Snow! Plus Tacos & Mexican Rice

Yesterday the snowpocalypse was predicted for central North Carolina. They were calling for up to 12 inches (we’ve gotten about 6 inches so far), which is simply unheard of around here. If you don’t live in the South, people tend to lose their minds here a bit when it snows. Everyone rushes out to the store in a mad panic for milk, bread and toilet paper.  Then as soon as the snow starts to accumulate, people remember they just have to return that video or some other excuse, and they all go out driving. So far this morning, we’ve had about 400 wrecks. It’s definitely safer to cower indoors until it melts.

I did my provisioning yesterday (coffee, wine, bread — all the important stuff), so I am prepared to wait this thing out. This morning, I even made pancakes because I still have some buttermilk in the fridge. Snow makes even an ordinary Saturday seem like a holiday.

Last night, I made tacos, which I like to do on Friday nights because it’s a good way to use up the little bits of food that tend to accumulate by the end of the week: some chopped onion, a small hunk of cheese, half an avocado, etc. I added poached, shredded chicken and the remainder of the jarred salsa I have. To go with it, I made Mexican rice, similar to what is served on the combo platters in the low-end Mexican restaurants. The rice is cooked with a pureed mixture of tomatoes, onion and garlic. I’m not a big fan of rice anyway, and this recipe wasn’t a hit with me, so I don’t think I’ll make it again.

I might do some baking today, and make some soup. Snow on the ground puts me in a baking mood.

Wow, a Quick and Easy Paella

I have never made paella before because I always assumed it was a difficult and time-consuming dish. The recipes I have seen for paella call for a lot of ingredients, usually cooked separately, including a large variety of seafood that would require a special trip to the market.

Paella with Tomatoes and Sausage

But then I ran across Mark Bittman‘s recipe for paella in his excellent book Food Matters (which is full of easy, adaptable recipes suitable for weeknight cooking). His recipe gets paella on the table in 30 minutes (a little longer if you use brown rice), and while it does call for shrimp, the recipe itself is so adaptable that you can pretty much make it with whatever you have on hand. I omitted the shrimp myself — my husband is allergic — and just made it with chorizo sausage, and it was very tasty. It is probably not terribly authentic, but quick and tasty is more improtant when I’m cooking during the week. Next time we might try it with sausage and mussels. Because the vegetables can be varied depending on what’s in season, this recipe is sure to make it into my regular rotation.

Some notes: Probably the only essential ingredient in paella is rice. I used basmati rice for faster cooking time. If you use brown rice, double the cooking time. Generally, paella calls for saffron, an ingredient I do not keep on hand because of its expense and because I am just not all that fond of it. I used smoked Spanish paprika and the flavor was great. I think you could omit all the meat and have a lovely one-pot vegetarian dish.

Paella

Time to make: ~30 minutes
Yields: 4 servings

• 2 cups chicken stock or water
• about 1 lb. of any vegetables that can be roasted, such as tomatoes, carrots, winter squash, mushrooms, zucchini or a mixture, cut into chunks
• salt, pepper and olive oil to taste
• 1 onion, minced
• 1 tbsp. tomato paste
• 2 tsp. smoked Spanish paprika or other paprika
• 2 chorizo or other sausage links, sliced (optional, or substitute shrimp or mussels)
• 1 cup basmati rice
• 1 cup peas
• fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Warm the stock in a saucepan. Toss the vegetables with salt, pepper and olive oil.

Heat a large oven-proof skillet with a little olive oil over medium. Add the onion and saute until limp. (You can add other aromatics according to your tastes; garlic or chiles would be nice.)

Stir in the tomato paste, paprika and sausage. Saute, stirring, until the sausage is browned. Add the rice and stir for 1 minute, until translucent. Stir in the stock and peas. If you are using seafood, add it at this point.

Remove the pan from the heat and place the vegetables on top of the rice. Roast in the oven for 15 minutes, until most of the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is cooked. (If you are using brown rice, increase the cooking time to 30 minutes.) Check frequently and add a little more stock if necessary to keep the rice from drying out. Remove the pan from the oven and let it sit about 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh parsley to serve.

Adapted from a recipe in Food Matters by Mark Bittman.

Hoppin’ John

Hoppin' John

Despite saying that I wasn’t going to eat black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day this year, I broke down and made the traditional Southern dish of hoppin’ john. (I skipped the collards, though.) And I have to say, it was fantastic. As a bonus, I’ll have good luck this year due to eating black-eyed peas.

I was inspired to make hoppin’ john by some wonderful pepper-smoked slab bacon that I received as a Christmas gift. The bacon is what really made this dish. It was rich, smoky and hearty, probably the best hoppin’ john I have ever made. I had to call up my Dad, who gave me the bacon, right after dinner and thank him. Unfortunately, I threw away the wrapper and so now I don’t know where the bacon came from. If you plan to recreate this, do try to seek out a good-quality slab smoked bacon (not pre-sliced).

Hoppin’ john is an extremely simple dish to make, which means it’s a good choice for a weeknight dinner. Don’t save it just for New Year’s Day. Hoppin’ john is essentially another variant of the classic beans and rice combination. Most cultures have a version: red beans and rice from Louisiana, lentils and rice from the Middle East, black beans and rice from the Caribbean, to name a few. You can substitute other beans in this recipe and play with the seasonings to make any of the variants you choose. But please, don’t omit the bacon!

Hoppin’ John

Yields: 4 servings (leftovers can be frozen)
Time to make: ~45 minutes with frozen black-eyed peas

What you need:

• 1½ cups frozen black-eyed peas, or the equivalent of dried peas, cooked, liquid reserved
• ¼ lb. slab bacon, cubed
• ¼ cup celery, chopped
• ½ cup onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1 tsp. Cajun seasoning or to taste
• 1 tsp. oregano
• Salt and pepper to taste
• ½ cup tomatoes, chopped, with their liquid
• ½ cup chicken stock (or use reserved cooking liquid, if you cooked dried peas)
• 1½ cups rice, cooked (I prefer the pilaf method)
• Optional garnishes: hot sauce, fresh parsley, chopped red onion, grated cheese and/or sour cream

1. Sauté the bacon, celery, onion and garlic in the oil until the bacon is crispy and the vegetables are golden, 10 minutes.
2. Add the seasonings.
3. Stir in the black-eyed peas, the tomatoes with their liquid and the chicken stock (or reserved pea-cooking liquid).
4. Simmer gently for 20 minutes, until the peas are tender.
5. Serve over the cooked rice.

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How to Make Rice Pilaf

Did you know that some parts of the world are currently experiencing food crises? A perfect storm of high energy prices, drought (possibly caused by climate change), increasing demand in countries like China and India, and usage of grains for biofuels instead of food is contributing to shortages of key staples like wheat, corn and rice. This has led to food riots in Haiti and Egypt. But food shortages also hit us close to home, as we see higher prices in the grocery store and some stores like Costco are even limiting how much rice customers can buy.

If rice is a staple in your diet, as it is for billions of people, this all adds up to some very bad news. In our household, we don’t eat rice very much, for the very specific reason that there are only two of us and I always have to make at least 5 servings of rice. It is very difficult to cut down the proportions of rice and water and still end up with well-cooked rice. So if we have to cut it out, we probably won’t miss it as much as we would bread or pasta, but wheat products are also getting more expensive. I guess we can always eat potatoes.

When I do make rice, however, I prefer making it pilaf-style. Rice pilaf originated in the Middle East but is the standard way to cook rice in Mediterranean and Latin American cuisines as well. Once learned, the pilaf method is a fairly foolproof way of achieving fluffy, moist rice, which is how I like it. Also, rice pilaf is a versatile recipe that can be augmented with all kinds of add-ins.

Rice pilaf with roasted zucchini and red peppers.

The important thing when cooking pilaf is to achieve the right proportion of rice and cooking liquid, usually water or chicken stock. I have tried many pilaf recipes, and I have had the best results with using 1½ cups of liquid per 1 cup of rice. This is not the same as the directions on the box, by the way. Technically, this makes 5 servings, although as a side dish, you can probably serve 6-8, depending on how much your guests like rice.

Here is the method:

Rice Pilaf

Time to make: ~30 minutes for white rice; 1 hour for brown rice
Yields: 5-6 servings

What you need:

• 2 tbsp. butter or olive oil
• 1 sm. onion, diced
• 1½ cups water, chicken stock or other cooking liquid
• 1 cup rice

1. Heat the oil or butter over medium.
2. Saute the onion until translucent, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the rice and saute until coated in the fat and translucent, 1 minute.
4. Add the liquid, stir and bring to a boil.
5. Reduce the heat to low and cover tightly.
6. Simmer until the liquid has evaporated, 15-18 minutes for white rice; brown rice takes quite a bit longer to cook, up to 45 minutes.
7. Remove the pot from the heat and fluff the rice with a fork; let the pot stand, covered, another 10 minutes.

Notes: Make pilaf more interesting. Here are some ideas. Add ground spices with the rice and stir to coat the grains. Add canned tomatoes and cook with the tomato liquid or use other liquids to vary the flavors. Stir in fresh herbs, grated cheese or cooked vegetables during the standing time. Make it a meal by mixing with cooked meat.

What do you do with leftover rice? I like to make fried rice for breakfast or lunch the next day.

Fried Rice to the Rescue

I don’t know about you, but I always have leftover rice whenever I make rice. It’s impossible to make just enough rice for two people; I can’t find a good method that serves less than four and still makes good rice.

But fortunately, for every leftover problem, there’s the perfect leftover dish. For rice, it’s fried rice. In fact, fried rice doesn’t even work with freshly made rice. It requires rice that’s been refrigerated, and is dry and a little clumpy.

Fried rice plays well with other leftovers as well. Throw in all those little bits of leftover meat and vegetables that wind up in the crisper drawers, and you’ll end up with a tasty meal every time. It even works for breakfast!

Here’s my recipe for breakfast fried rice (which is also good for dinner). To customize, just substitute for the meat and vegetables whatever you happen to find in your fridge. You can use pretty much anything you’d throw into any stir-fry.

Breakfast Fried Rice

Time to make: ~15 minutes
Serves: 2

What you need:

• 1-2 tbsp. peanut oil
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 sausage links (best if pre-cooked)
• ½ onion, diced
• 10 or so mushrooms, sliced
• 1 cup cabbage, shredded
• 1 cup leftover, cooked rice
• 2 tbsp. soy sauce
• 2 tsp. sesame oil

1. Heat 1 tbsp. oil over medium-high in a wok or large nonstick skillet.
2. Scramble the eggs until just set and remove to a plate; let cool and shred.
3. Heat the remaining 1 tbsp. oil.
4. Add the sausage, mushrooms and onion, and stir-fry until browned.
5. Reduce the heat, if necessary, and add the cabbage; stir-fry until wilted.
6. Add the rice, egg and soy sauce, and stir-fry until warmed through and all the ingredients are well mixed.
7. Stir in the sesame oil and serve.

How to Make Risotto

I don’t understand why risotto is considered by so many to be an up-scale, complicated dish. When I see a big bowl of creamy, cheesy grains, I think “comfort food.” That’s exactly what risotto is: warm, comforting and satisfying. It is really only a few steps removed from the Asian breakfast dish congee or even rice pudding.

And risotto is certainly not as difficult to make as cookbook writers might lead you to believe. You don’t have to stir endlessly or time things just right to make great risotto. Like any classic recipe, you can customize risotto endlessly to come up with the perfect dish to comfort you.

Risotto with Asparagus Tips and Mint

Risotto is traditionally made with Arborio rice, but any medium-grain rice can be substituted. You will need 1 cup Arborio or other medium-grain rice for 2 servings; 2 cups for 4 servings. If you get tired of the rice version, try making risotto with other grains or even pasta. I’ve had great success using this method with orzo.

For every 1 cup of rice, you will need 2½ cups broth, 1 tbsp. butter or olive oil, ½ cup grated Parmesan and ½ cup wine. White wine is traditionally used, but red is acceptable, particularly if you are adding strongly flavored ingredients.

Bring the broth to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce to low but keep warm.

Meanwhile, melt the buter or heat the oil in a wide, deep saute pan over medium. Add some minced aromatics to saute. Onion and garlic are both traditional, but any aromatics may be added, such as shallots or mushrooms. Make your choices depending on the other flavors you are using.

Which brings us to the substance of the dish. I think risotto is best when one or two ingredients are allowed to “star”; in other words, don’t load it down with too many extras. When you add the other ingredients depends on how you’d like to cook them. Some may be added with the aromatics to brown before adding the rice and broth. Others should be added with the broth to simmer. Risotto made with Arborio rice takes about 20 minutes to cook, so time the additions accordingly. For instance, if you’re using asparagus, wait until the risotto has nearly finished cooking to add the tips, so they don’t get too mushy.

Here are some suggestions for risotto additions:

• Add before liquid to saute: artichoke hearts, carrots, celery, chicken, endive, leeks, parsnips and turnips
• Add with liquid to simmer: asparagus, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, clams, green beans, mussels, peas, sweet potatoes, winter squash and zucchini

Of course, these are just starting points. Please always feel free to experiment. Prepare most additions by slicing or cubing into small, bite-sized pieces that will cook quickly.

The broth is simmering and the aromatics and other ingredients are sauteing. Now add the rice. Stir it around in the fat until it is coated and the edges become translucent, 2-3 minutes.

Pour in the wine and stir until it has been absorbed by the rice. Ladle in about 1 cup broth and let the rice simmer, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has been absorbed. Note that you do not have to stir constantly; just check on it every so often and give it a good stir.

When the liquid has been absorbed by the rice, add the remaining broth ½ cup at a time, stirring more often now, until the rice is cooked through. You may not need all of the broth. Tasting the rice is the best way to determine if it is done; it will be plump and tender, with no chalky center.

Now stir in the Parmesan and some fresh herbs and lemon zest to finish the risotto. See, that wasn’t so hard, was it?

Baked Brown Rice

Yes, we all know that we’re supposed to be eating more whole grains now. (To hear some people talk, you risk winding up in hell if you put anything made with white flour in your mouth.) One problem I have with whole grains is that they’re tricky to cook adequately while still remaining tasty. So I wanted to share this technique for cooking brown rice that is not only easy but results in really tasty rice — chewy, nutty and neither over- nor undercooked (adapted from a recipe in The New Best Recipe).

Baked Brown Rice

Serves: 4
Time to make: ~1 hour 15 minutes

• 1 cup brown rice
• 8-inch-square baking dish
• 1-2/3 cups water
• 1 tsp. butter
• ¼ tsp. salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread the rice in the baking dish. Bring the water, butter and salt to a boil. Pour the boiling water over the rice and immediately cover with a lid or a double layer of aluminum foil. Put the pan in the oven and bake for 1 hour. Remove the pan and uncover — the liquid should be absorbed and the rice tender. Fluff with a fork and let sit, covered with a dish towel, for 5 minutes or so, while you’re getting the rest of dinner together.