Category Archives: Rice

Pina Colada Shrimp & Rice

1 pound large shrimp, cleaned
1 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup pineapple juice
1 (20 ounce) can pineapple chunks, drained
2 cups white rice, uncooked
1 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup coconut, toasted
1 green onion, sliced

Cook and stir shrimp in hot oil in large skillet on medium-high heat for 4 minutes until almost cooked through. Add pineapple juice and pineapple chunks; bring to boil. Stir in rice and coconut milk; cover. Remove from heat. Let stand 5 minutes. (If all liquid has not been absorbed, cook on low heat additional 2 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.) Fluff with fork. Spoon onto serving platter; sprinkle with coconut and green onion.

6 Servings

Mahi Mahi with Asparagus and Cashews

1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2/3 cup vertically sliced onion
1 1/2 Tbsp. minced peeled fresh ginger
1 Tbsp. grated orange rind
8 garlic cloves, minced
4 (6-oz.) mahi mahi fillets
1 Tbsp. grated lemon rind
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce
1 tsp. sherry vinegar or white wine vinegar
1 tsp. honey
1/2 tsp. dark sesame oil
1/4 tsp. salt
4 cups (about 1 1/4 pounds) asparagus, 1″ slices
1/4 cup coarsely chopped dry-roasted cashews
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
2 cups hot cooked brown rice
Orange rind strips (optional)

NOTE: You can substitute any firm-fleshed, non-oily fillets such as monkfish, tilapia, cod or grouper.

Heat vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion; saute 1 minute. Add ginger, orange rind, and garlic; saute 1 minute. Add fish; cook 3 minutes on each side or until lightly browned, stirring onion mixture in pan constantly to prevent burning. Sprinkle fish with lemon rind and juice.
Combine soy sauce, vinegar, honey, sesame oil and salt in a medium bowl; add asparagus and cashews, tossing well to coat. Add asparagus mixture to pan; cook 4 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Sprinkle with cilantro; serve over rice. Garnish with orange rind strips, if desired. Serving size: 5 ounces fish, 3/4 cup asparagus mixture, and 1/2 cup rice).

Makes 4 servings.

Honey-Mustard Steak Dinner

1 6 oz. package wild and long grain rice, pilaf mix
1 1/2 pounds sirloin tip steaks, 1 inch thick
1/2 cup honey mustard
2 teaspoons freshly ground steak-house seasoning
1 bunch asparagus

Prepare rice pilaf mix according to pkg. directions, cooking about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat gas grill to medium-high or prepare charcoal grill with medium-hot coals. Brush both sides of sirloin liberally with 1/4 cup of the honey mustard. Place on grill and cook aobut 5 minutes, turning to prevent burning. Remove and set aside.
Trim ends of asparagus; brush lightly with 1 tablespoon of the honey mustard. Place on grill and cook aobut 5 minutes, turning to prevent burning. Remove and set aside.
Add sirloin to grill and cook 4 minutes per side, turning once. Let rest 5 minutes before slicing.
To serve, cut asparagus into 1 inch pieces. Stir into pilaf along with remaining 3 tablespoons honey mustard. Slice sirloin across the grain. Serve over pilaf.

Chicken Fricassee

Kids will love the creamy, lemony flavor. Short on time? Use a precooked chicken and canned broth.

1 cup white rice
Salt
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
4 cups Basic Chicken Soup or 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth and 1 cooked 4- to 5-lb chicken, shredded
1 large egg yolk
2 tablespoons heavy cream
Freshly ground black pepper
Lemon juice, to taste

1. In a medium saucepan, mix the rice with 2 cups water and a pinch of salt; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer about 15 minutes, or until the rice is cooked; set aside.

2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the butter over moderate heat. Add the flour and stir together to make a paste; let cook for about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the chicken soup (reserve vegetables and chicken) or broth and let simmer for about 5 minutes, or until it thickens.

3. In a small bowl, beat the egg yolk, cream, another pinch of salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Add a few tablespoons of the simmering broth from the skillet and slowly whisk it in; add back to the skillet. Add the vegetables from the soup, if using soup instead of broth, then add the chicken to the skillet.

4. Reduce heat; add lemon juice. Taste sauce for seasoning; add more salt, pepper, or lemon juice to taste, if needed. Serve with the rice.

How kids can help: Measure ingredients; add lemon juice and seasonings to taste.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1/6 of recipe)

Chicken Casserole D’Iberville

This recipe, from Charlotte Skelton’s book Absolutely a la Carte (A la Carte Alley, $22.95), is named after a community north of Biloxi. When pressed for time, try the Kitchen Express method below. This makes a huge amount – great recipe for freezing.

2 (3-pound) whole chickens
1 cup water
1 cup dry sherry
2 celery stalks
1 onion, quartered
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning
2 (6-ounce) packages long-grain and wild rice mix
1/2 cup butter or margarine
2 (8-ounce) packages sliced mushrooms
1 bunch green onions, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 (8-ounce) carton sour cream
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
1 sleeve round buttery crackers, crushed (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 (6-ounce) can French-fried onions, crushed
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

Bring first 9 ingredients to a boil in a large Dutch oven; reduce heat, cover, and simmer 1 hour or until chicken is done. Remove chicken, reserving broth in Dutch oven. Let chicken cool. Pour broth through a fine wire mesh strainer into an 8-cup liquid measuring cup; discard solids.
Cook rice according to package directions, substituting 4 1/4 cups reserved chicken broth for water and omitting butter. (Add water to broth to equal 4 1/4 cups, if necessary.)
Skin, bone, and coarsely chop or shred chicken.
Melt 1/2 cup butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat; add mushrooms and green onions, and sauté 10 minutes or until tender. Stir in rice, chicken, sour cream, and soup. Spoon mixture into 8 (2-cup) casserole dishes, 8 (5 1/2- x 3 1/2- x 2-inch) mini-loaf pans, 3 (8-inch or 9-inch) square baking dishes, or 1 (4-quart or 15- x 10-inch) casserole dish.
Stir together crushed crackers and fried onions. Stir in 1/4 cup melted butter, paprika, and garlic powder. Sprinkle casserole evenly with cracker mixture.
Bake, covered, at 350° for 20 to 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 5 to 10 more minutes or until bubbly.

To make ahead: Cover casseroles tightly with foil, and freeze unbaked up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in refrigerator. Bake as directed. (Casserole may also be baked frozen. Plan to double the baking times.)

To microwave one frozen, unbaked 8-inch square casserole: Casserole must be in a microwave-safe dish. Cover dish with wax paper. Microwave at HIGH 15 to 16 minutes or until casserole is bubbly, giving dish a half-turn once.

To microwave one thawed, unbaked 8-inch square casserole: Follow directions to microwave a frozen, unbaked casserole, reducing microwave time to 7 to 8 minutes.

Kitchen Express: Use 2 deli-roasted chickens (about 2 pounds each) in place of boiled chickens. Use 1 cup dry sherry and 3 1/4 cups (26 ounces) canned chicken broth to cook rice.

Yield: Makes 12 to 16 servings