Category: Rice

Pepper Steak

Beef, Garlic, Green Pepper, Main Dishes, Rice, Soy Sauce, Tomatoes

A summer classic when the tomatoes are prime

Pepper Steak

Linda Holzheimer

  • 3 T. oil
  • 1 1/2 lbs flank or round steak cut into thin strips
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/2 t. salt
  • dash pepper
  • 1/4 t. ginger
  • 1/4 t. sugar
  • 1/4 c. soy sauce
  • 2 green peppers cut into large chunks
  • 1 lb. fresh bean sprouts
  • 1 medium onion, sliced
  • 4 medium sized tomatoes, quartered
  • 2 T. cornstarch
  • 1 c. beef broth

Heat oil in wok or large frying pan.  Add meat, garlic, salt, pepper, ginger and sugar; stir-fry until beef is no longer pink.  Move meat from center of skillet; add soy sauce, green pepper and onion.  Cook, covered about 3 minutes.  Move food from center of wok and add tomatoes and bean sprouts; cook 3 more minutes.  Make a smooth mixture of cornstarch and broth; add to hot mixture.  Stir gently until thickened.  Service over hot white rice.

 

 

CSA Week #3

CSA, Peas, Pork, Rice

We started getting a weekly CSA from Fresh Fork three weeks ago.  They added a stop at UH this year which makes it very convenient. Every Friday I walk out to the parking lot and I get two large bags of good stuff plus they sell other additional items there as well. We have been happy with everything so far and have been eating very well with all the vegetables that we get here as well as from our garden that keeps producing.  In this weeks bounty: 2 pork chops (I bought two additional ones), 2 lbs. spelt berries, spinach, bok choy, swiss chard, beets, carrots, snow peas, nappa cabbage, dozen eggs, 2 different kinds of lettuce, red bulb green onions, and snow peas.  I also bought some black raspberries that they had for sale.

fresh fork bounty

We had a nice dinner last night that consisted of most everything in this batch: Grilled Teriyaki pork chops, fresh peas with mint, sauteed swiss chard, and steamed rice with parsley, basil and mint.  Yeay summer.

Dolmades (Stuffed Grape Leaves)

Appetizer, Dill, Fenell, Nuts, Onion, Parsley, Rice

This was my third attempt at making dolmades over the past year or so and I am happy to report success at last.  I have always loved these ever since Uncle Tom and Aunt Evie introduced them to us, but could never quite get it right.  We were at the West Side Market on Saturday and they were charging $7.00 for a half dozen of them so I said… sam hell… I can make those for much less and much better to boot.

Fennel….our new favorite vegetable that makes everything taste good:  (made a risotto on Saturday w fennel, shitakes, cremini and sausage… awesome).

pine nuts.  an essential ingredient in dolmades:

The slightly cooked mixture of onion, fennel, rice, parsley, dill and mint:

rolling them up…

Not the most beautiful things… and they are a lot of work…but they sure taste good.

Dolmades (stuffed grape leaves)

Recipe 99% from Tyler Florence on FoodNetwork.com after looking at lots of recipes.  I also learned from watching quite a few YouTube videos of Greek Grandmas dolmades techniques.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 1 small fennel bulb, halved, cored and diced
  • 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
  • 1/2 cup pine nuts
  • 1 cup long-grain rice
  • 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
  • 2 T. finely chopped dill leaves
  • 1 T. finely chopped mint (or 1 t. dried)
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 jar grape leaves, rinsed and drained – the big jar
  • 2 lemons, juiced

Directions

To make the filling, coat a large saute pan with 1/4 cup of the oil and place over medium heat. Add the onion, fennel and lemon zest and stir until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the pine nuts and rice, saute for 2 minutes, stirring to coat. Pour in just 1/2 cup of the chicken stock and lower the heat. Simmer until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is al dente, about 10 minutes. Scrape the parboiled rice mixture into a bowl and add the dill, mint and parsley; season with salt and pepper. Allow to cool.

Bring a big pot of water to a simmer. Blanch the grape leaves in the hot water for 5 minutes until pliable. Drain then trim the stems and any hard veins from the leaves. Pat dry with paper towels.  The leaves are all really packed tight in the jar.  I found it easiest to separate them by submerging them in water.

To assemble the dolmades, lay a grape leaf on a work surface, shiny-side down. Put 2 tablespoons of the rice filling near the stem end of the leaf. Fold the stem end over the filling, then fold both sides toward the middle, and roll up into a cigar – it should be snug but not overly tight because the rice will swell once it is fully cooked. Squeeze lightly in the palm of your hand to secure the roll. Repeat with remaining grape leaves and filling.

Place the dolmades in a large Dutch oven or wide deep skillet, seam-side down in a single layer. Pour the remaining cup of broth, remaining olive oil, and the lemon juice over the dolmades, the liquid should reach halfway up the rolls, add some water if necessary. Cover the pan and simmer over low heat for 30 to 40 minutes, until the dolmades are tender when pierced with a fork. Serve warm, at room temperature or cool.

Eat Out: Sushi Rock

Eat Out, Rice

Courtney, Sophia and I braved the malls yesterday afternoon to return a couple of things that we have been putting off all week.  Sean and Claire were going to Sushi Rock to use up a Groupon so we invited ourselves to go along with them. (Thanks Sean).

Sushi Rock started with a place on West Third in the 80’s and opened a place in La Place in Beachwood probably ten years ago or so.  I think we have been there once.  We got there around 8:00 and our reservation wasn’t until 8:30.  We sat in the lounge and had a beer and Sophie had a shirley temple.  (When I ordered the Shirley Temple at the bar the bartender asked what kind of grey goose I wanted in it…really??)

Claire and Sean arrived at 8:15 and we sat down at 8:30.

We had calamari for an appetizer and then ordered four different kinds of sushi.  Sophie had an order of fried rice.  The calamari was perfect – good crunch, just the right spice served with a nice sweet spicy sauce.  Even Sophia tried one.  Sophie’s fried rice was good…tasted different with sushi rice but was tasty.  All the sushi rolls were good, we had a deep fried one which I never had before.

Aren’t Sophie’s new glasses cute?

Eat On Edgecliff Rating:  B+  -food was good, atmosphere a bit run down, cheesey/dated and the service could be better, but definitely a good place to go for sushi.

Shrimp Creole

Green Pepper, Rice, Shrimp, Tomatoes

Linda Holzheimer

  • ½ cup chopped onion
  • ½ cup chopped celery
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 lb. can tomatoes
  • 1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
  • 1 ½ t. salt
  • 1 t. sugar
  • ½ – 1 t. chili powder
  • 1 T. Worchester sauce
  • dash tobasco
  • 1 t. cornstarch
  • 2 t. cold water
  • ¾ lb. shrimp
  • ½ cup chopped green pepper

Cook onion, celery, garlic in hot oil until tender.  Add tomatoes, tomato sauce and seasonings.  Simmer uncovered for 45 minutes.  Mix cornstarch with water, stir into sauce.  Cook and stir until thickened.  Add shrimp and green pepper.  Cover and simmer until done.

Spinach Yogurt Soup

Rice, Soup, Spinach

Evie Davis

  • 1 small minced onion
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 packages frozen spinach
  • 2 quarts chicken broth
  • ½ cup uncooked rice
  • 2 cups plain yogurt

Sauté onion and garlic in small amount of oil in large pot.  Add spinach and cook down with the onion and garlic for a few minutes.  Add the broth, salt, pepper, seasoned salt etc..  (Season well – yogurt will neutralize flavor).  Add rice.  Simmer for 20 minutes or until rice and spinach are tender.  Turn off heat and let soup cool down to almost room temperature.  Whisk the yogurt for a minute or two and slowly pour and mix into the soup.  Reheat the soup slowly at low heat as the yogurt will curdle if brought to the boiling point.  (If the yogurt does curdle, the soup is still good).  Can also be eaten cold or at room temperature.

Uncle Tom’s Rice

Miscellaneous, Rice
  • 4 cups rice
  • ¾ cup butter
  • 1 t. salt

Melt butter in large pan.  Add 4 cups water, with 4 t. salt, bring to boil, pour in the rice and stir.  Put the lid on, turn heat down to simmer and cook for 20 minutes.  DO NOT PEEK!  When finished put clean dish towel over the top of the pan and put the lid back on.  Let sit for approximately 10 minutes.  Fluff with fork.

Mulligatawny Soup

Apple, Carrot, Cream, Curry, Lemon, Parsley, Rice, Soup, Tomatoes

8  servings

  • 2 T. butter (1/4 stick)
  • ½ cup chopped onion
  • 4 t. curry powder
  • 2 small green apples, peeled, cored and chopped
  • ½ cup diced carrot
  • ½ cup diced celery
  • ½ cup diced green pepper
  • 1/3 cup all purpose flour
  • 3 ½ cups chicken stock or canned low-salt broth
  • 1 16 oz. can diced tomatoes
  • 1/3 cup long-grain white rice
  • 2 t. fresh lemon juice1
  • 1 ½ t. sugar
  • 4 whole cloves
  • ½ cup whipping cream
  • 2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, diced
  • 3 T. chopped fresh parsley

Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat.  Add onion and curry and sauté until onion is tender, about 5 minutes.  Mix in apples, carrot, celery and bell pepper and sauté 5 minutes.  Mix in flour.  Stir 1 minute.  Gradually mix in stock, then tomatoes with their juices, rice, lemon juice, sugar and cloves.  Bring to boil, stirring frequently.  Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes.  Add cream and chicken and simmer 10 minutes.  Ladle soup into bowls.  Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Moroccan Chick Pea Stew

Carrot, Chic Peas, Garlic, Potatoes, Rice, Soup, Tomatoes

Cooking Light

  • 2 tsp. olive oil
  • 1 cup  yellow onion, diced
  • 1 cup carrot, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 jalopeno pepper, minced
  • 1 ½ cups Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cubed
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • ½ tsp tumeric
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 1 15 oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
  • 1 14 oz can broth
  • 3 cups hot, cooked brown rice (or couscous)
  • ½ cup plain yogurt
  • chopped cilantro, for garnish

1.  Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat.  Add onion, carrot, garlic and jalopeno, sauté 6 minutes, until tender.
2. Stir in potatoe and next 6 ingredients (through broth).  Bring to boil, cover, reduce heat, simmer 15 minutes or until potatoe is tender.
3. Serve, over rice or couscous.  Top with yogurt cilantro.

Serves 6

Cal. 251.  Fat 3.8g   Fiber: 6.8 g,

Lentil and Brown Rice Soup

Carrot, Lentils, Parsley, Rice, Soup

Evie  Davis

  • 5 cups chicken broth, or more
  • 3 cups water, or more
  • 1 cup lentils
  • 1 cup long grain brown rice
  • 1 35 oz. Can tomatoes, chopped (save the juice)
  • 3 carrots, cut crosswise into thin slices
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1 cup celery, thinly sliced
  • 3 large cloves garlic, minced
  • ½ t. EACH of basil, oregano, thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • ½ cup fresh parsley
  • 2 T. cider vinegar
  • salt and pepper

In large, heavy saucepan, combine the broth, water, tomatoes, tomato juice, carrots, onion, celery, garlic, basil, oregano, thyme and bay leaf.  Bring to boil.  Reduce head, cover pan and simmer for 10 minutes.  Add rice and lentils.  Cover, stirring occasionally and simmer for 40 minutes or until rice and lentils are tender.  Remove and discard bay leaf.

Stir in parsley, vinegar, salt and pepper.  If necessary, thin soup with additional hot broth or water.

Soup is at its best when refrigerated overnight.