Tag: basmati rice
Pea Pesto with Rice
This is a delicious way to give your kids vegetables. I made a pesto with peas and then mixed it with cooked rice- it was absolutely delicious…
- 1 ½ cups frozen peas, blanched in boiling water for a minute and drained
- 1 garlic clove, smashed
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped
- 2 green onions, chopped
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups basmati rice, cooked al dente
Place the blanched peas, garlic, cilantro, green onions, oil and salt in a food processor and process till smooth. Take out and check for seasonings. Add to warm, cooked rice. Mix well and serve.
Chicken and Peas with Rice with Tomato Chipotle Sauce
I love me a good one pot meal… and this is a really good one. Perfect for company or a Sunday dinner!
- 1 pound chicken thighs, boneless, skinless
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
Drizzle the chicken pieces with flour, salt and pepper, keep aside.
- 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 1 ½ cups white rice
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups frozen peas
Heat a heavy saucepan with the oil and brown the chicken pieces on both sides about 4 minutes for each batch. Take out and add the onion, garlic and cilantro. Saute on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the tomato sauce and rice. Saute for 30 seconds and add chicken broth and salt. Add the browned chicken pieces and bring to a boil. Simmer on a medium heat with lid half on for 15 minutes. Turn the heat down and cover completely with lid. Cook for another 15 minutes. Top with frozen peas and cover with lid again and let it cook for another 10 minutes. Take lid off and make sure the rice is fully cooked. Fluff with a large fork and serve.
Tomato Chipotle Sauce
- 1 cup tomato sauce (fresh or canned)
- 1 to 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon chipotle in adobo sauce
Bring the tomato sauce to a boil. Add the salt, sugar and chipotle sauce. Bring to a boil and simmer for ten minutes. Check for seasonings and serve with rice.
Hoppin John- A New Year’s Eve Tradition
I was doing an article for the patch for New Years. My editor told me something about a tradition in the South called Hoppin John. I had never heard to the dish or the tradition and decided to do some research.
Turns out it is a dish made with rice and beans. It is to be eaten at midnight, New Year’s eve to bring good luck. The idea is to eat poor that night and eat rich the rest of the year.
Sounded good to me. As I read a bit more, I noticed it is usually made with some pork product and is served with some Southern style greens. I started thinking and decided to make mine with pancetta. I added some onions, garlic and green peppers to that. I also added dried thyme and made it mine by adding- yes, you guessed it- smoked paprika. I sauteed the mixture and added a can of black eyed peas, the rice and chicken broth. Once the rice was almost cooked, I added a lot of baby spinach.
I decided to make this into a one pot meal and healthy. Since traditionally the dish is served with greens, I decided to add mine right into the rice and beans.
The result was a delicious and quick comforting dish. Definitely make this for New Year’s Eve to ensure good luck for the rest of the Year- and Happy New Year to you and your family!
- ½ cup pancetta, chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- ½ green pepper, chopped
- ½ cup crushed tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 15 1/2 ounce can of black eyed peas
- 1 cup basmati rice
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 6 ounces baby spinach
Heat a saucepan with the pancetta and olive oil. Saute on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the thyme, onion, garlic and green pepper. Saute for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes and paprika. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the black eyed peas and mix well. Add the rice and chicken broth and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and cover the pan half way. Simmer for 10 minutes and cover all the way and lower the heat. Cook for another ten minutes and turn the heat off. Let it sit for ten minutes and add the spinach, stirring constantly. Serve immediately.
Chicken and Rice with Spinach
This is a super quick, healthy dish- oh, and it is a one pot meal. I feel like taking a bow to the applauding audience- yes, I realize no one is applauding- but I feel like they should.
It was one of those days when I had no time and no ideas swimming around in my head. I took out two chicken breast from the freezer and in order to make it really simple, I spiced them with salt and garam masala. Garam masala is made with any where between 5 to 15 spices- depending on who is making it. Since I make my own, it is super flavorful, filled with cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, etc.
I sauteed the chicken pieces and then used the same pan to cook onions and garlic and more garam masala. I added some tomatoes, chicken broth with the rice and tossed in a whole bag of baby spinach. I sliced the chicken pieces and introduced it to the rice and spinach and came up with a wonderful dish.
The busy day ended with a well-balanced, one pot meal and I had only one pot to clean after making the dinner- perfect.
Make this rice dish when things are crazy and you have no time to spend in the kitchen….
- 2 chicken breasts
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan. Add the chicken breast and sprinkle salt and 1 teaspoon garam masala. Cook on high heat for 2 minutes and flip to the other side. Sprinkle salt and the remaining garam masala and cook for another 2 minutes. Take out and keep aside. The chicken will not be cooked through. It will finish cooking with the rice. Cool the chicken for 10 minutes and cut into ½ inch slices and keep aside.
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, sliced
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 cup tomato sauce or pureed tomatoes
- 1 cup basmati rice
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 5 ounces baby spinach
Heat the same saucepan and add the one tablespoon olive oil. Add the onion, garlic and garam masala. Saute on medium high heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the salt and tomato sauce. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the rice and sauté for a minute. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Cook on high till bubbles begin to form on the surface. Add the spinach, lower the heat, and place lid on saucepan. Cook for 15 minutes or till the rice is cooked. Turn the heat off and add the chicken pieces on top and place the lid back on. Leave the saucepan covered for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Make sure the chicken pieces are cooked through. Mix the rice with the spinach and chicken well before serving.
Indian Sweet Rice with Brown Sugar
Diwali– Indian New Year is on Tuesday this week. For those who are not familiar with the holiday- there is just one thing you need to know- it a fabulous time to eat good food including something sweet.
Regardless of where you live in India or what tradition you follow, it is a day to eat sweets and spend time with your family and friends.
We usually get together with family and eat lots of delicious food. As I just mentioned, one of the traditions is to eat something sweet.
I had this sweet rice recipe which I thought would be perfect to eat on such an occasion. Actually it is ideal for breakfast with a steaming cup of coffee.
I grew up eating this delicious rice flavored with jaggery, cinnamon, cloves, cardamon and cumin seeds. It has an amazing nutty flavor. In this recipe I have used brown sugar instead- just to make it more accessible. I love eating this rice hot with a dollop of low fat tangy yogurt- it is delicious.
Try this one- it has an amazing flavor…
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Mushroom and Dill Rice Pilaf
Once in a while I get amazed with the recipes I come up with- yes, I realize that is not very modest of me.. its a good thing I really like myself.
I digress- this is a delicious rice dish with mushrooms.. it can be a side dish or the star.. either way, its a winner!
Green Sauce
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped
- ½ cup dill, chopped
- 4 green onions
- 3 to 4 garlic cloves
Add the cilantro, dill, green onions and garlic to a processor. Process till smooth. Keep aside.
- 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
- 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
- 1 10 oz pack of Cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 1½ cups basmati rice
- 3 cups mushroom or chicken broth
- Salt
Heat a wide saucepan with the olive oil. Add the cumin seeds and the green sauce. Saute on medium heat, stirring constantly for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the mushrooms and sauté for another 3 to 4 minutes. Add the rice and sauté on medium heat for a minute. Add the broth and salt. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Cover with lid and lower the heat and cook for another 15 to 20 minutes.
Spanish Rice with Smoked Paprika
This rice is quite simple to make and is full of delicious flavor. I made it with the steaks and used – yes, you guessed correctly- smoked paprika. I started by sauteing onions and garlic with some roasted cumin seeds and tomato paste. Some paprika and rice later, I had a fabulous side dish. Speaking of the rice, I used basmati rice. I didn’t have any other in the house. My husband felt, the nuttiness of the basmati rice was distracting in the Spanish preparation. I agreed with him but really like the long grained rice I used. If you don’t want the same distraction, feel free to use Jasmine instead.
I served the steaks and brussels sprouts with this rice dish. If you wanted to make a one-pot meal, you could add some shredded chicken and peas into the rice and call it a day.
The rice went beautifully with the steaks and the chipotle sauce. It was a great way to eat steaks with Latin flavors… try this dish, you will love it.
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