What's your favorite way to dress up rice?

[Janet H]

Here's my favorite thing to do with with leftover basmati or jasmine rice.

Melt a generous amount of butter (maybe 2 T) in the bottom of a heavy skillet. Add several cups of cooked rice and gently pack it down onto bottom of the pan. Cook until crispy on bottom - do not stir. Turn the rice out onto a plate, crispy side up and squeeze on lemon juice.

Serve it as a side dish or top each serving with a soft cooked egg and serve as a main course.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

My Mother-in-Law brought home a recipe from a church pot luck long before ZI met my wife. She taught it to me and I adapted it to stove-top cooking rather than baking in a casserole dish. It's a rice dish made as follows. I don't know the real name for this dish as my in-laws, when kids, named it Ralph. In spite of the name, it's delicious.

Full Batch, Original Recipe Ingredients:
4 ½ cups water
2 pkg. Lipton’s Chicken Soup
1 cup Long Grain Rice
1 cup Chopped Celery
¼ cup Slivered Almonds (optional)
1 Onion, diced
2 lbs. Ground beef, browned

Place all ingredients into a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook for 45 minutes. Test to make sure the rice is done. Serve.

Modified for a family of 4 to 5
Ingredients:
2 ¾ cup water
1 pkg. Lipton’s Chicken Soup
1 ½ lbs. Ground beef, browned
1 stalk Celery, sliced
¾ cup diced Onion
2 tbs. butter.

Combine all ingredients into a suitable pot and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low simmer. Cook for 45 minutes. Serve

I also like to add rubbed sage or thyme to mine, but my wife doesn't.

Seeeeya; Goodweed of the North

 

[Kayelle]

I like to use different liquids to make my rice (and other grains). Chicken stock is one that many people already do. A favorite of mine though is cranberry juice (cut with some water). It tastes great and can look great too.

Hmmmmmmm Now there's a new quick idea, GB. That cranberry juice thing sounds interesting. Think I'll throw in some dried cranberries too.
Thanks for the idea.

 

[ChefJune]

I have never cared much for plain rice, except as a vehicle for chinese food. However, when I started making pilaus I fell in love. (also spelled pilaf or purlow, they're all basically the same).

I don't use "convenience" foods (because they are loaded with salt and chemicals) except occasionally a canned chicken stock.

Start with a bit of oil or butter in your hot pan, add chopped onions and saute until translucent. Add chopped celery, carrots, garlic, and/or bell peppers. Saute until all is soft but not brown. Then add rice and a bit of salt and pepper, and stir to coat with the oil. Add liquid of your choice in the correct proportion for the rice you're using. (We use brown rice in various permutations, so ours takes 45 minutes to cook, covered.

Yum.

 

[bigdaddy3k]

Rice is a huge flavor sponge! Any broth will soak into it. I have many ethnic grocery options around my house. I have gone to all and picked up the most excellent bullions. Mushroom, beet, olive oil and herb, chicken and tomato, tomato and chipotle, as well as the normal veggie chicken beef. Any of these makes rice better.

 

[Jeff G.]

I cook rice a LOT. I am an American expat living in the Middle East and have spent most of the last 6 years in either the Middle East or Asia. Rice has become my primary starch. I use it often when I make various stir-fry dishes, naturally, but more often serve it as a side dish with a meat and a veggie.

When I was a kid, rice was served with butter and salt and that's what rice was supposed to taste like. I still like a good buttery rice now and again....but once I started cutting down my butter and salt intake some years ago I became accustomed to eating rice plain. My favorite is brown basmanti rice because I like the added texture.

The problem is, after years of eating plain rice....I am becoming bored with it. I've tried experimenting by adding some spices here and there, but nothing comes out right. So....help me out. What are some of your easy/favorite ways to add (healthy) flavor to rice?

White rice.. I like milk and a touch of sugar.. hold over from when I was a kid.

Fried rice.. anything with bacon is good..

 

[roadfix]

I eat plain rice several times during the week. But on occasion I would sprinkle furikake or make ochazuke (green tea over rice topped with small bits of salmon, seaweed, or whatever left over from the previous night).

 

[2day2eat]

Fried rice with omelet, bacon and pepper mmmm

 

[babetoo]

Well, this is healthy...maybe.

There is the simple rice w/cream of mushroom soup w/added mushrooms, baked.

Cheesy rice, similar to make'n homemade mac & cheese w/a roux. Add some corn & mushrooms &/or broccoli to that also.

Shrimp fried rice, veggie fried rice, plain w/soy sauce.

Now I'm hungry.

most cream of mushroom is big time salty. cream of celery is a bit less. soups in general way to salty to be healthy.

 

[babetoo]

I like to use different liquids to make my rice (and other grains). Chicken stock is one that many people already do. A favorite of mine though is cranberry juice (cut with some water). It tastes great and can look great too.

what are measures for diluting with water. this sounds like i should give it a try. on a salt restricted diet.

 

[GB]

I think I eventually settled on 50/50.

 

[babetoo]

I think I eventually settled on 50/50.

thank you so much. we definitely make.

 

[spork]

I eat plain rice several times during the week. But on occasion I would sprinkle furikake or make ochazuke (green tea over rice topped with small bits of salmon, seaweed, or whatever left over from the previous night).

There are dozens of blends of furikake ("shake pour"), mostly dried spices and other ingredients. A common one is sea salt and toasted sesame. There are a dozen blends of ochazuke ("tea add") too with powdered tea pre-mixed into them, just add hot water to make a sort of porridge.

Try a poached egg on single serving of rice, lightly drizzled with soy sauce.