Spicing Up My Rice

[carpy1985]

Hello All :)

I got a new set of Prestige Pans and a Wok for Xmas and since i have been a bit more adventurous with my cooking!

My favourite so far is to bring some water to the boil and add a chicken stock to the pan and adding rice once this has dissolved. Beautiful!

What i want to do next is to add some spice / colour to the rice... but i am a bit fussy and dont like onions and so was wondering what you would suggest i try adding!

So far i am thinking to finely chop in some peppers or something to add flavour and colour!

If it helps this is to accompany a load of diced up chicken (which i tend to dry fry with some Nandos hot sauce)

Also i am Gluten Intolerant which shouldn't make a difference but just in case!

Thanks Guys and Happy New Year!!

Andrew

[merstar]

You can make Spanish rice and omit the onions, ie, sauteed garlic, peppers, tomatoes, and spices, such as chili powder, cumin, etc.

Or sauteed garlic and peppers, along with some green peas and spices. If you have saffron, it's great in this.

Do you like shallots? You can use those instead of onions in many dishes.

[carpy1985]

Must admit I've never tried Shallots. Think my stigma with Onions is that I hate it when they are either fried or people put massive chunks of them in my food.

I may try some of the things you have suggested including some finely diced dry fried onions (I'm dry frying everything at the minute ha) to see what I like.

Not a clue what saffron is though - nothing google won't solve though!!

[4meandthem]

Try some rice salads. use different veggies,different herbs,different onions. Try some different dressings like pesto,italian.tarragon,green goddess etc. serve warm or cold. try different rices too. They all have their own taste/texture.

For example:
cooked brown basmati
small dice red onion
thawed frozen corn
small dice red bell pepper
chopped Italian Parsley
small dice zuccini
Homemade italian dressing with some fine grated pecorino.

[4meandthem]

Try "Blooming" your onions or shallots if using them raw. My wife won't enjoy them unless i do. It just means a quick marinade in vinegar to cut the sharpness. Try different vinegars. 10-20 minutes is all that is needed.

[carpy1985]

I like brown rice so that's a good one.

Some of those things are another language though haha but I'm seeing that there are a lot of options!!

#Newbie
#StillLearning

[carpy1985]

Originally Posted by 4meandthem

Try "Blooming" your onions or shallots if using them raw. My wife won't enjoy them unless i do. It just means a quick marinade in vinegar to cut the sharpness. Try different vinegars. 10-20 minutes is all that is needed.

NOW!!!

That seems like a very, very good option!!

Do I just literally plonk them into some Vinegar or do they require cooking?!

[Siegal]

sometimes I put a cinnamon stick, tumeric (color), and some other whole spices like crushed cardamom, star anise, cloves, etc
sometimes a black lime (loomi) but not with the other spices

[GLC]

Saffron, the real thing, soaked in water for a while to motivate it and added to the not too strong stock. And for depth, shallots sliced paper thin and added during the last five minutes of cooking.

If barely cooked shallot doesn't appeal, slice them thin and fry them in a bit of oil and top the finished rice with the crispy fried slivers.

[no mayonnaise]

Toast up some cumin seeds in a dry pan and toss them in the rice before cooking, along with a bay leaf. Bonus points if you toss a little butter or ghee in the pan just before the cumin seeds finish toasting.

Also maybe you can try risotto.

One of my favorite things is Furikake. You can get it in a million different flavors but it's the equivalent to putting ketchup on fries or cheese on a burger. Just put it on the rice at the table, with maybe some shoyu or tamari.

[inchrisin]

These are excellent for rice balls. The salmon is excellent. Some of them are a little dank for my liking.

[4meandthem]

Originally Posted by carpy1985

NOW!!!

That seems like a very, very good option!!

Do I just literally plonk them into some Vinegar or do they require cooking?!

Just place the raw slices into a small bowl and cover with vinegar.
The furikake is also good but an aquired taste. I am the only one who
eat it my house. There are many to choose from though.

[Greg Who Cooks]

Originally Posted by merstar

You can make Spanish rice and omit the onions, ie, sauteed garlic, peppers, tomatoes, and spices, such as chili powder, cumin, etc.

Or sauteed garlic and peppers, along with some green peas and spices. If you have saffron, it's great in this.

Do you like shallots? You can use those instead of onions in many dishes.

Upon reading the OP these were my ideas too, so just quoting rather than repeating.

Also, suggest you try heating some oil in your pan then saute the rice (don't add any water yet) until it starts to brown, then add the water. If you intend to add sauteed vegetables, saute them first and reserve them aside, add any additional oil and brown the rice, then add the necessary water and reserved vegetables and continue cooking.

I would add green peas at or near the end of cooking because they need warming only not cooking.

Chop up some parsley and sprinkle over your rice just before serving.

You can brown some almond slices or pine nuts in oil or butter, then throw them over the rice just before serving. Or same with bacon or chopped ham.

I'm sure there's more than a million ways to make rice.

Originally Posted by GLC

Saffron, the real thing, soaked in water for a while to motivate it and added to the not too strong stock. And for depth, shallots sliced paper thin and added during the last five minutes of cooking.

I've been looking for ideas on how to use saffron. Does that change the taste or only the color?

I don't know why but I've really never noticed much difference when using stock instead of water. I've been using Swanson canned chicken stock. Somebody please tell me why I can't notice much if any difference. Maybe I'm just a barbarian.

Originally Posted by GLC

If barely cooked shallot doesn't appeal, slice them thin and fry them in a bit of oil and top the finished rice with the crispy fried slivers.

Crispy fried shallot slivers sounds really good! You're making me sorry it's after dinnertime now.

Originally Posted by carpy1985

I like brown rice ...

Try my favorite brown rice. It's Lundberg Jubilee (Lundberg = brand, Jubilee = variety) "a gourmet blend of whole grain brown rice," available at Whole Foods Market or other markets and/or Internet. I've never found anything as good! I'm not sure if it has gluten or not.

[carpy1985]

Originally Posted by Gourmet Greg

I don't know why but I've really never noticed much difference when using stock instead of water. I've been using Swanson canned chicken stock. Somebody please tell me why I can't notice much if any difference. Maybe I'm just a barbarian.

I really love my stock rice at the minute - really changed how i cook! much better than plain boiled rice lol

The way i do it involves bringing the water to the boil, dissolving the stock in said water, then add the rice and once boiling again re-cover and turn the heat down. Leave for approx. 10 minutes. Once done i leave to stand for a couple of mins and then drain and you can deffo taste!

couple of things to note i guess:
Rice - this is with White Long Grain Rice, Brown rice might take more for the stock to penetrate the rice?
Rice/Water Ratio - to get a strong flavour its approx 1 cup of rice : 2 cups of stock water. Or for a slightly milder flavour 1cup of rice : 3 cups of stock water.

Just my findings on this little matter

BROWNING OF RICE
When you say brown the rice in some hot oil, just for simpletons like me - do you mean rice out the packet, (wash rice,) into pan until browned and then pop into my boiling pan of (maybe stock) water?

Further to that - might try only doing that with half the rice... could mix up the colour a little?! anyone tried that lol

[Timothy]

Originally Posted by carpy1985

Must admit I've never tried Shallots. Think my stigma with Onions is that I hate it when they are either fried or people put massive chunks of them in my food.

I may try some of the things you have suggested including some finely diced dry fried onions (I'm dry frying everything at the minute ha) to see what I like.

Not a clue what saffron is though - nothing google won't solve though!!

Hi Carpy, welcome to DC. Your aversion to onions may be textural. My Brother is the same way. For recipes that use onions, he simply blends them, (since they are mostly water anyway), and then strains the solids out of them before adding the juice alone to the recipe.

There are about a million ways to mix veggies for stir-fry and then top cooked rice with the results. Have you made stir-fry in your new Wok yet?

[carpy1985]

I think texture is certainly one! I think finely diced ones could work as way back when before I knew I was gluten intolerant I happily are the ones on McDonald's burgers! I just really hate big obtrusive ones as you say texture wise it's not to my pallet :D

[carpy1985]

Originally Posted by Timothy

Have you made stir-fry in your new Wok yet?

I haven't tried it yet but I am just returning from the supermarket with a few bits to test it out later!!

I have chicken, peppers, diced onions (which I'll dice more), leeks, some spices, sea salts and that's it I think (girlfriend helped with things she thought would be okay in a stir fry)

Oh and bacon of course!

[Timothy]

Originally Posted by carpy1985

I haven't tried it yet but I am just returning from the supermarket with a few bits to test it out later!!

I have chicken, peppers, diced onions (which I'll dice more), leeks, some spices, sea salts and that's it I think (girlfriend helped with things she thought would be okay in a stir fry)

Oh and bacon of course!

It sounds like you're ready for stir-fry! The most important part of stir fry is the "stir". You should use the Wok as hot as you can without it smoking. Then, using only two tablespoons of high heat cooking oil like Canola, put your one inch sized pieces of veggies into the Wok and Turn them constantly, never stopping the turning. Depending on the quantity of veggies, it should only take about 2 minutes or so to bring them to a "still-crunchy" cooked state.

Then, turn down the heat, add your seasonings and any already cooked meat you want, some broth and about one teaspoon of corn starch mixed with a little water. Stir until well blended and simmer for awhile.

Ladle this over rice and you have a meal fit for kings!

[Sir_Loin_of_Beef]

Here is my world famous recipe for Mexican (NOT SPANISH!) rice. I normally serve it with my also world famous Huevos Ranceros Suprema or Beef Barbacoa for Sunday brunch, but I have also been known to serve it for supper with tamales and pinto beans with bacon & jajalapeño:

MEXICAN RICE

Ingredients:

• 1 cup long grain white rice
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• ½ cup beef broth
• 1 14.5 oz can petite diced tomatoes and zesty jalapeños, with juice
• ½ red bell pepper, diced
• ½ green bell pepper, diced
• 1 jalapeño, ribs and seeds removed, diced
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp Mexican oregano
• 1/2 tsp ground corriander
• fresh cilantro for garnish

Instructions:
Pour vegetable broth, beef broth, and juice from petite diced tomatoes into a large measuring cup. Add water to make 2 cups, if required. Put all ingredients into rice cooker or medium sized pot, and cook as you would everyday rice. Fluff finished rice with a fork, place in serving bowl and garnish with fresh cilantro. If you're one of those people who think cilantro tastes like soap, use parsley.

[PolishedTopaz]

Welcome to DC!!!

Along with these other really great ideas, I would aslo suggest a "sofrito" which is a mixture of herbs and other aromatics blended in a food-pro until a paste is formed. Sofirto is a mexican style that is cilanto, garlic, onions, oil and several other ingrediants that escape me at the moment.

It can also be adjusted to suit other reigons, Italian, Indian, French...

To use in a rice dish, take 1/4-1/2 a cup and saute in rice pot for 5 mins on low heat BEFORE adding the rice and water. Add rice and water or stock and proceed as you normally would.

Once this basic sofrito base is done it can be frozen and added to braises, sauces or soups.

Remember.........Play with you food!