Caribbean Beans and Rice

1lb (2 1/2c) Pinto Beans rinsed and sorted.  Soak overnight in 10C water.

(Note: 12 hours cooking time) 

2 hrs simmer Beans then add:

2 1/2 tsp Salt

2 tsp Oregano (Ground)

6-7 Garlic cloves pressed or minced

1 Tblspn Brown Sugar

Black Pepper to taste

1/3 C Bacon grease 

Continue to cook on low heat for 10 hours

 

Bring the beans and water to a boil and then simmer for 2 hours.  The simmering needs to be separated from the ingredients.  The beans should cook at the lowest simmer for the 8-10 hours.  Ideally, make the dressing  the night before it is served so it has time to marinate.

Pink Dressing

1 Cup Salad Oil

1/2 Cup Red Wine Vinegar

2 Cloves Garlic Minced

1 Tsp Salt

To Serve

Place 1 cup of cooked rice on plate.  Serve beans on top of rice with enough liquid that is goes to the rim of the plate.  Top with shredded lettuce, chopped green onion, shredded cheese (optional) and drizzle dressing on top. 

Recipe submitted by Kathy Brague

Puerto Rican Beans and Rice

I think that all too often, beans and rice don’t get the credit they deserve. They can be delicious, satisfying, nutritious and very inexpensive, but you have to have the right recipe. This is one of those recipes that makes me love beans and rice.



2 TBSP Olive Oil
2 garlic cloves, minced (1 tsp prepared minced garlic)
1/2 cup fresh cilantro or about 1 TBSP dry cilantro
1/2 green pepper, chopped very fine.
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
2 cups black or red beans, pre-cooked (1 can)
2 cups brown rice, steamed in chicken broth (can substitute 2 cubes bouillon)

1. In a large frying pan, heat oil. Saute garlic, cilantro and green pepper.
2. Add tomato sauce and beans. Heat through and allow to simmer for about five minutes.
3. Serve over rice!

How to Cook Rice (without a Rice Cooker)

The other day Jodi and I were talking and she mentioned she didn’t know how to cook rice without a rice cooker.  It reminded me of when I was back in college.  I sat next to this girl and somehow we got talking about rice.  I confessed EVERY TIME I ever made rice it was crunchy, or watery, or just totally a flop! She gave me a secret that fixed my rice cooking from that day forward! Want to know it? Ok- here it is:

When cooking rice, follow your package directions and add a teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon of OIL! That was it, a trick that has worked every time!

Now for some tips we found on the internet at wikihow:

• Instead of cooking the rice in water, you can use beef stock or chicken broth.
• You may wish to tweak the “rice to water ratio” with experience – for example: for larger quantities of rice, you may find a little less or more than one and a half the amount of water results in better rice.
• One cup of dry rice grains cooked in this way is about sufficient to accompany a meal for 2 adults.
• If the rice is a major component of the dish, you might need up to 1 cup of rice per adult.
• Your base measurement doesn’t need to be a cup necessarily – the key is to add 1.5x as much water as rice, whatever the quantity.
• It works best to use the original lid of the pot you use, since it will seal best.
• When the rice first boils, it might weep a bit or even lift the lid. Keep watch and an ear out for the start of the boil.
• These times and ratios are for white rice (e.g. Jasmine, Basmati, etc). If you are cooking brown rice you will need around 2C water to 1C rice and double the time.
• Water boils at a lower temperature at altitude. If you live at a high altitude it will take longer to cook rice.

Baked Rice

1 9x13" pan

3 cups of rice

1 tablespoon of salt

1/2 cup butter (1 stick or cube)

6 cups of water

Pour everything into the pan.  Cover tightly with foil or the lid to the pan.  Bake at 350 for one hour.  Then end. Enjoy!  Honestly, you'll never make rice another way again! Enjoy!  

Optional  for a pilaf type rice, add a package of dry onion soup mix and a couple of cubes of beef bouillon.  Another Option: add a package of Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix.

Green Chile Rice Bake

3 cups cooked rice 

1 pint sour cream

¾  lb. Monterey Jack cheese, cut in to ½ inch cubes

1 (4oz) can diced green chilies

½ tsp Salt (or to taste)

In a bowl, mix all the ingredients together. Transfer to a greased 2-qt. baking dish.  Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until heated through. 

Optional: Sprinkle top with Paprika or top with grated cheddar cheese and bake uncovered for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Rice and Beans

2 cups Rice

4 cups Water

1Tbsp (or to taste)  Asafran

1 tsp Oil

1 cup black beans, drained  (dehydrated and reconstituted or canned)

1/3 - 1/2 Cup Currants or Dried Cranberries

In a pot add water, rice, oil and Asafran seasoning, bring to a boil, cover and lower the heat and cook for 20 minutes.  When rice is done stir in drained beans. Top with currants or cranberries 1/3 to 1/2 cup.  

1 cup Cooked Black Beans (reconstituded beans or canned Black Beans drained)

$1.29 for 5oz bag Asafran Seasoning

Herbed Rice

2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 teaspoons herb blend
1 cup long grain white rice

Bring water, salt, and herb blend to a boil. Stir in rice. Cover; reduce heat to simmer. Cook 18 to 20 minutes or until water is absorbed.

from: Cheryl Driggs www.simplyprepared.com

Mary Moody's Hawaiian Fried Rice

 

 

 

2 cups long grain rice,

4 cups chicken broth

2 packages onion soup mix 

1 cup slivered almonds

1 cube of margine.  

Mix rice, broth, onion soup mix, and almonds together.    Pour into 9X13 glass baking dish.  

Cut margine into little cubes and place on top of mixture.  Cover with foil,and bake at 350 for 1 hour.  Great with pork or chicken.

Fried Rice

3 T. oil
3 cups cooked rice
2 T. soy sauce
3 eggs, slightly beaten (fresh eggs or reconstituted dehydrated eggs)
1/2 c. peas, fresh, frozen or dehydrated and reconstituted
1/2 c. diced carrots, fresh or dehydrated and reconstituted

Heat oil in a large skillet. Add cooked rice. Stir fry until rice is hot and mixed with oil. Add soy sauce; mix well. If rice is dry add 1/4 cup water; stir and cook gently until water is absorbed. Stir in carrots and peas. Make a well in the center of the rice mixture by pushing rice to the edges of the skillet. Pour beaten eggs into the well. Quickly scramble, scraping bottom of skillet to prevent too much sticking. Stir cooked eggs into rice mixture, breaking into small pieces. Makes 4-6 servings.

Optional: Diced red peppers, small pieces of seasoned meat or wheat meat or diced spam may be added for variety.

How To Make Rice Milk

1 cup uncooked organic long grain brown rice
8 cups water for cooking
More water for diluting
1 teaspoon salt
Glass mason jars for storage
A Blender
Mesh strainer
Directions
Thoroughly wash the rice.
Put 8 cups of water in a big pot and bring it to a boil over high heat.
Pour in the rice.
Cover the pot and lower the heat to let the water simmer.
Cook for 3 hours.

You will end up with something that looks a bit like a soupy rice pudding. Add the salt.

In batches, fill your blender halfway with the rice mixture and halfway with water. Blend until very smooth. Strain twice through a fine mesh strainer into a mason jar. Continue on with the rest of the milk until you’re finished, filling jars and screwing the lids on good and tight.

Even with the extra water, the homemade rice milk ends up thicker than the product you might be used to if you’ve always purchased Rice Dream Rice Milk. It’s more like rice cream! You may want to dilute it further at the time of serving it. Just add a bit more water until it’s the desired consistency.

Optional Additions To Your Rice Milk Recipe

A look at the label of Rice Dream Rice Milk reveals that it contains oil. Oil does make things creamier, and we like to add about 2 Tablespoons of organic sunflower oil to our batch of milk.

We also like to add about 4 Tablespoons of Maple Syrup to our batch of milk, as we are still used to the slightly sweeter taste of the Rice Dream product than what you get from homemade. It’s not a big difference…just a little one.