Rice Dishes

Rice is the most popular grain across the world.  It makes a nice side dish, but in these recipes they are more of an accent and incorporated into the whole shebang.

Stuffed Peppers

Long or medium grain white rice will be best but you can also experiment with basmati or jasmine.  If you use short grain, the filling will be a bit thicker.  If you go for brown, wild, risotto, or paella rice, you will need to adjust the liquids and cook time.  Sushi rice is not recommended.

Ingredients:

• 5 large bell peppers
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 12 ounces lean ground beef
• ¼ cup tomato paste
• 1 ¼ cups stock or broth
• ½ cup uncooked rice
• 1 cup corn
• 1 cup green or red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 ½ cup mozzarella, shredded
• ½ cup water
• ½ teaspoon cayenne
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 2 teaspoons coriander
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350.
• Remove the tops of the peppers and remove seeds. You can also remove the ribs if you like.  Select a baking dish that will hold the peppers upright and snugly.
• In a large skillet over high heat, saute onion and garlic. Add beef and, breaking up, cook it until brown.  Add all spices and stir well.  Add tomato paste and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
• Add rice, corn, and broth or stock. Bring to a simmer; place a lid on the skillet and lower heat to low.  Cook until rice is just cooked and mixture is still loose.
• Add green or red onion.
• Fill each pepper to half with beef filling; add half the cheese; fill to top with beef mixture.
• Place them in the baking dish and add ½ cup water in the bottom. Cover tightly.  Bake for 45 minutes.
• Top with remaining cheese and bake until cheese is melted.
• Serve with guacamole, sour cream, and/or fresh cilantro or parsley

Jambalaya

For this you will want to go with long grain rice.  While medium or short grains will be okay, the dish will be somewhat sticky.  You may want to try jasmine or basmati, but their fragrance is not generally associated with Jambalya.  Avoid risotto, paella, brown, or wild rice.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 6 ounces bacon, chopped
• 7 ounces andouille or smoked sausage, sliced to about ¼ inch thick
• 10 ounces boneless, skinless chicken, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 12 raw shrimp
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 large onion, minced
• 2 ribs cellery, diced
• 2 bell peppers, diced
• 1 ¼ cups uncooked rice
• 2 1/3 cups broth or stock
• 1 can (6 ½ ounce) crushed tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 cup green onions, sliced
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped or 1 teaspoon dried
• 4 teaspoons sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon cayenne, or to taste
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350
• Heat oil. Add bacon and cook until the fat just begins to melt.  Add sausages.  Cook until sausages are golden and remove mixture to a bowl.
• Place chicken in the pan and cook until golden and remove to the bowl with the bacon and sausage.
• Sear shrimp on each side and transfer to a separate bowl and reserve.
• To the pan, add butter, then garlic, onion, celery, and bell peppers. Cook until soft.
• Add rice and stir.
• Add broth, tomato paste, canned tomatoes, and spices and other seasonings.
• Stir well and add chicken, sausages, and bacon with all liquid.
• Bring to a bubble and be sure all rice is submerged. Cover and place in oven.
• Bake 20 minutes or until rice is soft.
• Add shrimp and green onions. Stir and return to the oven to heat the shrimp through.
• Serve with additional green onions for garnish.

Rice Salad

This is particularly nice with brown rice to achieve a slighly nutty flavor, but you could easily use long grain white rice.  Short grain or sushi rice may become too sticky.

Ingredients:

• 4 ½ cups cooked rice
• 1 bell pepper diced
• 1 small, red onion, chopped
• 1 can (14 ounces) corn, drained
• 1 can (14 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
• 3 tomatoes, seeded and diced

Dressing:

• 1/3 cup lime juice
• ½ cup olive oil
• 1 ½ tablespoon honey
• ½ teaspoon chipotle powder or combination of paprika and cayenne
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder or 1 garlic clove miniced
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

• Combine all dressing ingredients into a jar and shake well. Adjust for taste.
• Place all salad ingredients and rice in a bowl. Drizzle with dressing.  Toss well.