Black Rice

Black Rice

            Black rice is also called forbidden rice or purple rice.  I first had this rice on my cruise through the Panama Canal.  It is very unique and more delicate than brown rice.  It is an interesting and elegant addition to a meal.  Black rice is higher in protein, antioxidants and fiber than other rice, including brown rice. It is lower in iron than red rice. 

Wild rice is not a true rice, but I am including it here since it is black.  Wild rice is a grass and a close cousin to rice.  It is gluten free and high in fiber and protein.  It has tough outer shell that resists water in the cooking and a softer inner kernel.  It takes a long time to cook wild rice and it is recommended that it should be parboiled or soaked for a long time before cooking.

Wild rice is on the left and forbidden rice on the right

Rice is used in main dishes, side dishes, salads, soups, desserts, appetizers and beverages.  It is one of our most versatile foods.  It is eaten at all meals and is a breakfast staple in the majority of the world.

This Week’s Challenge – Serve rice for breakfast

            In many cultures leftover rice is served for breakfast the next day.  It can be served warm or cold with milk, sugar, spices and fruit like breakfast cereal.  It can be made into porridge or pudding.  Keep in mind that brown, red and black rice are high in protein.  Be creative.

Tip for this Week – Leftover rice

            Rice will dry out in the refrigerator.  It is important to store leftover rice in an air tight container or wrapped with plastic wrap.  I usually sprinkle a little water over the rice before closing up the container.  If you reheat the rice in a microwave, add a little water to kind of resteam the rice.   If I serve steamed rice for dinner, I often make the leftover rice into a different dish, like fried rice or added to a soup.

This Week in Punkin’s Kitchen

Black Rice Ball

The ingredients leftover black rice and teriyaki salmon

2 C      Rice, cooked or leftover

6 oz.    Meat or fish, cooked and cubed, leftovers

1.    Dice the fish or leftover meat into one inch cubes.  It is easy to make this vegetarian by using diced cooked vegetable like eggplant of squash or pickled fruit or vegetable like plum pickles or olives.

Make sure your hands are wet with water.

2.    With wet hand take a table spoon of the rice and flatten it in your hand.

3.    Place a cube of filling on the rice and top with another tablespoon of rice.

The trick is to use enough rice to just cover

the fish and shape into a ball.

4.    Mold the rice around the cube, into al ball and set aside.

Cover the cube with more rice and roll into a ball.

Check to make sure all the fish is covered.

5.    Continue until all the rice or cubes are used up.

6.    Serve cold or at room temperature.

This is a great summer lunch or picnic item.  In Japan, this is a common summer lunch or bagged lunch item.  It is a great way to repurpose leftovers.  It can be used as an appetizer, breakfast or snack.  This is a nice lunch with cucumber salad.

Cornish Game Hens with Wild Rice Stuffing

2          Cornish Game Hens, thawed and cleaned (I like to debone them)

2 t        Olive oil

½ C     Onion, finely chopped

2          Celery stalks, diced

1 lg.     Garlic clove, minced

3-4      Mushrooms, diced

¼ C     Wild rice

1 C      Broth, chicken or Cornish game hen

½ C     White rice, cooked

¼ t       Tarragon flakes

¼ t       Sage, ground

            Salt and pepper to taste

            Olive oil

            Garlic powder

The ingredients

1.    Prepare the Cornish game hens.  If you debone them, simmer the bones to make the broth to be used for gravy.

The Cornish game hens deboned.  I leave the wing,

thigh and leg bones in to keep the hens in shape.

2.    Heat the oil in a skillet with a lid.

3.    Sauté the onions, celery, mushrooms and garlic until soft.

Saute the veggies until soft.

4.    Add the wild rice and sauté three minutes.

Add the wild rice.  The rice will double in size when cooked.

5.    Add the broth and cover.  Turn down the heat and simmer until the liquid is absorbed.

Add broth or water and cook until the 

liquid is absorbed

6.    In a small bowl add the leftover white rice and the seasonings.

Add the seasonings and mix into the leftover rice.

7.    When the wild rice mixture id done, add it to the white rice mixture and stir to blend.

The stuffing mixed and cooling

8.    Set aside to cool.

9.    Stuff the Cornish game hens with the stuffing and truss the birds.

10. Place the prepared hens in a baking dish.

11. Rug with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic powder.

12. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour.

Out of the oven and resting

I sometimes make gravy from the drippings from the Cornish game hens and any leftover broth.  I like to debone Cornish game hens so that I can easily cut the bird in half lengthwise.  When deboning a bird, always use the bone to make broth.

This a reduction gravy made from the broth of the

bones and drippings from the roasting.  I repeated the

seasoning add to the white rice.

The deboned hen can easily be cut in half

Fish of the Week

Shrimp Creole with Black Rice

The Creole garnished with parsley and

serve with a homemade roll.

1 T       Olive oil

1 C      Bell peppers, diced

½ C     Celery, sliced

½ C     Onion, chopped

2          Garlic cloves, crushed

1 C      Black Rice, soaked for one hour and drained

1 can  Tomatoes, diced

1C       Water

1 t        Oregano, ground

½ t       Thyme, dried leaves

1 T       Sirracha hot pepper sauce

            Salt and pepper to taste

1 lb.     Shrimp, raw medium or large cleaned with tail on

            Parsley, chopped for garnish (optional)

The ingredients

1.    In an oven proof skillet with a lid, heat the oil.

2.    Sauté the bell pepper, celery and onion until soft.

Saute the veggies

3.    Add the garlic and cook a minute or two.

4.    Add the black rice and sauté, stirring, for two minutes.

Make sure the rice is well drained.

Remember the rice will double in size.

5.    Add the tomatoes and water and bring to a boil.

Tomatoes and seasoning added.

Water and juice from the tomatoes added

6.    Add the seasonings and reduce the heat to low.  Cook for 20 minutes

7.    Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Shrimp added and placed in the oven.

8.    Check the amount of liquid and the doneness of the rice.  Add more water if necessary.

9.    Place the shrimp on top of the rice mixture, cover with the lid and set in the oven.

10. Bake 20-30 minutes until the liquid is mostly absorbed and the rice is tender.

11. Remove from the oven and allow to set 3 minutes.

12. Garnish with the parsley.

White rice can be used instead of the black rice.

Happy Cooking!

Brown Sauces

Espagnole sauce is very much like velouté only dark broths and roux cooked to the dark stage are used.  It is flavorful and should complement the meat and not over power it.  Usually a dark roux is used.  Often a mirepoix adds flavor and aroma to the broth or stock.  Sometimes a small amount of tomato sauce is added.

 

We have discussed roux and you should be able to detect the stages of cooking for roux.  It is essential to watch the roux closely and to continually whisk the roux to prevent scorching and burning.  Burning will make the sauce bitter and unenjoyable.  Cook the roux to the dark stage.

 

Sometimes addition thickening is desired.  Do not just add flour.  Mix your thickening with a little water and add to the sauce, whisking continuously.  Flour, cornstarch, potato starch or other starches can be used for thickening.  Some recipes call for bread crumbs or crushed gingersnaps to thicken the gravy or sauce.  It is important to cook after the thickening is added to avoid a raw flour taste.

 

Most dark gravies fall into this kind of sauce.  Gravies are usually made from the meat juices left in the pan after cooking.  The pan drippings consist of fat, broth and protein from the meat and are used instead of the butter.  Of course if there is not enough fat, some butter can be added.

 

Types of sauces in this category are demi-glace, some wine reduction sauces, Robert Sauce, Port Wine Sauce, Sauce Africaine, Lyonnaise Sauce, Sauce Charcutiere, Madiera Sauce, Sauce Bigarde, Sauce Chasseur, Sauce Bourguignonne, Mushroom sauce, Sauce Chevreuil, and Green Peppercorn Sauce.

This Week’s Challenge - Make an Espagrole sauce

 

            Choose a dark stock or broth and a make an espagrole sauce.  Don’t forget to think about how you will use the sauce.  Make up a dish or research a recipe online.  Plan a meal around your sauce.  You may choose to use a variation of this sauce.

The ingredients

Cook the onion, carrot and celery in the butter.
 

Add the flour and cook to a brown roux

Stir the roux wih the vegetables.

Place the seasonings in a cheesecloth or
piece of cotton.

Heat the beef broth

Add to the roux and vegetables.

Add the tomato sauce and the sachet of
seasonings.

Simmer to reduce.

Strain the reduce sauce

Reduce sauce to the desired consistency



print recipe

Espagole Sauce

by Unknown October-15-2016

This sauce is very velvety and adds elegance to any dish.

Ingredients

• 1/4 C Carrots, finely diced
• 1/4 C Celery, finely diced
• 1/2 C Onion, finely diced
• 2 T Butter
• 2 T Flour
• 3 C Beef broth, heated to a simmer
• 2 T Tomato paste
• Bay Leaf
• Sprig of Thyme
• Parsley stems
• Peppercorns
• Garlic cloves

Instructions

1. Melt the butter in a skillet.2. Add the carrots, celery and onion. And sauté until beginning to brown.3. Add the flour and continue cooking and stirring until a medium dark roux.4. Slowly add the hot broth. Continue to whisk and cook to just under a boil.5. Add the tomato paste. 6. Make a sachet containing the bay leaf, 3 sprigs of thyme, some parsley stems, 2-3 garlic cloves and ½ t peppercorns and add to the sauce.7. Lower the heat and allow the sauce to reduce by half just below a simmer, about 45 minutes.8. Line a mesh strainer with cheese cloth and strain the sauce into a clean sauce pan to remove any solids. Discard the solids.9. Keep the sauce warm until time to serve.

Details

Prep time: 20 mins Cook time: 55 mins Total time: 1 hour 15 mins Yield: 2 C

Tip for this Week – Mirepoix

 

Mirepoix is used to add flavor and aroma to stocks, soups and sauces. It is finely chopped carrots 25%, onion 50%, and celery 25% or one part each carrot and celery and 2 parts onion.  Uniformly cut, the smaller the dice the more flavor and aroma is added to the stock.  Sometimes other vegetables are used like mushrooms, leeks, celeriac and parsnips. Sometimes the mirepoix is roasted before adding to the stock; sometime it is cooked in the stock. Mirepoix can be used with white sauce or stocks or brown.  Many cuisines have their own version of this, and example would be the Cajun Holy Trinity of onion celery and bell pepper.

Cut the carrot and celery into strips, then
finely dice them.  The small the dice more
flavor is released.

Cook the mirapoix in butter .  It can be
used in soups and sauces.

This Week in Punkin’s Kitchen

Green Peppercorn Sauce for steak

 

            This is a very elegant dinner for two.  The sauce is smooth and velvety.  I ordered the green peppercorns online.

 

The ingredients

Measure and heat the beef broth

 

 

Drain the green peppercorn

 

In a skillet melt the butter and cook the
steak to the desired doneness.

 

 

Remove the steak and allow to set.

 

 

Add the shallot to the pan that the steak
was cooked..

 

Add the reduce beef broth.

 

Add the cream, brandy and peppercorns.
Cook a few minutes to release the alcohol.

 

I like to serve the sauce under the steak
with just a little over the top.

 

 

From:  http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/filet-mignon-with-green-peppercorn-cream-sauce-15687

print recipe

Green Peppercorn Sauce for Steak

by From: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/filet-mignon-with-green-peppercorn-cream-sauce-15687 October-15-2016

This is a very elegant dinner for two. The sauce is smooth and velvety. I ordered the green peppercorns online.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 C Beef stock or broth
• 3 T Butter, unsalted
• 1/4 C Shallots, chopped
• 1 C Heavy whipping cream
• 3-4 T Cognac or brandy
• 2 T Green peppercorns in brine, drained
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Place the stock in a sauce pan and simmer to reduce in half.2. Melt the butter in a skillet that will hold the steaks.3. Saute the steaks to the desired doneness and remove from the skillet.4. Add the shallots to the skillet and cook.5. Add the reduced broth, cream, cognac and green peppercorns.6. Boil until the mixture reaches and sauce consistency, about 6 minutes7. Taste and adjust the seasoning.8. Plate the steaks and spoon the sauce over them.

Details

Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 30 mins Total time: 40 mins Yield: 1 C

 

Soup of the Week

 

Chicken and  Wild Rice Soup

I made this with homemade chicken
broth and leftover

Remove the fat from the chicken broth and
heat it up.  Add the celery and mushrooms.

When the celery and mushrooms are
cooked add the wild rice and chicken.

Add the seasonings and cook until
the chicken is warmed up.

When everything is hot and bubbly, it
is ready to serve.

 

print recipe

Chicken and Wild rice Soup

by Grace Barnes October-15-2016

I made this with homemade chicken broth and leftover Rice Medley with Mushrooms posted on February 26, 2016. But this is the recipe made without leftovers. It is a great way to use leftover rice.

Ingredients

• 4-6 C Chicken stock
• 2 C Chicken, boiled and broken into pieces
• 1 C Celery, sliced with leafy tops
• 3/4 C Mushrooms, sliced
• 1 C Wild rice or rice of choice, cooked
• 1/2 t Thyme, dried or fresh chopped
• 1 T Parsley, freshly chopped
• 2 t Onion powder
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Heat the stock up while you chop the vegetables.2. Add the celery and mushrooms.3. Simmer until the vegetables are done.4. Add the wild rice, chicken and seasonings.5. Simmer a few more minutes until the chicken is warmed up.6. Serve with crusty bread.

Details

Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 30 mins Total time: 45 mins Yield: 6-8 servings


Happy Cooking!