greatest rice ever

This is the best rice I've ever had. I call it the good good rice.

4 cups water
2 tbsp chicken or beef Better than Bouillon 
1 packet of Sazon con Culantro y Achiote
1 small onion whole
2 cups long grain rice uncooked
4 tablespoons salted butter
1 teaspoon salt

Add 1 small onion to the center of the Instant Pot. 

Add 4 cups of warm water to the Instant pot, add in chicken bouillon and Sazon packet and mix well.

Add 2 cups of rice to the IP.

Seal and use the Rice function to cook for 15 minutes. Let pressure naturally release for 9 minutes then release the remaining pressure.

Remove the onion.

Stir in 4 Tbsp. butter until completely melted.

Taste your rice to see if it needs any salt. 

Adapted from Sunday Supper

umami chicken goodness

 Maybe the best chicken dish I've ever made?

1.5 lb. skin-on, bone-in chicken pieces (such as thighs and drumsticks)
2 garlic cloves, finely grated
1 1/2" piece ginger, peeled, finely grated
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 Tbsp. mustard powder
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted, slightly cooled
1/2 Tbsp. unseasoned rice vinegar
2 plum or other medium tomatoes, chopped or half a can of diced tomatoes
1/2 to 1 pint cherry or Sun Gold tomatoes|
Thinly sliced scallions and/or cilantro leaves with tender stems and steamed rice

Trim any excess skin and fat from skin-on, bone-in chicken pieces and place in a baking dish.

Whisk garlic cloves, ginger, soy sauce, mustard powder, butter, and unseasoned rice vinegar in a small bowl to combine. Pour marinade over chicken pieces and use your hands to work marinade into every nook and cranny, including underneath the skin. Turn chicken pieces skin side down and let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425°. Turn chicken pieces skin side up and tuck plum or canned diced tomatoes and cherry tomatoes between and under chicken pieces with a few on top as well. Roast chicken until skin is golden brown and meat is tender and tomatoes are soft and juicy with some bursting open, 35–40 minutes.

Transfer chicken and tomatoes to a platter and spoon some juices over. Top with thinly sliced scallions and/or cilantro leaves with tender stems. Serve with steamed rice.

Adapted from Bon Appetit

chicken rice congee-style soup

Fast, easy and delicious!

¾ lb. skinless, boneless chicken thighs or breasts
⅓ cup jasmine rice, rinsed
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 2" piece ginger, peeled, thinly sliced
Kosher salt
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
½ bunch cilantro, coarsely chopped
Freshly ground black pepper
Optional: 1-2 eggs

Bring chicken, rice, garlic, ginger, and 5 cups water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add a big pinch of salt. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered and stirring occasionally for 25 minutes, until soup is thickened and rice is tender. Continue cooking rice while transferring chicken to a bowl to shred with 2 forks, then return to pot. Stir in lemon juice and soy sauce; taste soup and season with salt if needed.

Scramble eggs and  drizzle into soup and cook 2-3 minutes longer.

Divide soup among bowls. Top with cilantro and lots of black pepper.

Do Ahead: Soup (without cilantro) can be made 3 days ahead. Transfer to an airtight container and chill. Reheat over medium-low, adding water to thin as needed.

red risotto

I helped a friend make this and while the constant stirring has kept me from making my own risotto, this recipe totally changed my mind. So good and so worth the time it takes. Especially good with roasted asparagus,

Red Wine Risotto

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely diced
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
1 cup dry red wine, cabernet or barolo
6 cups chicken/turkey/vegetable stock, preferably homemade
3 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, more for serving.

In a wide, deep skillet, heat oil until very hot but not smoking. Add onion and cook, stirring, until softened and translucent, 8 to 10 minutes but not browned. Reduce heat as needed. Add rice and stir with a wooden spoon until opaque and slightly toasted.

Meanwhile, heat the stock in a saucepan and keep it just below a simmer. Add wine and a ladleful of hot stock and cook, stirring often, until liquid is absorbed. Continue stirring and adding hot stock a ladleful at a time, always waiting until liquid is almost completely absorbed before adding more. Cook until rice is tender and creamy but not mushy, about 20 minutes (or more). Toward the end of cooking time, rice will quickly soften, so stir constantly and taste often. Turn off heat and stir in butter. Stir in cheese and serve with additional Parmesan.

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

red beans and rice take two

We enjoy Roger Mooking's Man, Fire, Food quite a bit and recently caught an episode that included red beans and rice and tons of smoked meat. The version of that recipe we tried, while similar to mine, threw in enough new ingredients, and turned out well enough, that I wanted to write down what I did before I forget.

1 package pork belly (we get it from Trader Joe's)
1 link linguica
1 package andouille sausage (we love North Country's)
1 onion
2-3 garlic cloves
12 ounces of water
2 16 ounce cans of dark red kidney beans
cajun seasoning
Worcestershire sauce
Crystal's hot sauce
Cooked rice

Cut up all three meats into bite sized pieces (we did smallish chunks for the pork belly, cubes for the linguica and rounds for the andouille). Place the pork belly in a Dutch oven and heat on high until the pork belly gets crusty and brown. Add the other meats, onion and garlic and cook until onions become translucent. Add the water and kidney beans and stir. Add cajun seasoning to taste, as well as 2 to 3 glugs each of Worcestershire sauce and Crystal's hot sauce. Heat at medium high until the liquid has thickened and reduced, or until the rice is ready.

We also steamed some spinach and vitaminna with just salt and pepper and it complemented the heaviness of the dish nicely.

Adapted from Cooking Channel

non-caramel caramel pork

We stumbled across this caramel pork recipe when looking recipes using fish sauce and while it doesn't really smell very good the flavor was outstanding. The original recipe called for raw cabbage but we found the slightly wilted flavor much more appealing.

2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 pounds ground pork
1 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 cup unsalted chicken stock
6 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoon fish sauce
2 tablespoon soy sauce
4 teaspoons cornstarch
4 teaspoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
sushi rice
3 cup thinly sliced napa (Chinese) cabbage
1/4 cup chopped unsalted roasted peanuts
1/4 cup cilantro leaves
4 lime wedges

Heat large skillet over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon sesame oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add ground pork; stir-fry 6 minutes, until cooked through. Remove pork from pan. Add onion, ginger, and garlic to pan; stir-fry 4 minutes. Combine stock and next 6 ingredients (through red pepper) in a bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add stock mixture to pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 4 minutes or until sauce is thick and bubbly. Return pork to pan; cook 1 minute, stirring to coat.

In a separate skillet heat second tablespoon of sesame oil and olive oil. Add cabbage and salt and pepper to taste. Cook until wilted and just beginning to brown.

Spoon 1/2 cup rice onto each of 4 plates; top each serving with 3/4 cup pork mixture and 1/4 cup cabbage. Sprinkle each serving with 1 tablespoon peanuts and 1 tablespoon cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.

Adapted from Cooking Light

dreams of new orleans

As I recently discovered, don't skimp on the 45 minute cooking time. Giving the flavors time to blend is important.

Red Beans and Rice

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound fully cooked smoked sausage or Kielbasa, sliced into 1/2-inch-thick rounds
1 onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 14 1/2- to 16-ounce cans kidney beans
1 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon Creole or Cajun seasoning
3 cups cooked rice

Heat olive oil in heavy large Dutch oven or saucepan over medium heat. Add sausage, onion and garlic and sauté until onion is brown, about 15 minutes.

Mix in kidney beans with their juices, broth and Creole seasoning. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer until flavors are blended and mixture is very thick, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes.

Divide cooked rice among large shallow soup bowls. Spoon bean mixture over rice and serve.

Adapted from Epicurious.com

soup du jour

Nothing sounds better when snowed in than soup - so everything we saw on Mark Bittman's soup and sandwich episode looks amazing. We haven't tried any of these yet, but wanted to pull them all together so that their easy for us to find.

Wintertime Tomato Soup

1 28- or 35-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, optional
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 medium carrot, finely diced
1 small onion, halved and thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 quart (4 cups) stock or water
1/4 cup chopped parsley.

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Drain tomatoes and reserve liquid. Halve them and put in a roasting pan; sprinkle with 2 tablespoons oil and the thyme, if using. Roast, turning once or twice, until lightly browned, about 30 minutes. Use wooden spoon to scrape up browned bits from pan, adding a little liquid if necessary.

2. Put remaining olive oil in a deep skillet or medium saucepan over medium-high heat. When it’s hot, add garlic and cook just until it begins to color, a minute or so. Add carrot and onion and cook, sprinkling with salt and pepper and stirring, for about 5 minutes. Stir in stock or water, along with contents of roasting pan and reserved tomato juice.

3. Turn heat to high and bring soup to a boil, then lower heat so it bubbles gently. Cover and cook until vegetables are very tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Garnish with parsley and serve.

From The New York Times

Zucchini-Pear Soup

3 tablespoons butter or extra-virgin olive oil, or a combination of both
1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
1 medium onion, peeled and diced
1 medium potato, preferably high-starch ("russet" or "baking"), peeled and diced
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, or a pinch of dried thyme
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 medium zucchini, trimmed and diced
2 medium ripe (but still firm) pears, peeled, cored and diced
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock, or use water
Mint leaves for garnish, optional

Put butter, oil or combination in a large skillet over medium heat; when butter melts or oil is hot, cook carrot, onion, potato and thyme with a healthy sprinkling of salt and pepper. Stir occasionally, adjusting heat so vegetables do not brown. When onion is softened, about 5 minutes, add zucchini and continue to cook until everything is tender, 10 to 15 minutes.

Add pear and cook until it has softened, about 5 minutes more. Add liquid and bring to a boil; taste and adjust seasoning. Cool mixture, then puree. Serve cold or reheat and serve hot, garnished with mint, if desired.

From Cooking Channel

Escarole Soup with Rice

1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) extra-virgin olive oil
3 or 4 cloves garlic, finely minced, plus 4 or 5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped onions
4 cups coarsely chopped escarole (about one head)
6 cups chicken or vegetable stock, or water
1/4 cup short-grain white rice, like arborio
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, optional
Parmesan rind, optional

Put 2 tablespoons oil in a large, deep saucepan over medium heat. When oil is hot, add minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add onions and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 5 more minutes. Add escarole and cook, tossing gently, until it begins to wilt, about another 3 minutes.

Add stock and rice to the pan, bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover and cook about 20 minutes or until rice is tender.

Meanwhile, put remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a small skillet. When oil is hot, add sliced garlic and cook over medium-low heat until it turns golden brown and begins to crisp. Remove garlic with a slotted spoon and set aside.

When rice is cooked through, season soup with salt and pepper, top with a grating of Parmesan and garnish with garlic slivers.

From Cooking Channel

And the sandwich to go with all those soups:

Pork-Fennel Burger

1 fennel bulb, trimmed and cut into large chunks
3 to 4 cloves garlic
2 1/2 pounds boneless pork shoulder, with some of the fat, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon caraway seeds, optional
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper, or more to taste
Peeled orange slices, chopped olives, chopped parsley, chopped roasted red pepper and fennel slices, to serve, optional

If grilling or broiling, heat should be medium-high and rack about 4 inches from fire. Put fennel and garlic into a food processor and pulse until just chopped; remove to a large bowl. Put pork fat in processor and grind until just chopped; add to bowl. Working in batches, process meat with fennel seeds, caraway, if using and 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, until meat is just chopped (be careful not to over-process). Add to bowl and mix well. Shape mixture into 8 patties.

To broil or grill, cook about 5 minutes on each side, turning once after 4 or 5 minutes and again as necessary, 8 to 10 minutes total. For stovetop, heat a large skillet over medium heat for 2 or 3 minutes, then add patties; cook undisturbed for about 3 minutes, then rotate them so they brown evenly. When browned, turn. Total cooking time is about 10 minutes. (They can remain ever-so-slightly pink in the center.)

Garnish with peeled orange slices, chopped olives, chopped parsley, chopped roasted red pepper and fennel slices, to taste.

From Cooking Channel

foods for thought

Steak:

Made at home: sirloin > steak tips > skirt steak > london broil

The cooking methods can vary, but there is something inherent in the steak that brings the flavor of the cut forward no matter what.

Obviously filet mignon or prime rib - two rather expensive and hard to get right cuts - are favorites when someone/where else is doing the cooking.

Sauces:

Thick wins over thin every time. Even when it doesn't seem like the consistency should matter, it always does.

I need a better thickener for sauces that should reduce by themselves (for example, a demi-glace) but don't, because my impatience and growling stomach will win over perfection every time.

Rice:

You'd never know it, but I eat nearly twice as much rice as potatoes, but it's the potatoes that keep showing up here. I think that just means I need better rice recipes.

lemon butter saucy

Everything I read nowadays says to eat more fish. Omega 3 fatty acids, lower fat than red meat, yada yada yada. Also, once I stopped eating chicken I needed something else to fill that protein hole. Initially I started eating a lot of shrimp, which is yummy, but sometimes a bit of work. Also I needed to shake it up a bit. So I purchased some salmon, which I hadn't had in a while (it's pricey around here and I eat a lot of it in sushi, so sometimes I just don't think about cooking salmon). And once I bought it I didn't know what to do with it. But I'd picked up a lemon just in case. After some internet searching I found a Lime Butter Sauce recipe which seemed fine but nothing really special. Mostly I just had all the ingredients, since you could sub in lemon, and all of the reviews were positive so I figured I'd throw it together. When I thought about what the recipe would do once it was all finished I thought it would turn out to be kind of watery. Was I surprised then when the emulsification turned the melted butter back into creamy, whipped, lemon garlic flavored butter. Fab! In addition to scooping a bit of it over the fish, I added it, along with some lemon zest to plain white rice, which was the perfect complement to the salmon, which I pan-fried in butter with salt, pepper and dill. The only change I will make next time is to make the whole recipe since the rice could have used a bit more (I only made about a quarter of the recipe). And of course I have to try out the lime version, which should be spectacular over shrimp.

Lime Butter Sauce

1 large garlic clove, chopped
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon salt (I used coarse sea salt)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, melted

Purée garlic with lime juice, salt, and pepper in a blender until smooth. With motor running, add melted butter and blend until emulsified, about 30 seconds.

Cooks' Note:
Lime butter sauce can be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Stir before using.
Yield: Makes about 3/4 cup
Active Time: 5 min
Total Time: 5 min

Courtesy: epicurious.com