Rice – Buen provecho…2022

Butternut Squash Coconut Curry

Imagine my surprise at finding more butternut squash at our Favourite supermarket, Superama, here in Mexico. It is highly unusual, so much so that I bought all seven of them! They were hidden among the pumpkins which had just arrived. Those of you who live in northern climates will easily find these everywhere this time of year. Pinterest to the rescue with this recipe…

Butternut Squash Coconut Curry

Ingredients

4 cups butternut squash, peeled, deseed and diced
1-2 tablespoon coconut oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic minced
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
2 tablespoons curry powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 14-ounce can coconut milk
1 cup vegetable broth, or 1 vegetable bouillon plus 1 cup water
1/4 teaspoon Cayenne pepper, optional
1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves

Instructions

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan on medium-high. Add onion, garlic and ginger.

2. Cook until onion is soft, about 3 minutes.

3. Stir in curry powder, paprika and thyme. Cook for 1 minute.

4. Stir in squash, coconut milk, vegetable broth.

5. Bring to boil, Cover and reduce to a simmer on low heat.

6. Cook for 15 minutes until squash cubes are tender but not mushy

7. Stir in pepper, salt and cilantro.

Delicious served with rice.

Teriyaki Salmon Bowl with Coconut Rice and Ginger Sesame Greens

At first glance, this recipe seems complicated as you are cooking three items for the bowl. The salmon and the rice both require the same cooking time! Like many Asian recipes, the prep is more time consuming. The greens take very little time. Trust me, this all makes for a great meal!

Teriyaki Salmon Bowls with Coconut Rice and Ginger Sesame Greens

Ingredients for the Teriyaki Sauce OR Use store bought to simplify

1 tbsp honey
2 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
1 tsp mirin
1 tsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp sesame oil
1 clove fresh garlic, crushed or finely grated
1-inch piece of fresh ginger, finely grated
1 large salmon fillet, roughly 200g (you could also use chicken breast or thigh OR for a veg version, some firm tofu, cut into inch sized cubes)

Ginger Sesame Greens

5 large handfuls of greens – I’ve used green beans. Feel free to use your favourite green veg. Other delicious options – bok choy, snowpeas, broccoli, broccolini, baby spinach, etc.
2 cloves fresh garlic, crushed or finely grated
1-inch piece of fresh ginger, finely grated
2 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp tamari or soy sauce

Coconut Rice

1 cup jasmine rice, rinsed well – It’s important to rinse the rice as this helps make it nice and fluffy. It also means we add less water to the pot when cooking, 1¼ cups of water instead of 1½ cups if we didn’t rinse.
1 tbsp coconut oil
Pinch of salt
1¼ cup boiling water

Toppings

Toasted sesame seeds or black sesame seeds
4 spring onions, finely chopped
Japanese mayonnaise for drizzling (optional)

Teriyaki Salmon

Preheat your oven to 180C / 350F.

In a medium-sized bowl combine the honey, tamari, mirin, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, garlic and ginger.

Add the salmon fillet (or protein of your choice) and coat thoroughly.

Place the salmon and the combined sauce into a small paper-lined baking dish.

Bake at 180C / 350F for 15 minutes then grill for 5 minutes, keeping an eye on it so it doesn’t burn. Once cooked, remove from the oven.

Coconut Rice

In a small saucepan add the coconut oil, rinsed rice, and a little salt.

Add the boiling water, bring to a boil, then turn down to low heat and simmer with the lid on for 15 minutes.

DO NOT remove the lid at any time. We want all the steam trapped in the pot to create that perfectly fluffy rice.

After 15 minutes, turn off the heat and leave the rice to sit for 3-5 minutes.

Remove the lid and fluff up the rice with a fork.

Set aside until ready to use.

Ginger Sesame Greens

While the rice and salmon are cooking, grab a large saucepan and add the sesame oil, ginger, and garlic.

Now add the greens then sauté on medium heat until bright green and slightly wilted.

Add the tamari and stir to combine.

To Assemble

Add a scoop of rice to each serving bowl, some salmon and surrounding leftover baked sauce, and the ginger sesame greens.

Top with a sprinkle of sesame seeds, spring onions, fresh chopped basil and a dollop or drizzle of Japanese mayo (if using). Enjoy!

Chinese Pork Meatballs/Chinese Fried Rice

You just can’t have one without the other, as the old song used to say! Oh, that was love and marriage….for those old enough to remember. I had purchased ground pork and ground beef to make Low Carb Crustless Taco Pie. Since I did not use all of the pork I had fresh ground pork to use up. Pinterest again! There was also some leftover chicken breast from the rotisserie chicken I had purchased. Clean out the fridge!!! Today you are getting both recipes…..

Chinese Pork Meatballs

Ingredients

∙ Makes 20 meatballs

1 lb. Ground pork
3 Garlic cloves
1 tsp Ginger
2 tsp Soy sauce
2 tsp Brown sugar
1 tbsp Cornstarch
1 tsp Five-spice powder
2 pinches White pepper, ground
3 tbsp Peanut oil

Instructions

In a large bowl, combine the pork, cornstarch, ginger, garlic, brown sugar, soy sauce, five-spice powder, and pepper, and mix well.

Roll 1 heaping tablespoon of pork mixture into a ball and continue until all the pork mixture is used.

In a wok over medium heat, heat the peanut oil. Using a wok spatula, spread the oil to coat enough of the wok surface to fry about 10 meatballs at a time. Lower the meatballs into the wok in batches.

Cook without moving for about 2 minutes, or until the bottoms are cooked through. Use the spatula to carefully rotate the meatballs to cook on the other sides.

Keep rotating the meatballs gently until cooked through.

Serving Tip

For a heavenly dipping sauce, combine equal parts low-sodium soy sauce and honey.

Chinese Fried Rice Serves: 4

Ingredients

4 cups cooked brown or white rice
1 cup frozen peas and diced carrots
1 egg, whisked
⅓ cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon ground ginger (optional)
3 green onions, diced

Instructions

Add veggies and oil to a large pan or skillet and sauté for 3-4 minutes until cooked through. Scoot all of the veggies to one half of the pan. Add egg and allow to cook for 1 minute, then scramble it with a spoon or spatula and stir in with veggies.
Add rice to pan. Add soy sauce and stir over medium heat for 6-8 minutes until browned. Sprinkle remaining seasonings over the rice and stir another 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in green onions.

Shrimp and Sausage Jambalaya

There was sausage. There was shrimp. There were Costco Ancient Grains. What can I make? Jambalaya!! What is that you say…

Jambalaya is a Louisiana origin dish of Spanish and French (especially Provençal cuisine) influence, consisting mainly of meat and vegetables mixed with rice. Traditionally, the meat always includes sausage of some sort, often a smoked sausage such as andouille, along with some other meat or seafood, frequently pork, chicken, crawfish, or shrimp. The vegetables are usually a soffritto-like mixture known as the “holy trinity” in Creole and Cajun cooking, consisting of onion, celery, and green bell pepper, though other vegetables such as carrots, tomatoes, chilis, and garlic are also used. After browning and sauteing the meat and vegetables, rice, seasonings, and broth are added and the entire dish is cooked together until the rice is done.

Jambalaya is similar to (but distinct from) other rice-and-meat dishes known in Louisiana cuisine. Gumbo uses similar sausages, meats, seafood, vegetables and seasonings. However, gumbo includes filé powder and okra, which are not common in jambalaya. Gumbo is also usually served over white rice, which is prepared separate from the rest of the dish, unlike jambalaya, where the rice is prepared with the other ingredients. Étouffée is a stew which always includes shellfish such as shrimp or crayfish, but does not have the sausage common to jambalaya and gumbo. Also, like gumbo, étouffée is usually served over separately prepared rice.

Shrimp and Sausage Jambalaya (for TWO people, half the recipe!)

Ingredients

12 ounces sausage, sliced into 1/4″ slices (Costco Kielbasa works just fine)
2 cups of peeled, deveined shrimp
4 cups of chicken broth or stock
1 large red bell pepper, diced
1 large green bell pepper, diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 cup of instant rice/ Ancient Grains
2- 14 oz. cans of petite diced tomatoes
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp of dried oregano
1/2 tsp of paprika
3 cloves of minced garlic or 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 bay leaf
salt to taste
freshly cracked black pepper

Instructions

In a large stock pot on medium heat, add olive oil, onions, peppers, garlic and the bay leaf. Cook for 5 minutes covered.

Add tomatoes, sausage, chicken broth or stock and remaining seasonings and cook on medium heat for 25 minutes.

Add instant rice (here I used Costco’s Ancient Grains) and shrimp. Stir and cook for 5 minutes or until rice is tender and shrimp turns orange. Cover and let stand for 10 minutes.

Thai Style Chicken Pumpkin Soup

Just in time for your Thanksgiving dinner! Make ahead and refrigerate. Serve as your first course!

Thai Style Chicken Pumpkin Soup

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
6 boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs cut into 1 inch cubes
1 large white onion, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 T. minced fresh ginger
½ to ¾ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 stalks celery diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
15 ounce can pumpkin
½ cup mango nectar
½ cup fresh lime juice
½ cup peanut butter (or more)
1 liter low sodium chicken broth
2 cups water

Heat oil in a large nonstick pan over medium heat. Add chicken and cook about three minutes, stirring frequently. Add onion, garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes. Cook 1 to 2 minutes longer.

Transfer chicken to crock pot. Add celery, carrots, pumpkin, nectar, lime juice, peanut butter, broth and water. Stir to combine. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 4 hours,

After the time is up, stir in the following –

3 Tablespoons rice vinegar

¼ cup chopped cilantro

Mix ½ cup heavy cream and 1 Tablespoon of cornstarch together.Stir into soup and turn cooker to HIGH for 10 minutes or less until soup thickens.

Serve over white rice which has been previously cooked. Sprinkle with more chopped cilantro and chopped peanuts.

Source – Crock-Pot Best Loved Slow Cooker Recipes.

Brown Rice Salad

Think this is great for all of you vegans…right Jaromey?

Brown Rice Salad

Ingredients Nutrition

For the salad
1 ¹⁄₂ cups brown rice
1 red pepper chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
3 spring onions, chopped
¹⁄₂ cup raisins or ¹⁄₂ cup sultana
¹⁄₂ cup cashews or ¹⁄₂ cup peanuts

For the dressing
¹⁄₂ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons soya sauce
1 crushed garlic clove
black pepper

Directions

Cook brown rice until tender, allow to cool.
To prepare the dressing put the ingredients into a large jar with a tight fitting lid and shake well. Put aside.
In a large bowl add the rice and all other salad ingredients.
Pour over the dressing and mix through. The flavours improve on standing as the rice soaks in the dressing. Enjoy!

Baked Shrimp Scampi…BONUS – Orange Rice with Celery!

So today you get two for one recipes. These went so well together I decided to share them together. First up is the baked scampi, breaded with lots of garlic and butter and a lemony flavor. It goes well with the orange and garlic in the rice, with a touch of crispiness from the celery. I see no reason why you could not substitute asparagus pieces for the celery…peas would not cut it in this recipe…LOL

Baked Shrimp Scampi (Ina Garten – Food Network)

Ingredients

2 pounds (12 to 15 per pound) shrimp in the shell

3 tablespoons good olive oil

2 tablespoons dry white wine

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

4 teaspoons minced garlic (4 cloves)

1/4 cup minced shallots or green onions

3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves

1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary leaves

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 extra-large egg yolk

2/3 cup panko (Japanese dried bread flakes)

Lemon wedges, for serving

Directions Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Peel, devein, and butterfly the shrimp, leaving the tails on.

Place the shrimp in a mixing bowl and toss gently with the olive oil, wine, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper.

Allow to sit at room temperature while you make the butter and garlic mixture. In a small bowl, mash the softened butter with the garlic, shallots, parsley, rosemary, red pepper flakes, lemon zest, lemon juice, egg yolk, panko, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper until combined.

Starting from the outer edge of a 14-inch oval gratin dish, arrange the shrimp in a single layer cut side down with the tails curling up and towards the center of the dish.

Pour the remaining marinade over the shrimp. Spread the butter mixture evenly over the shrimp.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until hot and bubbly. If you like the top browned, place under a broiler for 1 minute. Serve with lemon wedges. …and now for the Orange Rice…

Orange Rice With Celery (Rio Caliente Hot Springs Spa – Guadalajara)

1 cup brown rice (I used Jasmine)

1 cup celery chopped

½ cup green onions chopped

2 cloves garlic chopped

2 T sunflower oil ( I used avocado oil)

1 cup water

1 cup fresh orange juice

Brown the rice, celery, green onions and garlic in the oil. When vegetables are tender, add water and orange juice. Cover. Cook 40 minutes, covered, over LOW flame. Let stand for 5 minutes. This rice dish goes so well with fish, etc.