White Rice

            White rice is polished rice.  Polishing removes the hull and the bran.  It is more processed and has less fiber and nutritional value.  In most households white rice is most common.  It is very versatile in its uses and in combining flavors. 

 

Long grain rice (such as basmanti and jasmine) is all-purpose rice and makes fluffy rice.  Long grain rice is commonly used steamed as a side dish.  It is often mixed with seasonings and vegetables.  It can be cooked twice as in Spanish rice or fried rice.

 

Long grain on the left and short grain
on the right.  Generic long grain
and arborio on thee right

Short grain rice is shorter and wider.  Varieties of this rice are arborio, carnaroli, Valencia, and bella.  It is used for dishes like risotto, pudding, sushi and paella.  These are dishes that are creamy or dishes that the rice is shaped.

 

Left over rice can be added to soups, pancakes and waffles, main dishes, side dishes and desserts.  It can be used in appetizers, formed in balls and cups.

 

This Week’s Challenge – Try serving rice in a new way

 

            Rice is often served by itself in its fluffy state or mixed with other ingredients.  This week’s challenge is about presentation.  Think of a new way to present your rice.  It can be part of a dessert in a parfait glass, molded into shapes with molds, cookie cutters or my hand.  There are many appetizers that use rice as cups filled with something delicious or rolled into balls.

 I made a rice ring.

I cooked long grain rice in the rice cooker.

I took a ring mold.

I lined the mold with foil, making sure
that t tightly fit the mold and over
lapped the edges

I spoon the cooked, hot rice into the mold.

Tightly packed the rice.

 

Then inverted the mold on the serving dish/

 

Tip for this Week – Hand Shaping Rice

 

            Rice will stick together with little pressure.  Allow the rice to cool enough to handle it.  Wet your hands with water.  Place a small amount of rice in your hand and roll it into a ball.  It can be shaped in to rectangles and triangles, as well as balls and rolls.  Try rolling your shaped rice into sesame seeds, chopped nuts, freshly chopped herbs, or colorful spices like paprika or turmeric.  Ingredients can be hidden in the center for molded shapes, like a piece of meat, cheese, mashed beans or other vegetables or pickles.  Rice shapes can be dipped in batter and deep fried.  So get creative and invent something.

 

This Week in Punkin’s Kitchen

 

Green Rice

 

Green Rice in a casserole.

1 pack Broccoli, frozen chopped or one bunch fresh chopped

1 C      Rice, cooked with chicken bouillon cubes (3 C cooked)

3          Eggs, beaten

¼ C     Butter or margarine

¾ C     Onion chopped

1 can  Cream of mushroom soup

1 can  Cream of chicken soup

1 ½ C  Cheddar cheese, grated

2 cans  Chicken or  2 C boiled chicken

            Salt and pepper to taste

 

The ingredients

1.    In a skilled sauté the onions in the butter until the onions are nicely browned. 

 

In stead of using canned chicken, I dice two chicken
breasts and cooked them in chicken broth.

I reserved the broth using it to cook the rice.

 

2.    Mix the all the ingredients together.

 

Rice, chicken and onions.

The chopped leftover broccoli is added.

In a separate bowl I blended the eggs, soups
and melted butter.  Pour over the rice mixture
and stir to combine
 

 

3.    Place in a prepared casserole dish.

 

Spread it evenly in the baking dish.

Top with cheese and bake until hot and bubbly.

 

4.    Bake at 325 degrees for one hour.

 

 

Chocolate Rice Pudding

 

½ C     Rice, uncooked

¼ C     Cocoa

½ C     Sugar

1 t        Cinnamon, ground

½ t       Salt

3 C      Milk

1 t        Vanilla

 

The ingredients

5.    Mix the rice, cocoa, sugar, cinnamon and salt in a double boiler.

I used calrosa rice for this.  It s a short grain
rice used for Japanese cooking.

Mix the rice, sugar, cinnamon, salt and cocoa

Ad the milk and blend

Place the double boiler over a pan of boiling water,

 

6.    In a pot that fits the double boiler, bring water to a rolling boil. 

The double boiler should fit the pot so that the
bottom does not touch the water.

The pot lid fit the double boiler. 
I Allowed the milk to begin to boil,
reduce the heat to low and covered it

 

7.    Add the milk to the rice mixture and mix well.

8.    Place the double boiler over the water and cook one hour and 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

The pot covered.

I stirred it every 15 minutes.  The stirring is
important to prevent scorching and lumping.

It will thicken s the rice cooks.

 

9.    The milk should be absorbed and it should have a nice pudding texture.

Allow to cool slightly before adding the vanilla.

 

10. Remove the double boiler from the water and cool slightly.

11. Add the vanilla and mix well.

12. Refrigerate until serving.

13. Serve with thin cream or whipped cream.

 

Make 5 servings of ½ C.

 

I found the recipe in my grandmother’s recipes.  It is from Delicious, Quick, Easy Riceland Rice Recipes, copyrighted 1952

 

Fish of the Week

 

Tuna a la King

You will need to make a white sauce, or béchamel sauce.  See the posting on September 15, 2016.

Tuna a la King served over a rice ring

 

2 T                   Butter, unsalted

½ C                 Onions, finely chopped

3 T                   Flour

3 C                  Milk

Salt  and pepper to taste

1 t                    Thyme, dried leaves

1 lg. can         Tuna or albacore

½ c                  Peas, frozen

½ c                  Corn, frozen

 

The ingredients

I used albacore juice and all.

 

1.    In a large skillet melt the butter and sauté the onions until soft.

2.    Add the flour and make a roux, cooking to the blonde stage.

3.    Slowly add the milk, whisking to incorporate.

4.    Add the tuna, undrained and stir to blend.

Tuna, peas and corn added. Stir to  blend
and allow the peas and corn to cook.  This
 is a good time to taste and adjust the seasoning. 

 

5.    Add the peas and corn, cooking for a few minutes.

6.    Adjust the seasonings.

7.    Serve over toast or biscuits, rice, potatoes or pasta.

 

I made a rice ring to serve with this.

 

Slice and serve

I topped each serving will some grated Monterey jack cheese.

Note:  This is a great way to use leftover chicken or turkey, too.  Substitute 1-1½ C cooked leftover poultry for the tuna.  Also try adding different vegetables, herbs and spices.

 

Happy Cooking!