Saturday, May 27, 2006

4 cups of water
2 stalks fresh lemon grass, trim off the very end of the root and smash with the side of a cleaver of chef’s knife; cut into 1 inch pieces; or 2 pc dried
3 slices fresh galangal root(smashed) or 2 pc dried
3 fresh kaffir lime leave or 4 pc dried
1 Tbsp. tamarind paste, with or without seeds
1 Tbsp. fish sauce, Golden Boy preferred
3/4 lb shrimps, medium to large size, shelled and de-veined; butterfly if desired
12 fresh Thai chili peppers, whole or 2 medium sized jalepenos, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch strips.
1/2 small white onion, cut 1/4 inch slices
2 Tbsp. roasted chili paste (nam prik pao)
1 (16 oz.) can straw mushrooms, drained and rinsed
1 small ripe tomato, cut into wedges 1/4 inch thick (optional)
1 small lime, squeezed
2 sprigs fresh cilantro

Bring water to boil over high heat in a medium-sized saucepan. Add the lemon grass, galangal, kaffir lime leaf, fish sauce and tamarind paste (break apart the tamarind paste with your fingers as you add it). Add the shrimp, bring to a boil and cook 3 minutes. Add the onion, nam prik pao and straw mushrooms. Boil for another 7 minutes until the shrimp is cooked through. Add the chile peppers and tomatoes. Turn off the heat. Add the lime juice. Taste to adjust the seasoning, adding fish sauce to taste. Garnish with cilatantro if desired and serve. Serves 3 to 4.

Posted by Diosa in • Gluten free • Meats • Fish/Shellfish • Side dish
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Friday, May 12, 2006

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.
3/4 pound small potatoes (about 1 1/2 inches in diameter), halved
1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup packed fresh basil leaves, washed well, spun dry, and chopped fine
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

Preheat oven to 450° F. In a baking dish large enough to hold potatoes in one layer toss them with oil and salt and pepper to taste. Roast potatoes in middle of oven until tender, about 15 minutes. In a bowl toss potatoes with basil and lime juice.

Serves 2.

Posted by Diosa in • Gluten free • Side dish • Vegetable • Vegetarian
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Baking the potatoes first gives them a nice creamy texture. The potency of the mustard will diminish as the potatoes are being stirred over the burner; so if you really want to feel the burn, add an extra teaspoon or so of mustard just before serving.
4 8-ounce russet potatoes
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
3 tablespoons prepared hot English mustard (such as Colman’s but Dijon works well too)
1 cup whole milk
1 cup thinly sliced green onions

Preheat oven to 375°F. Place potatoes on oven rack. Bake until tender when pierced with fork, about 50 minutes. Scoop out pulp from potatoes into heavy large saucepan; discard skins. Add 3 tablespoons butter to potatoes and mash well. Mix in mustard. Gradually add milk and mash until smooth. Stir potatoes over medium-low heat until heated through, about 5 minutes. Mix in green onions. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl. Top with remaining 1 tablespoon butter and serve.

Serves 4.

Posted by Diosa in • Gluten free • Side dish • Vegetable
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This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.
3/4 pound small red potatoes
2 1/2 ounces soft mild goat cheese (about 1/4 cup)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, or to taste
1/3 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves (optional)

In a saucepan cover potatoes with salted cold water by 1 inch and simmer, covered, until tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Reserve 1/4 cup cooking liquid and drain potatoes. Return potatoes to pan and with a fork mash together with reserved liquid, remaining ingredients, and salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 2.

Posted by Diosa in • Gluten free • Side dish • Vegetable
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This slightly spicy, moist side dish is both deeply satisfying and nutritious. Sweet potatoes are rich in complex carbohydrates and fiber, giving them a low glycemic index (this means that they slow the body’s absorption of sugar and help regulate blood-sugar levels). A bonus for weight watchers: All those complex carbs will make you feel fuller longer than white potatoes do.
4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch-thick rounds
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup fresh thyme leaves, plus 6 thyme sprigs for garnish
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Preheat oven to 450°F. In large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients and toss. Arrange potato slices in single layer on heavyweight rimmed baking sheet or in 13x9-inch baking dish. Place on top rack of oven and roast until tender and slightly browned, about 40 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature, garnished with thyme sprigs.

Posted by Diosa in • Gluten free • Side dish • Vegetable • Vegetarian
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1 tablespoon oil
1 small onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 cup chicken stock
1 28 ounce can of tomatoes, crushed
1 cup rice
In a sauce pan combine oil, onion and green pepper. Saute over medium heat until vegetables are tender. Sprinkle in cayenne pepper. Add heated chicken stock and tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Add rice and stir. Cover and reduce to a simmer. Continue simmering over low heat until all liquid is absorbed. Serve hot.

*Could be made with vegetable stock to make this vegetarian.

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1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup diced yellow onion (1/2-inch dice)
1 1/2 cups long-grained white rice
3 cups water
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 lemon slice (1 inch thick)
1 teaspoon minced lemon zest
1 pound fresh asparagus

Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan, add the onion, and cook until the onion softens, about 4 minutes. Add the rice and toast the grains, stirring occasionally, until the rice begins to look opaque (bright white), about 4 minutes. Add the water, butter, lemon slice, and lemon zest, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, slice off the tough ends of the asparagus stalks and discard them. Cut the spears on a diagonal into 1-inch lengths. Fill a large non-reactive pot with a steamer rack with 1/2 inch water, place the pot over medium heat, and bring the water to a simmer. Add the asparagus, cover, and cook until just tender, 4 to 5 minutes.

Transfer the cooked rice to a serving bowl and toss in the asparagus. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

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1 1/2 cups well-stirred canned unsweetened coconut milk
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup long-grain white rice

In a small saucepan bring coconut milk, water, and salt to a boil and stir in rice. Reduce heat to moderately low and simmer rice, covered, until most of liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Remove pan from heat and let rice stand, covered, 5 minutes.

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1 cup basmati rice
2 cups water
1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled, halved, and smashed
6 green cardamom pods
Pinch kosher salt

Rinse the rice to get rid of excess starch. Put it into a heavy bottomed pot with a tight fitting lid. Add the water, ginger, cardamom, and salt and give it a good stir. Bring it to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook gently for about 15 minutes. You will see holes poking through the rice and most of the water should be absorbed. Let the rice stand off the heat, covered, for about 5 minutes. Remove the ginger and discard, fluff the rice and serve.

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1 cup Japanese rice
3 teaspoons Earl Grey tea, ground in a blender or spice grinder until it is a powder
1 teaspoon salt
Fresh ground pepper
Rinse the rice under running water until the water runs clear. Then put it in a small pot with one cup of water and let it soak for thirty minutes. Stir the rice well and turn on the flame to high. let the rice come to a boil and then stir well again turn flame down to the lowest flame possible cover the pot with a tight fitting lid and let cook for 11 minutes. Then move the rice off the heat and let sit, still covered, for five more minutes. Let the rice cool for 10 minutes then stir in the Earl Grey tea, and the salt and pepper. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Posted by Diosa in • Gluten free • Side dish • Vegetarian
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Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This variation on Spanish rice is wonderful with spicy Southwestern dishes.
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped fine
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup basmati or other long-grain rice
2 cups chicken broth
1 medium zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch dice

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a 2-quart flameproof casserole or saucepan heat oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and add onion and garlic. Reduce heat to moderately low and cook onion mixture, covered, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes, or until softened. Increase heat to moderate and add rice. Cook rice, stirring, 3 minutes. Add broth and bring to a boil, covered.
Bake rice, covered, in middle of oven about 20 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed. Stir in zucchini and let stand, covered, 5 minutes.

Serves 4 to 6.

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3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 cups basmati-style long grain rice
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1 sprig fresh rosemary
Melt the butter with the shallot in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Season with the salt and pepper and cook until the onions are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the rice and stir until coated with the butter. Increase the heat to medium-high. Let the rice cook until toasted, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes more.

Stir in the broth, bay leaf, and rosemary. Bring to a simmer over low heat, cover, and cook until all the broth has been absorbed by the rice and the rice is tender, about 15 to 18 minutes. Remove from the heat and let set for 5 minutes. Discard the rosemary and bay leaf. Fluff the rice with a fork and serve.

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Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.
1/2 cup long-grain rice
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 pound mushrooms
2 scallions
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/4 cup dry white wine

In a 1 1/2-quart heavy saucepan bring rice and water with salt to a boil. Stir rice once and cook, covered, over moderately low heat 15 minutes. Remove pan from heat and let rice stand, covered, 5 minutes.

While rice is cooking, cut mushrooms into 1/4-inch-thick slices and chop scallions. In a skillet heat butter over moderately high heat until foam subsides and sauté mushrooms with salt to taste until golden and any liquid mushrooms give off is evaporated. Add wine and simmer, stirring occasionally, until wine is evaporated.
Fluff rice with a fork and stir in mushrooms and scallions.

Serves 2.

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“My grandmother was a reporter in New York before she got married and moved to Montana to start a new life on a ranch,” writes Joyce Litz of Albuquerque, New Mexico. “At the time she didn’t know how to cook, and learning wasn’t easy — the place didn’t even have running water. Still, she appreciated good food, so she persevered and became a great cook. Later my grandmother taught me ranch-style cooking, a lot of which involved getting simple but flavorful, hearty meals ready in a hurry.”

Serve with diced cucumber mixed into yogurt.
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1 tablespoon finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
1 1/4 teaspoons curry powder
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel
2 cups small cauliflower florets
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice
2 cups water
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup frozen peas, thawed

Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add ginger, curry powder, and lemon peel; stir 30 seconds. Mix in cauliflower, bell pepper, and onions, then rice. Add 2 cups water and 3/4 teaspoon salt; bring to boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until water is absorbed and rice is tender, about 18 minutes. Remove from heat. Mix in peas; season with pepper. Cover and let stand 5 minutes.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

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This adaptation of a Persian dish is a perfect party recipe because it is so seductive — and it can be done ahead.
1 1/2 cups basmati rice
3 qt water
1 1/2 tablespoons salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon coriander seeds, coarsely crushed
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 (4- by 1-inch) strips fresh lemon zest

Rinse rice in several changes of cold water in a large bowl until water runs clear. Drain in a large sieve.

Bring 3 quarts water and salt to a boil in a 4- to 5-quart heavy pot, then add rice and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes from time water returns to boil. Drain parboiled rice in a sieve. Clean and dry pot.

Melt butter with coriander seeds and pepper in pot over low heat, stirring to combine, then sprinkle rice into pot, mounding it in center. Make 5 or 6 holes in rice to bottom of pot with round handle of a wooden spoon and sprinkle rice with zest. Cover pot with a kitchen towel and a heavy lid. Fold edges of towel up over lid (to keep towel from burning) and cook rice over low heat, undisturbed, until tender and a crust forms on bottom, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from heat and let rice stand, tightly covered and undisturbed, 30 minutes.

Discard zest (or save for garnish) and spoon loose rice onto a platter. Season rice with salt, then break crust into pieces and scatter over rice.

Cooks’ note:
Rice can be parboiled and drained 4 hours ahead and transferred to a bowl. Keep, covered with a dampened paper towel, at room temperature.

Makes 6 servings.

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