Gulf Coast-Style White Rice Pilaf

This rice recipe from Rick Bayless's Mexican Everyday has become a standby for me.  I make it all the time (along with black beans) as an accompaniment to his meat dishes like Chicken Veracruzana and Yucatecan Pork.  In fact, I'm often happy just eating the beans and rice for a meal with just a little good salsa on top.  I don't think I've ever eaten anything like what we call Mexican Rice (you, know, the red rice cooked with tomato & some chiles) in Mexico, though I know there are areas where they do eat that.  So this is the rice side dish I choose.  I got a rice cooker only about a month ago, and I found that it worked just fine on the stove before that, but the benefit of the rice cooker is that it requires a little less checking, doesn't take up a burner on the stove, and keeps at a good temperature and consistency for a longer period of time so it's ready to eat whenever the rest of the food is, which is great for parties.  The original recipe actually calls for baking it in a 350 degree oven for 25 min, but I just cooked it in a covered pot on the stove like I would any rice, so I'll give those directions here. 

Gulf Coast-Style White Rice Pilaf 

Arroz Blanco

1 1/2 Tbs. vegetable or olive oil (I use canola)
1 1/2 cups white rice
1 small white onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 3/4 cup chicken broth (or vegetable broth, for vegetarians)
1 tsp. salt
3 Tbs. coarsely chopped flat-leafed parsley, for garnish

Set a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Add the oil, rice and onion.  Stir frequently until the grains of rice turn from translucent to milky-white, about 5 minutes.  They shouldn't brown.  Add the garlic and stir a few seconds, until fragrant, then add the broth and 1 tsp salt.  Stir a couple of times, the let the mixture come to a full boil.  Reduce the heat to the lowest setting, cover tightly and allow it to simmer for about 20 minutes.  Don't lift the lid until near the very end of the cooking time, when you just lift it enough to test a bit of the rice from the top and middle of the pan (which is the last spot to finish cooking in a pot of rice).  If it isn't done yet, tilt the pan and lift the edge of the rice to make sure there is still enough liquid in the bottom to cook a little longer, add another 1-2 Tbs. of water if it's dry, and put it back on.  You shouldn't ever stir the rice while it's cooking. When it's done, take it off the heat and let it stand about 5 minutes before serving.  Then you can fluff it with a fork and sprinkle it with the parsley for garnish.

For a rice cooker, saute the rice in the saucepan, then scrape it into the rice cooker, add the broth and salt, and let the rice cooker do the rest.

Kale Chips Update

I recently have been using a new recipe for kale chips that works better than my old one.  I have adapted it somewhat here, but the key is that it bakes at a lower temperature so they crisp before they burn and they cook more evenly.  It also has a bit of heartiness from a lovely sprinkling of ground cashews and the tartness of lemon.  Z and I like the nutritional yeast, but C prefers it without.

1 large bunch of kale, washed and dried

3 Tbs extra virgin olive oil

1/2 tsp kosher salt
juice from half a lemon
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper, optional

1/3 cup cashews

1 Tbs nutritional yeast, optional

Preheat oven to 200 degrees.  In a large mixing bowl, mix the olive oil, salt, lemon, and cayenne and set aside. Rip the tough stalks off the kale and rip the rest of the kale into pieces. Remember they will shrink a bit in the oven so bigger is typically better. Grind the cashews with the optional nutritional yeast in a food processor or blender or coffee grinder. You want them to be powdery/crumbly, not cashew butter.

Toss the kale in the dressing so that each piece is coated and sprinkle the cashew mixture on the kale, tossing lightly to make sure each piece gets some.  Lay the kale out in a single layer on 2 large baking sheets. Put the cookie sheets in the oven using both racks and set timer for 30 minutes. Every 30 minutes rotate the cookie sheets up/down, back/forth for more even cooking.  After an hour start sampling. They are done when they are crispy, not soggy. This tends to take about 90 minutes for all of them, but I will pull some kale chips off earlier and give other chips more time. Store in an airtight container.

Miso Ginger Carrot Dressing

Fun times for Labor Day. First a last trip to the pool with some friends that included a discounted hotdog at the snack bar and a good laugh at the looks a passing child gave their youngest as she was singing to herself by the side of the pool. Then off to more food and friends with a sushi feast and viewing of the charming and awe-inspiring documentary "Jiro Dreams of Sushi".

This is a delicious, low calorie Japanese style dressing that we like to have on spring greens as a side dish when me make sushi. (You can see the jar in the back of the photo, next to the salad). Sometimes I have a salad the next day for lunch with this dressing and the extra sushi fillings (cucumber, carrot, green onion, avocado, asparagus, tofu, etc. - not the fish). I like to think it counteracts having overeaten the night before.

Miso Ginger Carrot Dressing

1 Tbs. peanut, grapeseed, corn, or canola oil
1/4 c. rice vinegar (not seasoned)
3 Tbs. white miso
1 Tbs. dark sesame oil
2 medium carrots, peeled, in chunks
2 inches ginger, peeled, sliced across the grain
1tsp. sugar

Blend well in a blender until smooth. Makes about 11/2 cups.

Notes: Sometimes I have to add a little water to make it thin enough to blend. The original recipe had 1/4 cup of oil instead of 1 Tbs., but I like it fine without the extra oil.

Moosewood Gazpacho

Here's the other Gazpacho recipe, in case you want to try them both.  

Gazpacho 

from the Moosewood Cookbook

6 servings

4 cups cold tomato juice
1 small, minced onion
2 cups freshly diced tomatoes
1 cup minced green pepper
1 clove crushed garlic
1 diced cucumber
2 scallions chopped
1/4 cup freshly-chopped parsley
juice of 1/2 lemon & 1 lime
1 tsp. honey
2 Tbs. wine vinegar
1 tsp. dried tarragon
1 tsp dried basil
dash of ground cumin
dash of tabasco sauce
1-2 Tbs. olive oil
salt & black pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients and chill for at least 2 hours.  Sometimes I chop it all finely, and other times I put it in the food processor.  Both ways are great.

Sarah Jay's Gazpacho

Do I ever post a recipe that doesn't come from Fine Cooking or Rick Bayless?  I'm not sure.  But here's another one that we loved from Fine Cooking.  This one caught my eye despite the fact that I'm a diehard fan of the Moosewood Cookbook's Gazpacho recipe.  That one is not at all a traditional Spanish gazpacho, but it's so light and fresh and tastes so good for you its like medicine for the soul and a mouthful of summer all in one.  This one caught my eye because it was a recipe by Sarah Jay, who once served me the best Paella I've ever eaten when we were both visiting our husbands at a residency at the lovely Millay Colony, back before I'd ever heard of Fine Cooking, where she worked.  I was never tempted to repeat her Paella after seeing how much washing up it required, but I figured I could handle a cold tomato soup. 

The recipe is adapted from the traditional one by her Spanish mother-in-law, and it tasted so much like the ones we ate in Spain!  It was full-bodied and smooth on the tongue.  It's a totally different creature than the Moosewood Gazpacho, but I adore them both.  Such a nice way to enjoy these late summer tomatoes!

Gazpacho

by Sarah Jay

Best served icy cold, gazpacho needs to be chilled for at least an hour. Here it's garnished with croutons for crunch and cilantro for a burst of bright flavor, but chopped cucumbers and onions are another traditional garnish. Serves 4 or 5

1-3/4 lb. ripe tomatoes, cored and coarsely chopped (about 4 cups)
1/2 medium green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and coarsely chopped (3/4 cup)
1/2 small red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and coarsely chopped (1/2 cup)
1/4 cup packed torn fresh bread, such as a soft baguette, Portuguese roll, or slice of white sandwich bread, plus 1/4 cup packed 1/2-inch cubes (crusts removed) for croutons
9 Tbs. good-quality extra-virgin olive oil; more for drizzling
2 tsp. sherry vinegar
1 small clove garlic
Kosher salt
Ground cumin
1 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro 

Put the tomatoes, bell peppers, torn bread, 6 Tbs. of the olive oil, the vinegar, garlic, 1 tsp. salt, and a pinch or two of cumin in a blender. Pulse until coarsely puréed, then blend until very smooth, 4 to 5 minutes (it may be a bit frothy). Season to taste with salt and refrigerate until very cold, at least 1 hour.
Meanwhile, heat the remaining 3 Tbs. olive oil in an 8-inch skillet over medium heat. Add a bread cube; if it sizzles immediately, add the remaining cubes (if it doesn’t, continue to heat the oil). Cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown all over, about 1 minute. Transfer the croutons to paper towels to drain and cool.
Taste the gazpacho just before serving and adjust the seasonings as needed. Serve drizzled with oil and garnished with the croutons and cilantro.

Make Ahead Tips

The gazpacho can be made up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated, covered. The croutons should be made the day of serving the gazpacho.

Guajillo Pork and Potatoes

Sorry not to post for so long. I've tried some great new recipes that I ought to pass on. Here's the first for you (I didn't take pictures tonight, but will try to get one of the leftovers tomorrow):

Tried a new recipe today, with some friends as guinea pigs. It was delicious, as I fully expected from my buddy Ricky (can I call him that if I only have an imaginary friendship with him where we hang out in Oaxaca and cook excellent food with the locals?). I had a little struggle with the chiles because I couldn't find regular guajillo chiles and substituted guajillo pulla chiles, which were a little old and dry (meaning they shattered when I tried to split and seed them, unlike fresh dried chiles, which are more leathery and flexible), and they were also quite a bit smaller and hotter than regular guajillos (meaning I had to split and seed and toast many more of them to make 2 oz). I made the chile sauce part and trimmed and cubed the pork the night before, knowing I wouldn't have a lot of time in the morning to throw it all in the crockpot. So you can imagine me in the kitchen at midnight, deciding that the sauce was way too hot and then doubling all the other ingredients and doubling them again, making quite a mess in the kitchen in the process. In the end, it turned out that all my doubling was unnecessary. After the long simmer and adding the other ingredients it turned out the guajillo pullas weren't as hot as I was afraid, and I think the original recipe would have worked out just fine. I ended up mixing back in quite a bit of the full strength original batch. This recipe is very easy if you don't make the mistakes I did, if your dried chiles are fresher and larger than mine, and you don't make the sauce 4 times. The recipe was delicious and well worth the effort, and thanks to all my doubling, we now have enough sauce for another batch. It made enough to serve 8 adults with leftovers (we also had tortillas, beans, rice, salad, etc.).

Guajillo-Spiced Pork and Potatoes

Serves 6-8
Adapted from Mexican Everyday by Rick Bayless
6 medium (1.5 lbs. total) redskin boiling or yukon gold potatoes, cut into 6 wedges
1.5 – 2 lbs. boneless pork shoulder roast, cut into 1″ cubes
8 medium (2 oz. total) dried guajillo chiles, stemmed, seeded, and torn into flat pieces
1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes, preferably fire-roasted
4 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
2 tsp. dried oregano, preferably Mexican
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
salt
cilantro and chopped white onions (I used green) for garnish
Spread the potatoes over the bottom of your slowcooker and top with the pork.
Set a small (8″) skillet over medium heat and once it’s hot, toast the chile pieces, pressing them against the pan with a spatula until they are aromatic and lightened in color underneath–about 10 seconds per side. (Anything more than a whiff of smoke and they're burning - take them off FAST. And don't breath the smoke. Trust me). Transfer the chiles to a blender.
Add the tomatoes, garlic, oregano, Worcestershire, about 1.5 tsp. salt and 1 – 1.5 cups of water (I would choose this based on your slowcooker’s history for drying out foods, how much liquid is already in your tomatoes, etc.). Blend until as smooth as possible, and then strain the mixture through a mesh strainer directly into the slowcooker.
Cook on high for 6 hours, then it can keep on the warm setting for up to 4 hours. I spooned most of the fat off the top and discarded it. Also, my sauce was too runny because I had added the extra tomatoes, etc., so I ended up simmering down some of the sauce to thicken it and returned it to the crockpot.

This was my first attempt at a goal I have for the next year to have people over at least once a month. With so many dear friends moving away, I'm starting to feel cut off and decided I need to make more of an effort to reach out to other friends and to make some new ones. This recipe was a good one for keeping today low stress - once I had it in the cooker this morning, there was little else to prepare. Just threw together a salad, heated some tortillas, warmed beans from the freezer and put some of Rick's Gulf Coast White Rice Pilaf in the rice cooker. It was nice to have so little last minute preparations to do when our friends arrived. Lower stress and more time to enjoy their company. Plus it helps to let them do some of the prep work: one brought guacamole and the other brought a flourless chocolate cake. Both were fantastic. Good company, good food; I think I can get into this new habit! Anyone up for an Indian curry party next month? Everyone has to bring a curry. (Yes, A, I obviously stole the idea from you).