SWEET AND SAVORY RICE

SWEET AND SAVORY RICE

Best recipes ever RICE RECIPES SIDE DISHES VEGETARIAN

Best recipes ever, I love savory rice and picky-picky husband loves sweet rice. As a matter of fact, his all time favorite rice is plain white rice with butter and sugar on it, go figure!!

Today's rice is one that we BOTH enjoy. It goes very well with almost anything, but we especially like it with pork chops or baked ham.

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2 ¼ cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup raw white rice
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 large cooking apple (cored, peeled and diced)
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
1/3 cup golden raisins
½ cup chopped toasted pecans
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Melt the butter in a medium saucepan and add the RAW rice.  Cook/stir the rice until it turns sort of opaque white. This will help keep the rice grains separate while it cooks.

Add the chicken broth and everything else in the recipe, except the pecans.  Bring to a boil and then turn the heat way down so that it is at a low simmer. Put a tight fitting lid on the pot and let it simmer for 20 minutes (don't peek).

Remove the pan from the heat, gently stir in the toasted pecans and put the lid back on for 5 minutes (but with no heat).

That's it!! The dark brown sugar and fruit lend a mildly sweet flavor to the rice and the ground cumin gives it a full flavor. This rice makes an excellent buffet dish since it also tastes great at room temperature. I hope you will try it.

NOTE: I've also used canned peaches (when I was out of apples) and it tasted great.

NOTE: Use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth if you are vegetarian. best recipes ever

BACON RISOTTO

BACON RISOTTO

RICE RECIPES SIDE DISHES

There are huge "blind spots" in my cooking repertoire, like various herbs that I've never been introduced to, or spices that picky-picky husband refuses to eat and then there is always the financial restrictions that keep me from trying certain foods.

I'm not sure which of these categories risotto falls into (I've never even tasted it before today)  but I'm guessing that the $10 price tag for a 36 ounce jar of Arborio rice was part of the "hold up". I know I will be on a search for a more reasonable source, in the near future, for this specialty rice since we liked it so much.

This recipe came from allrecipes.com and it is absolutely delicious. I am really looking forward to reheating it for tomorrows lunch!!

1/2 pound bacon (fried, drained and crumbled)
5 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced (see note)
1½ cups Arborio rice (do not use regular rice)
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (not the powdered kind)
salt and pepper to taste

Bring the chicken stock to a boil in a sauce pan, over high heat; reduce the heat to low and keep the chicken stock hot.

Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a large, heavy bottomed saucepan over medium high heat.  Add the onion and garlic; cook and stir until the onion begins to turn golden brown at the edges, about 2 minutes. Add the rice and stir until it is coated in butter and has started to toast, about 2 or 3 minutes.

Reduce the heat to medium and stir in one third of the hot chicken stock; continue stirring until the rice has absorbed the liquid and turned creamy.

Repeat this process two more times, stirring constantly, which should take about 15-20 minutes total time. The rice should be tender but slightly firm when fully cooked.

Remove the risotto from the heat and stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, the cheese and the crisp bacon. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

NOTE: As a first time risotto maker, I was nervous about making rice without using a lid on the pan, but it works great...just don't rush it.

NOTE: I wanted the bacon flavor to cook into the rice, so I put about half of the crisp bacon into the rice as it cooked, then mixed in the other half of the crisp bacon before serving. I will definitely do that again because it gave the rice a wonderful flavor.

NOTE: The recipe calls for four cloves of garlic, but that seems like a LOT. I didn't use any garlic because picky-picky is allergic to it.

These photos do not do this tasty side dish justice.

COLEEN's RED RICE

COLEEN's RED RICE

A-1 COLEENS FAVORITES MY ORIGINAL RECIPE POT LUCK RECIPES RICE RECIPES SIDE DISHES TEX-MEX RECIPES VEGETARIAN

This recipe is one of my original recipes; it is also one that I could probably "live on" if need be (I like it just that much!!) It is my "go to" recipe when picky-picky husband is grilling some huge slab-o-meat (and I want something a little lighter).

This recipe is also very quick and easy, made with pantry staples and if you double (or triple) it, it would be wonderful for a potluck.

 

1 cup raw white rice (not instant rice)
2 tablespoons canola oil
½ cup chopped onion
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
15 oz. can diced tomatoes in juice
1 tomato can of water + ½ cup
1 red bell pepper chopped
1 cup red kidney beans

Heat the canola oil, then add the raw rice, onion and spices. Saute this mixture until the onion is transparent and the rice is opaque. Add the red bell pepper, kidney beans, the whole can of diced tomatoes (plus the juice) plus 1 full can of water and another ½ cup of water. Stir well and bring to a boil.

Put a tight fitting lid on the pan and turn the heat down to a slow simmer. Cook for 20 minutes, then turn off heat and let sit for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve.

NOTE: "Toasting" the spices in the oil/raw rice mixture at the beginning of this recipe really "wakes up" the spices and helps the flavor get deep into the rice.

MICROWAVE RICE

MICROWAVE RICE

RICE RECIPES SIDE DISHES

This is a handy little recipe for rice cooked in the microwave oven. It is easy, requires no "pot watching" and produces perfect rice.

2 cups boiling water
1 cup long grain white rice (not instant)

Mix everything in a heat safe glass or ceramic bowl and cook on high (uncovered) in your microwave for 10 minutes. Remove and fluff with a fork. Return to microwave and cook at 50% power for another 5 minutes. Fluff again with the fork. That's it!!

NOTE: All microwaves cook differently. If you have an underpowered microwave, you may have to cook it an extra minute on 50% power. If you have a super powerful microwave...maybe subtract a minute during the 50% stage.

NOTE: Add butter and favorite seasonings to rice AFTER it is cooked.

SEAFOOD BAKED RICE

SEAFOOD BAKED RICE

RICE RECIPES SEAFOOD RECIPES

1½ cups raw long grain rice (not instant)
3 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon butter
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
2 cups favorite veggies chopped (see note)
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1½ pounds of cleaned shrimp
1 clove garlic minced
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup chicken broth
2 cups Monterrey Jack cheese shredded

Cook the rice, 1 tablespoon butter, veggies (but not the mushrooms), salt and pepper in the chicken stock (I used a basic frozen mix of corn, peas, beans, carrots). After it is cooked, fluff rice with fork, and let it rest (covered) for 10 minutes to make sure all of the broth is completely absorbed. Cool completely (this can be done ahead of time).

In a wok, saute the minced garlic in a tablespoon of butter. Add sliced mushrooms and cook until tender. Scoot the mushroom-garlic mixture over to the side of the pan and lightly saute the shrimp until it starts to turn pink. Add 1 cup of cream, 1 cup of chicken broth and cooked rice to the pan. Cook for a few minutes or until the sauce is hot. Stir in one cup of shredded cheese. Place this mixture in a greased 9 x 13 pan and top with the rest of the cheese. Bake at 375 for 25 minutes or until bubbly.

Delicious!!

NOTE: The possibilities of this recipe are endless. It would be good with any kind of veggies, seafood, chicken or ham.

RICE STUFFED MUSHROOMS

RICE STUFFED MUSHROOMS

GUILT FREE RECIPES RICE RECIPES

The origin of this recipe is fairly humble: Hubby was hungry for steak and I was not, so I stuffed some large button mushrooms full of leftover spicey red  rice and topped them with Monterrey Jack cheese and baked them. They were so good, I ate way too much...the rest of them I re-heated (microwave) for lunch the next day and they were excellent.

I used a melon baller to scrape out the gills of the large mushrooms which made a nice pocket for the rice.

I stuffed the raw mushrooms full of (cold) red rice. Place the stuffed mushrooms in a 9 x 13 baking dish and top with shredded Monterrey Jack cheese.

Click Here for my Spicey Red Rice Recipe

Bake in pre-heated 350 oven for 15 minutes then turn on the broiler for a minute or two and serve.

Delicous and good for you if you go easy on the cheese.

RICE and NO BAKE COOKIES - Two week day classics

RICE and NO BAKE COOKIES - Two week day classics

COOKIE RECIPES GUILT FREE RECIPES RICE RECIPES SIDE DISHES

When I serve plain white rice, my husband slathers it with butter and white sugar (yuck). To avoid that, I've learned to jazz our rice up a little. This recipe is the result of years of tweaking, and we really enjoy it; I like it because it goes with almost anything. It also keeps my husband away from his sugar rice (lol).

1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced carrot
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 cup of raw long grain rice (not instant)
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried sage
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 and 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup of frozen veggies
sliced green onion tops for garnish
1 tablespoon butter

Saute the onion, celery and carrot in the canola oil until they start to lose their crispness; stir in rice and seasonings; stir to coat the rice with the oil and saute gently for a minute or two. Add the broth and frozen veggies and bring to a boil. When it starts to boil, turn heat down to a low simmer and put a tight fitting lid on the pan. Simmer for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, turn off the burner and let it sit for five minutes. Add one tablespoon of butter & fluff with a fork and serve.

NOTE: You noticed I use 2 & 1/2 cups of broth, that is more than you would normally use for plain rice. I use this extra amount of broth to give me a slightly saucy rice.

NO BAKE COOKIES

I have used this no-bake cookie recipe since I was in 4-H Club as a kid. It is probably one of my all time favorite cookies. I tend to make them only occasionally these days since I have trouble leaving them alone.

3 cups of dry oats (it's OK to use quick oats - do not use instant)

2 cups white sugar

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup peanut butter

2 teaspoons vanilla

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup coconut

Mix sugar, cocoa, water and butter in heavy saucepan. Boil for one minute on med-high heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat (leave the burner on) and add remaining ingredients. Return to burner and cook on medium for two minutes.

Drop by spoonfuls onto waxed paper and cool. You can speed set these by putting them in the fridge for a few minutes. Store covered.