Forbidden Rice Pudding

I frequently tear out recipes from the local paper, The Roanoke Times.  I sometimes make those recipes.  Occasionally I make the recipe BEFORE the paper yellows and becomes brittle. This recipe is for rice pudding, which is a perennial favorite.  The twist is that it is made with black rice.

Black rice was first cultivated in China and was once considered so nutritious and so rare that it was reserved for the emperor.  Forbidden for all others.  I found it at a local Kroger, so it must no longer be very rare.

 

I thought it looked exactly like wild rice.  So I got some out and compared them.  The black rice on the right is shorter and more compact than the wild rice on the left

Regular rice pudding is sort of bland, but the Black Rice Pudding has a nutty flavor and is more chewy.  When you cook it, the milk turns a pretty purple color.

 

Forbidden Rice Pudding

1/2 cup forbidden rice ( Chinese black rice )
1 cup water
2 1/2 cups whole milk, divided use
3 Tablespoons sugar
1 large cinnamon stick
salt
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

chopped crystallized ginger for garnish

 

Combine the rice and water in a medium sauce pan. 

 

Boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer.  Cover and cook for 30 minutes.  Remove form the heat and let it stand for a few minutes.  I didn't have any excess water, but if there is, pour the rice through a strainer and return the rice to the pan.

 

Add 2 cups of the milk, the sugar, the cinnamon stick and a pinch of salt. 

 

Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook uncovered for 40 minutes.  Stir every 5 minutes or so. 

 

When the 40 minutes are almost up, beat the eggs and the remaining 1/2 cup milk in a small bowl.  Take a large spoon of the rice mixture and whisk it in to the egg mixture.  Do it again.  And then one more time.  You are trying to temper the egg mixture  so that when you combine them, you don't have scrambled eggs in your rice pudding.  This would be bad.

 

Add the tempered egg mixture to the rice and milk.  Cook over medium low heat until the pudding thickens a bit, enough to coat the back of the spoon.  It will take about 4 or 5 minutes.  Do not let the pudding boil....more scrambled eggs...more bad...

Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.  Carefully pour the pudding into a bowl and chill for at least 2 hours.  It will thicken a bit more in the refrigerator.  What is that lump?  Oh, yeah.  The cinnamon stick.  Leave it in until you serve, then remove it.



Serve the pretty, purple rice pudding in a bowl with the crystallized ginger.  I added a bit of Cool Whip, just for fun.  And, by the way, don't skimp on the ginger.  It took a nice, nutty rice pudding and made it really good.

Autumn Beef and Cider Stew

It has been cold and sort of drizzly.  That means soup or stew weather to me. I found this recipe in the Best of Holiday Shopping from the Roanoke Times.  I changed a few minor things.  It was kind of sweet, but then there are a lot of sweet ingredients.  It was good and even better served with a bit of fresh bread or rolls.

 

Autumn Beef and Cider Stew

1 1/2 to 2 pounds stew meat
4 slices bacon, precooked.  If using uncooked, 2 slices
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 can (10 1/2 ounces condensed French onion soup  I used Campbell's
1 cup apple cider
1 to 1 1/2 pounds sweet potato, about 3 cups diced
1/4 cup dried cranberries

 

Cook the bacon in a stock pot on medium.  We pretty much always buy the pre-cooked bacon.  It doesn't make a lot of grease, which is one reason we really like it.  So I used 4 pieces in order to get enough bacon grease to cook the stew meat.  Take a very clean pair of scissors and cut up the bacon into 1/2 inch pieces.

 

Remove the bacon slices and place them on a paper towel to drain.  Trim the yucky parts off the stew meat and cook them in two batches in the bacon grease.  Place the bacon and cooked meat into the stock pot and season with S&P.

 


Add the condensed onion soup and the cup of apple cider to the stock pot and bring to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 1 3/4 hours.

 

After about 1 1/2 hours start peeling the sweet potatoes.  We used a medium large sweet potato.  It is hard to get just the right size hunk of sweet potato.  It should be about 2 1/2 to 3 cups of diced sweet potato.



Add the diced sweet potatoes and the dried cranberries to the stock pot and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook covered for 20 to 30 minutes.  Check at 20 minutes to see if the meat and the sweet potatoes are tender.  If they, are you're done.  If not, cook for another 10 minutes.

The recipe called for unsweetened cranberries.  I couldn't find any, so I used Craisins.    The sweet potatoes, cider and sweetened cranberries all contributed to a slightly sweet stew.  It was also a little thin, so I decided to thicken it a bit. The next bit is optional, but it thickened the stew nicely and so I recommend it.


1/4 cup water
1 Tablespoon cornstarch

 

Put the water in a glass and add the cornstarch.  Stir with a fork until mixed and add to the stew.  Cook until it starts to thicken and enjoy your dinner.

 

We served it with some Potato Rosemary Bread.  And I had some hard cider from Angry Orchard, my most recent, favorite, adult beverage.

I returned from an errand in the kitchen and noticed two uninvited guests observing Lee's every bite. 

 

Here is where I mention that some people, after the children have grown and moved away, develop an unnatural fondness for, and indulgence with, their pets.  We understand we are completely nuts when we allow them to sit and observe our meals.  And I must stress that they are not allowed on the table.  Just allowed to sit on the bench and observe the table.

The dog, however, must remain on the floor.  We're not crazy, after all....

Chicken With Garlic

Once again I found a recipe in the Sunday Roanoke Times that I wanted to try.  I changed a few things.  It turned out pretty good.  We eat a lot of vegetarian meals, but other meals usually include chicken.  You can't have the same chicken breast day after day, so this made a nice change.  The recipe called for legs and thighs.  That means a lot of skin and bones that I have to deal with.  So I switched to chicken breasts.  You can choose your favorite.

 

Chicken With Garlic

1 medium onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, thinly sliced

3 Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro  The recipe called for parsley, but I needed cilantro for something else, so used that.  Use what you like.

3 chicken breasts  Or use legs and thighs.

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
black pepper.  Just a few twists of a grinder or a pinch or two.
1/3 cup vermouth or sherry or white wine.  I used the sherry, cause I had some on a shelf in the pantry.

Two bulbs of garlic, separated and peeled  The garlic became soft and delicious and I wouldn't have minded more, but I got tired of peeling them.



 

Heat oven to 325°. Spray an 8X8 baking dish with Pam.

 

Place the onions, celery and cilantro in the baking dish.  Drizzle the chicken breasts with OO and sprinkle them with the S&P. 

 

Rub it in and place the breasts on top of the vegetables.

Do you know the trick for peeling garlic? 

 

I like to cut the stem end off first.  Then place the side of a large knife on the clove and give it a pound with the palm of your hand. 

 

MAKE SURE THE SHARP EDGE IS FACING THE CUTTING BOARD.   We don't want to interrupt dinner with a quick trip to the emergency room.

 

Little papers everywhere and sticking to my fingers!  Place the peeled cloves around the chicken breasts.

 

Pour the sherry, or whatever you are using, over the chicken.  If you don't want to use an alcoholic beverage, you don't need to substitute anything else.  There is plenty of moisture from the vegetables.  If you insist, pour a few Tablespoons of water on top.

 

Cover and bake for 1 1/2 hours.  Use foil if your baking dish does not have a lid.  Mine started to smell wonderful about 1 hour and 10 minutes in and I tested the temperature.  It was over 165 and so it was done.

 

Serve with a salad.  I used cole slaw.  A delicious and healthy dinner.

Modern Technology

Lee bought me an iPad for our anniversary.  That means I have to use it up to it's full potential.  Right now I mostly use it for emails and playing solitaire.  The totally BEST thing about it is Skyping with my kids. Trista gave my visiting aunts a tour of her home in Nottingham, England.  How cool is that?  I can't wait to take it to my mom's and let her Skype with the Grands.  I also downloaded all my unread Nook books to it.  I save those mostly for when I travel and don't want to take a pile of books.

I am getting comfortable with the things I already know how to do on the PC, so now I have to expand my horizons.  A couple of days ago I figured out how to use my cell phone as a hotspot for the iPad.  Going gangbusters, now!

   

We read the Roanoke Times.  That is because we live near Roanoke and that is the only daily newspaper.  In my opinion, you have to read a paper.  How do you know what is happening in the world?  Sure, I read the news blurbs on the computer that interest me and I watch the news on TV.  Different channels at different times.  But I also think you need to read a paper to stay informed.  Is this because I was a journalism major or was I a journalism major because I like to stay informed?  Chickens and eggs.

Well, I read in the Times that I can also get my subscription on my iPad for free.   I can download it when traveling and stay current.  Or look up old articles rather than digging through our recycle bin.  I hope to be able to copy recipes for later use, rather than having an ever growing pile of torn out articles on my kitchen counter.

And all I needed to do was email in to the Times and they would send me the password for the App I downloaded from the App store.  I waited two days.

This morning I finally called in for the password.  If you do this, make sure you have one in mind as they will ask you for it and then your brain will freeze.  Or try to tell the person on the phone WAITING for you the password you use for your bank account.  This would be bad.  So have one in mind.

   

And LOOK.  Now I can read the paper when traveling.  Or if it is snowing and I just don't want to go get it.  Or if Lee has the section I want.  Yay!

So now I need to figure out how to use the iPad to edit a post for my blog that I started on my PC.  So far that is a no go.  Any suggestions?

Beer Muffins

This is a recipe I found in the Roanoke Times although it was originally from the Monterey Herald.  I wanted something to have with the new chili recipe I was trying and didn't want to fall back on my old stand-by, cornbread.  Don't get me wrong.  I love my cornbread, but I wanted to try something new.

The basic recipe can be changed by adding different beer and cheese.  For instance you could use Corona with jack cheese, scallions and some chipotle chili.  Or go sweet with hard cider, Cheddar and some sugar.  I chose to go with the Guinness.

   

Beer Muffins with Guinness

2 cups flour
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup Guinness
6 Tablespoons butter, melted, cooled, divided use
1 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese, divided use
1 to 2 Tablespoon sautéed onions
1 1/2 teaspoons caraway seeds

Preheat the oven to 375.  Spray a muffin tin with Pam.  I only got 9 muffins, but I could have made smaller ones and gotten 12.

   

Melt 6 tablespoons of butter in the microwave or small saucepan and set aside to cool.  Cover it with a paper towel to keep from splattering the microwave.  Don't use plastic to cover it.  Haven't you been getting those emails?

   

Finely dice about 2 to 3 Tablespoons of onions.  Sautee them in a small fry pan until they become translucent.  Set aside.

   

You don't need a mixer for this recipe.  Just place the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl.  Stir in the beer and 4 Tablespoons of the butter. Stir until everything is moistened. 

   

Add 3/4 of the Cheddar cheese, the onions and the caraway seeds.  Divide the batter among the muffin cups.  I used a large ice cream scoop and got 9 muffins.

Drizzle the rest of the butter over the tops of the muffins and then sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top.

   

Bake until golden and a toothpick comes out clean, about 18 minutes for 12 muffins and 20 to 24 minutes for 9, like I made.

   
   

Cool the pan for 5 minutes and then remove the muffins to a cooling rack.  Serve warm with melted butter.

They were pretty good and I loved the caraway seeds.  I want to try the version with Raspberry Ale , crumbled goat cheese and 6 Tablespoons sugar.  Or maybe the one with Stout and orange zest, 6 Tablespoons sugar and mini chocolate chips.  And I will in about 5 to 10 pounds!

Enchilada Casserole

   

Once a week the Roanoke Times has an article with meal ideas and recipes for the week.  If one catches my eye, I set it aside to make at a future date.  I frequently change it to suit me and that is what I did with their Enchilada Casserole.  It was fast, easy and delicious, but a little too spicy us. That means you have to have ice cream to cool the heat.  At least, that is what we do!  And when I eat the leftovers...and I will...I will add some sour cream.  That always cools the heat on a spicy dish. I would also add cilantro in my next version.

Enchilada Casserole

2 Tablespoons canola oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 10 oz. cans enchilada sauce
1 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 14 1/2 oz can diced tomatoes
1  11 oz can Mexicorn, I used regular corn, don't like green peppers.
1/2 to 1 teaspoon chili powder.  1 teaspoon was a bit too spicy for us so I'll use 1/2 next time.
1 teaspoon cumin
12 to 18 corn tortillas.  Our store only has the huge packages, so we used about 18 of them.  You can use 12 if that is the package size you buy.
3 cups chopped cooked chicken.  We bought a 1 pound slice from the deli.
2 cups Mexican four cheese blend


   

Heat oven to 350.  Spray a 9X13 baking dish with Pam and set aside.

   

Use a Dutch Oven or LARGE frying pan.  Heat the oil and add the chopped onions.  When they get soft, but not brown, add the chili and cumin.  This is where you determine how hot you like it.  If you are a big fat baby about it, only use 1/4 teaspoon chili powder!  Let it cook for a minute or two.  You want to toast the spices and let them soak into the onions.

   

Trim and chop the chicken.  I like to buy a slice from the deli as it is easy and mess free.  You can also buy a rotisserie chicken and chop or shred that.

   

Add the enchilada sauce, tomatoes and corn.  Dump the beans into a strainer and give them a rinse, add them to the pan and give a good stir. Cook until heated through, about 5 minutes, stirring often.

   

Spoon 1/3 of the sauce into the prepared dish.  Layer with 4 to 6 of the corn tortillas.  Sprinkle the top with half of the chicken and 1/3 of the cheese.  Repeat the layers.  So now you will put half the remaining sauce on top and then the tortillas.  Once again sprinkle with the remaining chicken and half the remaining cheese.

Top with the last of the tortillas and sauce and cheese.  Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until all bubbly and melty.  Wasn't that easy?  You can use that time to make a salad or cut fruit and do the dishes!

   

Next time I will add a few Tablespoons chopped cilantro to the sauce just before I use it.  I will also add a dollop of sour cream on top of each serving...and maybe sprinkle with chopped cilantro, just to look fancy!

 

Balsamic Chicken Breasts and Roasted Vegetables

One of my new favorite stores in Roanoke is Oliveto. They sell many types of Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar. They had a write up in a recent edition of the Roanoke Times. As part of the write up they had a few recipes. I played around with the recipes and here is what I came up with via Oliveto and the Roanoke Times!

Balsamic Chicken Breasts and Roasted Vegetables

1 small butternut squash
1 small sweet potato
3 red potatoes
1 large onion
15 or so small peeled carrots
4 Tablespoon Tuscan Herb Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons 18 year old Balsamic Vinegar
Italian Herbs about 1/4 teaspoon
salt and pepper




The Roasted Veg takes the longest, so start with them. Turn on the oven to 450 degrees, Peel the squash and the sweet potato and cut into cubes. Quarter the onion and dump out the carrots. I put them all in the roasting pan and poured the OO and the vinegar on top. Add the S&P and the herbs. Then stir them up and put them in the over for about 30 minutes. Stir half way through and then at about 25 minutes. If they are getting too dark, they are done. Remember the vinegar will add some color all by itself.

Then start the chicken

Chicken strips
salt and pepper
2 Tablespoon Tuscan Herb Olive Oil
Garlic
Italian Herbs
1 Tablespoon 18 year old Balsamic Vinegar

You could use chicken breasts, but we don't eat that much meat and the strips cook up very fast. After you put the veg in the oven, rinse and pat dry the chicken strips. I cut out the thick white tendon. Heat up a cast iron pan and add some OO. I used the Tuscan Herb again. Consistency! When the oil is hot, add the chicken that you have sprinkled with s&p and the herbs. Cook about 3 minutes on one side and then turn.. Add a teaspoon or so of chopped garlic or some whole cloves. Add the Vinegar and cook for 3 more minutes. When you plate the chicken make sure to get some of the garlic and vinegar with it. So good.




I served it with some corn bread, because I had some left over from another meal. Italian bread would be great with this. We had strawberries with some Cool Whip for dessert.