Kenyan Beef and Potato Pilau

With all of this COVID 19 pause, I have done enough cooking and baking to open a restaurant.  Its not like I wasnt cooking before but now, I have bene going the extra mile, doing mroe, making it more special.  Maybe because it feels like the only 'spice' of life at the moment.  I mean, its not like we can go out and hang out with people.  Cant go out to dinner, relax and kick back in a different atmosphere.  So I have created, at least tried to create something special here at home.  We really enjoyed this meal and I have a feeling it will appear on our table again.  Stay well everyone!


Kenyan Beef and Potato Pilau

2 cups basmati rice or any other rice you may have

2 cups of potatoes, cut into 1" cubes

¼ cup vegetable oil

2 medium onions, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons ginger, minced

1 serrano chile, finely chopped

1 tablespoon pilau spice mix (see below)

4 cups chicken or beef broth

¼ cup fresh cilantro roughly chopped

1 lb ground beef 

3 Roma tomatoes diced

2 Bay leaves

2 tablespoons palm sugar or brown sugar

Salt to taste

Pilau spice mix

1 Tsp cloves

2 tbsp dumin seeds

1 Stick cinnamon

1/2 Tbsp black peppercorn seeds

12 pods cardamon

Heat a Dutch oven or a stockpot on medium-high heat. Saute onions in oil and fry for 10-15 minutes or till the onions starts to turn golden brown (be careful not to burn it). Add the ground beef and salt. Saute until beef is browned. Add the garlic, ginger, bay leaves, serrano pepper, Cook for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant. Add the diced tomatoes and cook for 4-5 minutes, until the tomatoes have released their liquid. Stir in the potatoes and the broth. Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes. Stir in the rice, and cover tightly. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 20 minutes, until the rice is cooked and the liquid is absorbed. Once rice is cooked, fluff with a fork to ensure the seasonings are well distributed all around the rice.

Tteokbokki

Did you ever watch Maangchi on You Tube? Love her vidoes, she's cute, informative and fun.  This is one of  her dishes, well, inspired by one of her dishes.  I did not have the ingredients she had in her tutorial.  I did buy the rice logs frozen at our local Asian market.  I would like to make them some time though.  A future post... 

I did not have the fish cake, the next time I will be sure to add that.  I kind of made my recipe from a  bunch of different ideas on the internet.  Here is a link to one of the recipes.

TTEOKBOKKI

4 cubes vegetable bouillon (mine)

1 quart water

1 teaspoon kosher salt

juice of 2 limes

2 tabelspoons fish sauce

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

1 generous teaspoon chili oil

1 tablespoon gochugaru flakes (Korean chili flakes)

1 tablespoon palm sugar

4 large cloves garlic

5 scallions sliced in 2 inch pieces

rice logs

Soak rice cakes in warm water for 10 mins.

In a large pot stir bouillon into water.  Add salt, white pepper, juice of two limes, fish sauce,  chili oil, palm sugar, gochugaru flakes and garlic.  Bring to a boil.  add rice cakes and onion. Bring to a boil again and then reduce to a simmer.  Simmer for 10 to 20 mins until the rice cakes are fully cooked. 

Add the sesame oil, sesame seeds, and green onion then quickly stir. Serve warm.

PUERTO RICAN RICE AND BEANS

When the weather is cool, this is a great dish to have.  It's Puerto Rican comfort food. Many years ago a friend of mine prepared this for me. I will always remember her for this dish and something she said to me while I was pregnant with my first child.  There I was, about 8 months pregnant and she says, "I think you are going to have a girl."

I said, "Oh, yeah, why's that?"

She said, "Because your baby is stealing your mojo."

I said, "What?!"

She said, "Baby girls take away your beauty!"  Yes, she said that!  Yes, she said that when I was in the throws of emotions from pregnancy! Yes, she was a friend.  A friend with no filter that is!

Finally, yes, she was right about the baby girl.  As for the mojo...

Hello cilantro, sprinkled all over the top!

Look at all that rice, covered in deliciousness!

Go on now, make this for yourself, it is delicious.  Find pigeon peas in the Goya section here in the States.  You can find them canned or dried.  I found dried ones at out Public Market.

PUERTO RICAN RICE WITH PIGEON PEAS

1 medium chopped onion
1/2 cup sofrito*
1 cup tomato sauce or some fresh tomatoes
2 cups pigeon peas, cooked
1/4 cup  Manzanillo olives
1 tablespoon capers
1 teaspoon Adobo
1 -12 ounce can chicken broth
1 pound white rice, long grain
granulated garlic, to taste
salt and pepper to taste


In a Dutch oven or caldero cook the bacon until crispy. Remove and chop in small pieces.  Take out any excess bacon fat.  You want about a tablespoon or two to fry the onions.  Add them and cook until tender. Add sofrito for about 2 to 3 minutes. When you start to really smell it then add the bacon back, tomato sauce, drained beans, rice, Adobo and chicken broth.  Stir gently but thoroughly.  Add enough water to cover the rice, about 1 inch above rice line. (I find Daisy Martinez's tip of sticking your index finger into the mixture and touching the rice just at the top.  The water should be at the first knuckle joint in your finger.)

Bring to a boil and lower heat to a gentle simmer.  Cover and cook for about 35 to 45 minutes.  All the liquid should be absorbed. Serve with fresh cilantro as desired.

*Make your own sofrito:
You can freeze it in small portions and it is a great starter for so many soups. Recipe from Serious Eats

2 medium Spanish onions, cut into large chunks (about 2 cups)
4 cubanelle peppers, stemmed, seeded, and cut into large chunks (about 2 cups)
18 medium cloves garlic, peeled
1 large bunch cilantro, washed and roughly chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
8 ajices dulces (if you can find it)
4 leaves of culantro (if you can find it)
4 ripe plum tomatoes, cored and cut into chunks (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 large red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and roughly chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
Kosher salt

Grind garlic cloves first, then peppers and then onion. I find that when you add more liquid or more ingredients the garlic is hard to chop fine in the processor.  

While it is running drop in the rest of the ingredients.

Egg Rice Bowl

I just had the most amazing lunch.  I have made this rice before.  I love it.  This time I added a few different things since it was just me eating it.  No picky eaters saying I don't like this and I don't like that.  I love how it came out.

Rice and Egg Bowl

1 cup rice ( I used Basmati rice)
1 cup coconut milk
1 cup water

1 tablespoon butter 
1 tablespoon avocado oil (may be needed)
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 cup pineapple, chopped 
2 green onions, chopped thinly
2 cloves garlic
1 inch ginger, grated
2 tablespoons tamari
1 tablespoon sriracha
1 package mock crap chunks.

Cook the rice as normal but instead of adding just water, add half coconut milk and half water.

While the rice is cooking.  Cook mock crab chunks in butter.  Set aside when warmed.  In that same pan, cook bell peppers until tender.  Add in some oil if needed. Add in pineapple, heat until warmed through.  Add in garlic and ginger and heat until fragrant.  Add in the cooked rice.  Add in tamari and sriracha.    Sprinle with chopped green onions.

Add the cooked egg over top.

COCONUT RICE

One of the BEST dinners I have made.  I REALLY enjoyed this. The recipe comes from The Domestic Geek

I did my recipe a bit different due to what I had in my house and my tastes.  Next time I would love to add some cilantro.

All of it lip smacking goodness!

Yup, made it again.  This time with mangoes.  So good!

COCONUT RICE

1 cup rice
1 cup coconut milk
1 cup water

1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon avocado oil (may be needed)
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 cup pineapple, chopped
2 green onions, chopped thinly
2 cloves garlic
1 inch ginger, grated
2 tablespoons tamari
1 tablespoon sriracha
1 package mock crap chunks.

Cook the rice as normal but instead of adding just water, add half coconut milk and half water.

While the rice is cooking.  Cook mock crab chunks in butter.  Set aside when warmed.  In that same pan, cook bell peppers until tender.  Add in some oil if needed. Add in pineapple, heat until warmed through.  Add in garlic and ginger and heat until fragrant.  Add in the cooked rice.  Add in tamari and sriracha.    Sprinle with chopped green onions.

Rice Crusted Quiche

Are you as addicted as I am to Pinterest?  I just can't get enough of that site.  I really enjoy it in the morning when I am having a cope of coffee.  I guess it is like the equivalent to reading the morning paper.  Since I don't read the morning paper I guess it works for me.

The only thing I don't like about Pinterest is at times I can get sucked into the vortex as I like to call it.  Looking dreaming but not doing...  However there is a time and a place for that, right.  I mean you got to dream research and formulate a plan for the things you want to do.  If you don't they never get done, do they?  Well at least for me they don't.

So after drooling about gardens I did finally make some garden beds and have really been enjoying them.  This year I actually have some weeding done.  I have been very lax in past years.  It was just too hot.  This year we have a bit of a reprieve.  This past summer froze the Great Lakes  and I guess they were still pretty frozen mid April.  So a bit cooler weather this summer.  Since I don't like hot hot hot weather- like 90's this totally cool for me.  Maybe I will get some long needed yard work done instead of drooling over all the cool things on Pinterest.

Rice Crusted Quiche

crust

2 cups cooked rice
1 egg
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

filling:

5 eggs
2 cups broccoli, cooked and chopped
4 ounces shredded cheddar or Swiss cheese
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup minced onion
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
dash of Tabasco
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400F.  Grease a 9" inch pie plate.

Mix crust ingredients together and press into pie plate evenly over top and up the sides. Place in oven for 5 to 10 minutes.  It should be a little golden.

In same bowl that you mixed the rice in, combine eggs and milk, whisk for a minute.  Add in remainder of ingredients and stir with a spoon. Pour into rice crust and bake for about 40 to 50 minutes, until the egg is nearly set in the center. Let cool about 10 minutes before cutting. 

Weight Watcher Wednesday: Zucchini Risotto with Sun Dried Tomatoes

This is a fabulous dish of deliciousness.  Really it does not get any better than this.  Well, maybe with all fresh vegetables from the garden.  For sure I will be making this in the summer.  And it would be so nice on the grill.  It's a meal in itself but I dont see why you couldnt add a grilled piece of chicken along side.  For me, I was totally content just having the risotto.

Zucchini Risotto with Sun Dried Tomatoes
Recipe adapted from Weight Watchers New Companion Cookbook; WIley Publishing, Inc.

3 1/2 cups vegetable broth/stock
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup tomato juice
1/2 cup onion, chopped
4 medium zucchini, chopped
1/2 dry white wine
1 1/3 cups Arborio rice
16 sun dried tomatoes, snipped into small pieces with kitchen sheers
1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
1 tablespoon fresh marjoram or 1 teaspoon dired
2 tablespoons parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Bring tomato juice and veegtable broth to a boil in a seperate pan.  Cover and keep on low simmer.

In a fairly large sauce pan or a stock pot, saute the onion in oil until soft.  Add chopped zucchini and wine.  Cook five minutes.  Add the rice cook and stir one minute. 

Add a cup of the stock mixture, sundried tomatoes, parsley, pepper, marjoram and cook stirring untilt he moisture is absorbed.  Add broth 1/2 cup at a time.  Repeat this step of adding broth until the rice is tender.  Stir in the parmesan.

1 1/2 cups is 360 calories.

Thai Jasmine Rice

I want to let you know that I have had some difficulty connecting to Google.  I am not sure what is happening.  Every once in a while I get lucky and get in. Be patient I will do my best to get past this little glitch. 

One of the ladies in my group that meets monthly prepared this amazingly wonderful meal.  I finally remembered to bring my camera.  It was in the afternoon so there was some beautiful light streaming in.  It was all so perfect for these pictures, how could I pass that up?

 

Asian Slaw

Thai Jasmine Rice
Recipe adapted from Menu Magazine; Wegmans

2 Tbsp Wegmans Basting Oil
1 pkg (8 oz)  onions, chopped
1 pkg (8 oz)  Jasmine Rice Blend
2 1/4 cups Thai Culinary Stock
salt and pepper to taste
1 pkg (1 lb) shrimp, uncooked and cleaned
1/2 bunch green onions, sliced thinly on the bias


Add basting oil to braising pan on MEDIUM-HIGH. Add onion; cook, stirring, 3-4 min, until onion begins to soften.

Add rice; cook, stirring, 2-3 min, to toast rice. Add stock; season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer on HIGH; cover. Transfer to oven. Cook 10 min.

Remove from oven. Arrange shrimp on rice; lightly season with salt and pepper. Cover; return to oven 5 min, until internal temp of shrimp reaches 130 degrees.

Remove from oven; let rest 10 min. Sprinkle with green onions; stir to combine.

And just in case you are dreaming of Spring...

Edamame and Rice Salad

Love this kind of meal in the summer.  Minimal heat, maximum flavor, low fuss.  The only problem is that my kids don't get into this kind of meal.  All those colors mixed together- how could I?   

I used some fresh tarragon in this dish.  I have to say that its really what made this dish more flavorful.  In the past if I saw this recipe I might have skipped the tarragon.  Don't skip it.  If you cant find it fresh, you could use tarragon vinegar as a substitute. If you have never tried tarragon, it has a slight anise flavor.  My husband and I really enjoyed it. I definitely want to make it again when I can really load it up with fresh basil and parsley.  No, I didn't have basil in the recipe but it would make a great addition, along with some cherry tomatoes. 

So I have to share what happened the other day.  First I must warn you: Never put your kids in the dryer!
I'll explain why she is in the dryer.  Really, I had a perfectly good reason.  You see my daughter decided to leave a green crayon in her shorts pocket.  It was a washable crayon.  Let me tell you, washable does not mean that it comes off easy from dryer walls after it has melted.  Green - all over my dryer... and my clothes. We cleaned what we could reach.  She helped a lot so she could maybe remember not to stick crayons in her pocket.  I couldn't see the upper wall on the inside.  I had her climb in and wipe there.  I told her that under no uncertain circumstances was she, or her sister, to ever climb in the dryer again. For that time she had a blast, feeling all mischievous for being in there at all. And for your information, Magic Erasers worked perfectly- as soap and water did not.

Edamame and Rice Salad

1 1/2 cups frozen edamame, thawed
2 cups long-grain rice, cooked
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons canola oil
1/4 cup chives, minced
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 teaspoon tarragon, finely chopped
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup roasted red peppers, finely diced

Combine all.  Its delicious as soon as it comes together and equally delicious the next day.