dragonlady7 (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
dragonlady7) wrote2008-01-21 07:40 pm
dragonlady7) wrote2008-01-21 07:40 pm
more recipe
Continuing the theme of Eating Stuff We Have In The House Because We Haven't Gone Shopping... which is aided and abetted by the fact that I am in the habit of buying far too much food... we were going to go grocery shopping tonight, but there was an awful blizzard from about 4:00 until 5:10 or so, meaning that the roads were absolutely awful for the ride home. Didn't really feel like chancing Wegman's.
So.
Got home.
Stared at one another.
"What is there?"
"Dunno."
I have the fixins for beef stew, but that takes hours. (I will post that recipe when I make it, though.)
Hmm...
Z finally cracked first. Here is the "stupid-easy" recipe for what we just had for dinner. It was delicious. Also, high in fiber, lowish in fat, kinda up there in sodium but if that's no issue for you... well, it's still not bad. It can also be vegetarian, even vegan with a few substitutions or omissions. And it's high in protein.
Cut up 1 onion.
Mince/grate 1 clove garlic.
If you have it, cut up one red or green pepper.
Saute these ingredients in a large cast iron skillet with 1 Tbsp butter and 1 Tbsp olive oil. (Bacon grease, if you have it, is also good. Fry just one or two slices of bacon, drain off most of the fat, crumble the bacon and add it back in right at the end. You could also use salt pork, probably, but I'm not entirely sure what that is.)
While the onion/garlic/pepper is frying, measure 1 cup brown rice. Add it to the ingredients with the oil once the onion has begun to soften.
Stir all around to coat evenly with the oil.
Drain and rinse one can of black or red beans. (They're too salty if you don't rinse them.)
Add 2 cups water, and 1 Tbsp chicken bullion powder (optional).
Add the rinsed beans.
If you have any, add a can of diced tomatoes, including the liquid.
Bring to a boil.
Cover the frying pan. (If there's no lid, just put a cookie sheet over the top, as long as it covers all the edges; its own weight will make it fit relatively tightly.) Reduce heat. Let simmer 35 minutes, testing very occasionally to ensure that the rice is not sticking/burning, the water has not all evaporated, etc.
It is done when the rice is done. The liquid should almost all be absorbed, the rice should be fairly soft, etc.
One note of advice: don't let it sit in the cast iron frying pan for long after it is done (i.e., overnight...) because it'll start to taste like metal.
You could do it with white rice and it would take a lot less time, but I'm not sure how much shorter a time. Probably about 20 minutes less.
I'm really fond of non-white-rice. Z came up with an excellent mix of grains that's tasty and we use it often when normally one would expect white rice. It fills you up more and is more satisfying on its own instead of as a side dish. He figured out that barley, brown rice, and wild rice all have approximately the same cooking time needs. So:
1/4 cup wild
1/4 cup barley
1/2 cup brown rice
2 cups water
Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, simmer 35-40 minutes, checking periodically to make sure the water hasn't evaporated/rice isn't sticking/burning whatever.
Optionally, after about 20 minutes, add 1/2 cup white rice and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil again. Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes or until wild rice has peeled open and white rice is soft.
You can tell when it's done when: the whole thing has flattened out, no liquid is visible, bubbles have formed stationary holes in surface of rice. If you listen, instead of bubbling it makes a soft crackling sound. When you stir it, it may be a little bit gloppy, but if you fluff it up and stir it around and let it sit for a couple of minutes, it will be done. It should *not* be dry.
You could probably use this mix to make beans and rice but it might be too special, like the Queen waking you up every day.
I don't know if anyone likes these recipe posts, but I sure like doing them. :) (In other words, tough titties! At least I'm lj-cutting.)
So.
Got home.
Stared at one another.
"What is there?"
"Dunno."
I have the fixins for beef stew, but that takes hours. (I will post that recipe when I make it, though.)
Hmm...
Z finally cracked first. Here is the "stupid-easy" recipe for what we just had for dinner. It was delicious. Also, high in fiber, lowish in fat, kinda up there in sodium but if that's no issue for you... well, it's still not bad. It can also be vegetarian, even vegan with a few substitutions or omissions. And it's high in protein.
Cut up 1 onion.
Mince/grate 1 clove garlic.
If you have it, cut up one red or green pepper.
Saute these ingredients in a large cast iron skillet with 1 Tbsp butter and 1 Tbsp olive oil. (Bacon grease, if you have it, is also good. Fry just one or two slices of bacon, drain off most of the fat, crumble the bacon and add it back in right at the end. You could also use salt pork, probably, but I'm not entirely sure what that is.)
While the onion/garlic/pepper is frying, measure 1 cup brown rice. Add it to the ingredients with the oil once the onion has begun to soften.
Stir all around to coat evenly with the oil.
Drain and rinse one can of black or red beans. (They're too salty if you don't rinse them.)
Add 2 cups water, and 1 Tbsp chicken bullion powder (optional).
Add the rinsed beans.
If you have any, add a can of diced tomatoes, including the liquid.
Bring to a boil.
Cover the frying pan. (If there's no lid, just put a cookie sheet over the top, as long as it covers all the edges; its own weight will make it fit relatively tightly.) Reduce heat. Let simmer 35 minutes, testing very occasionally to ensure that the rice is not sticking/burning, the water has not all evaporated, etc.
It is done when the rice is done. The liquid should almost all be absorbed, the rice should be fairly soft, etc.
One note of advice: don't let it sit in the cast iron frying pan for long after it is done (i.e., overnight...) because it'll start to taste like metal.
You could do it with white rice and it would take a lot less time, but I'm not sure how much shorter a time. Probably about 20 minutes less.
I'm really fond of non-white-rice. Z came up with an excellent mix of grains that's tasty and we use it often when normally one would expect white rice. It fills you up more and is more satisfying on its own instead of as a side dish. He figured out that barley, brown rice, and wild rice all have approximately the same cooking time needs. So:
1/4 cup wild
1/4 cup barley
1/2 cup brown rice
2 cups water
Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, simmer 35-40 minutes, checking periodically to make sure the water hasn't evaporated/rice isn't sticking/burning whatever.
Optionally, after about 20 minutes, add 1/2 cup white rice and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil again. Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes or until wild rice has peeled open and white rice is soft.
You can tell when it's done when: the whole thing has flattened out, no liquid is visible, bubbles have formed stationary holes in surface of rice. If you listen, instead of bubbling it makes a soft crackling sound. When you stir it, it may be a little bit gloppy, but if you fluff it up and stir it around and let it sit for a couple of minutes, it will be done. It should *not* be dry.
You could probably use this mix to make beans and rice but it might be too special, like the Queen waking you up every day.
I don't know if anyone likes these recipe posts, but I sure like doing them. :) (In other words, tough titties! At least I'm lj-cutting.)