.

Note: The spring rolls may be made ahead, and frozen, and then fried when thawed.

Spring rolls may be kept in fridge until ready to fry too, up to a day or two in advance.

Ground chicken may be substituted for the pork, and chopped shrimp or crabmeat may also be added.

The Spring Roll Sauce is really quick to make, and really rounds out the flavor of the rolls.

 

Ingredients:

4  tablespoons nuoc nam (fish sauce) 

2  cloves garlic 

2 1/2  tablespoons powdered sugar 

3  dried red peppers (the tiny ones) 

1/2  lime, juice of or lemon, juice of 

1/4  cup water, maybe a little less

Preparation: 

Using a mortar and pestle, mash garlic and cayenne peppers together with the powdered sugar.

Add fish sauce, water and lime (or lemon) and mix well.

This recipe can easily be doubled.

Add finely shredded carrot and thinly sliced cilantro and green onion for garnish.

And the Fried Rice...a recipe which I tried to recreate from a Japanese restaurant we go to, by watching the Teppanyaki Chefs do their thing....it's pretty good (if I do say so myself).

 

Ingredients:

4 cups cooked and cooled rice

3 tablespoons peanut oil

2 eggs, previously beaten, fried and chopped

3-4 tablespoons butter

2-3 cloves garlic

chopped vegetables to your liking...this time, I added a piece of red pepper, green onions and bean sprouts

1/2 cup soy sauce (maybe less, I eyeballed it)

3 tablespoons white wine (or Mirin)

sesame oil to taste

salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

First of all, it's very important to start with pre-cooked and cooled rice--if your rice is still hot, it will get sticky.

Heat oil and butter in a wok over fairly high heat.

Add garlic and sautee until golden, but not burned.

Add vegetables and toss until brightly colored, then immediately add rice, soy sauce and wine, tossing constantly.

When the rice appears to be well coated, toss in a bit of sesame oil and season with salt and pepper.

Remove from heat and serve immediately.