Steamed Rice

There are two ways to make the perfect steamed rice.  On the stove or in a rice cooker.  I personally prefer using the rice cooker since it cooks the rice perfectly everytime. No guess work. 

Ingredients:

1 cup long grain rice or jasmine rice
2 cups water
Salt (optional)

Place rice in a mesh sieve and rinse well with cold water to remove the extra starch. 

To cook rice in a rice cooker, place the rice and 2 cups of water into the rice cooker, cover and turn on. When rice cooker clicks to "warm". Leave on warm for approximately 5 minutes. Turn rice cooker off and let sit for another 3-5 minutes, fluff rice with fork and serve with your favorite toppings.

On stove top, combine rice and water into a 3 quart sauce pan. Cook using medium-high heat until water starts to boil.  Allow rice to continue to boil until almost all the liquid has been absorbed.  Reduce heat to low, cover and let simmer for for 15-20 minutes.  Remove from heat and fluff with fork. Serve with your favorite toppings.

Note: if using salt, add to the sauce pan or rice cooker at the beginning of the cooking process.

Kedgeree

This is a classic English dish served during brunch that originated from India when it was under the British rule.  I've always been curious about this dish and even more so when I met Chef Darren McGrady. When Darren published his cookbook "Eating Royally", I figured I had to try it.  Once I had his, I had to make it my own. So, here is "my" version of the Kedgeree. Thanks Darren for inspiring me.

Ingredients:
1 cup basmati rice
4 cups water
2-3 strands of saffron thread
2 cups heavy cream or half-and-half
1 1/2 tblsp curry powder
4 had boiled eggs (peeled and quartered)
2 stalks green onions (finely chopped)
1 1/2 lbs of  salmon or smoked haddock or, mackrel (flaked)
2 handfuls of cilantro or parsley (roughly chopped)
Cayenne pepper to taste (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

Poaching Liquid for salmon:
1 bay leaf
1/2 lemon (sliced thinly)
5-6 whole pepper corns
enough water to cover salmon

If cooking rice in a rice cooker, place rice, water and saffron threads into rice cooker  and follow recommended cooking method. If not, place rice, 4 cups of water and saffron threads in a large pot and allow to boil. Cook until all liquid has been absorbed and rice is tender.  Reduce to low and cover and allow to steam for 15 minutes.  In a large separate sauce pan, combine heavy cream, curry and cayenne pepper, whisk until blended.  Allow the cream mixture to simmer until slightly thickened.  Add the rice and green onions, stirring constantly until well blended. Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Add flaked fish and continue to stir gently so as not to break up the fish.  Top with the hard boiled eggs and cilantro or parsley.  Serve while warm.

Poaching Salmon:

In a deep pan, add enough water to barely cover salmon, lemon and bayleaf.  When water starts to simmer, add the salmon. swirl water and pour over salmon.  Continue until salmon is cooked through and is a very light pink.  Remove from the poaching liquid.  Allow to cool slightly before flaking the meat.

P.S. Darren's website is - www.theroyalchef.com.  Check it out.

Wild Rice and Mushroom Pilaf

If you are looking for something that is healthy and watching your glycemic index, this dish is for you.  Oh....and even better, it is delicious!  I combined it with the Kashmiri pork chops and yummmm! I've made it with and without the wild rice and it is still delicious.  I did a mix of wild mushrooms, but if that is not available, any mushroom mix (cremini, white button, etc.) works great as well.
Again, save time and use your trusty rice cooker, if you don't have one, I recommend investing in one if you fix rice at least twice a week. Check out the ones that are on my google ads.

Ingredients:

2/3 cups wild rice
11/2 cups vegetable stock
2 tblsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter
1 onion (minced)
3 garlic cloves (minced)
1 1/4 cups basmati rice
10 1/2 oz mixed mushrooms (sliced)
1 1/2 tbs chopped thyme
1 bay leaf
toasted pine nuts for garnish
minced parsley for garnish
salt and pepper to taste

In a sauce pan cook wild rice in plenty of boiling water for 25 minutes. Drain. Add wild rice and vegetable stock to rice cooker.

Heat butter and olive oil in a frying pan, add onion, bay leaf and garlic. Cook until onions have softened, but not brown (approximately 3-4 minutes).  Add the basmati rice and stir until rice is well coated; add the mushroom and continue to stir for approximately 1 minute. Transfer contents of pan to the rice cooker. Stir to mix well and turn rice cooker on to finish the cooking process.

When rice is done, salt and pepper to taste, then toss with pine nuts and parsley.

NOTE: If you do not have a rice cooker, combine everything in a pot on top of the stove and bring to a boil. Stir the contents and cover tightly. Reduce the heat to simmer and continue to cook for another 15 minutes or until stock has been completely absorbed and rice is tender.

Cilantro Lime Rice

This goes great with any latin dishes. With a rice cooker, it practically cooks itself. I've made this without the wild rice and found it does not change the flavor. The wild rice adds a great texture. If you do not have a rice cooker, you can still make this on top of the stove.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp vegetables oil
1 small onion (minced)
5 garlic cloves (minced)
3/4 long grain rice and wild rice mix
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 lime (juiced)
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
salt to taste

Heat oil in a pan, add onion and garlic, stir constantly until translucent.  Add the rice and continue to stir (approximately 2 minutes). With a rice cooker: move the content of the pan to the rice cooker and add the broth. Turn the rice cooker on and and allow the rice to cook.

On the stove: add the broth and allow to boil. Reduce the heat to low and cover.  Simmer on low for approximately 15 minutes.

When rice is done, add the lime juice and cilantro; mix and fluff up the rice.  Add salt to taste. Serve with your favorite latin entrees.

Vegetable Pulao

This is a wonder dish that my friend Nita shared with me. I served it with a Morrocan style game hen. The flavors complimented each other, creating a wonderful "fusion".

Ingredients:

1 cup - mixed vegetables ( carrots, peas, beans and potato)

2 tbsp - fenugreek

2 cups - basmati rice

3 cups - water

2 tsp - cumin seeds

1 tsp - cardamom

1/2 tsp - cinnamon

1 tsp - red chili powder

2 - bay leaves

1 - onion (sliced in rings)

1 - tomato (chopped)

1/4 tsp - tumeric

2 tsp - coriander powder

4 tbsp - butter

Salt and pepper to taste

1 cup - coriander leaves (roughly chopped) optional

Heat butter in a pan until melted; add the onions and cook until translucent. Add cummin seeds, cardamom, cinamon, chili powder, tumeric, fenugreek, bay leaves and chili powder; stirring constantly (approx 2-3 min or until onions are brown). Do not allow the spices to burn. Add tomatoes, season with salt and pepper. Once tomatoes are done, add the vegetables. Continue stirring until vegetables are hot. Add rice and mix well. Add water and allow it to boil. Stir the pulao and reduce the heat to low or simmer and cover until all liquid is absorbed and rice is tender (approximately 15 min.) Garnish with coriander leaves and enjoy.

Note: you can control the "heat" by reducing the amount of chili powder and replacing it with paprika. If you prefer a much spicier dish, increase the amount of chili powder to taste.

Rice Cooker: The final cooking stage can also be completed in a rice cooker. If you are planning on using one, move the rice mixture to your rice cooker and add the water. Stir and cover and let the rice cooker finish the cooking process.