Posts Tagged ‘onion’

No Comments

Rice Pilaf


2010
02.23

  • Recipe From: Largely based on the recipe in the Joy of Cooking, but tweaked
  • Yields: About 4 generous servings.
  • Shelf Life: I've found rice lasts for quite a long time in the fridge. The best way to reheat is in the microwave, covered with seran wrap, after adding a drizzle of water. This way the water is heated first, then trapped by the seran wrap steams the rice. No more dry reheated rice!
  • Leftover Rating: 4 of 5. No problems eating this one a few days later- just remember the drizzling with water reheating trick. Reheated dry rice stinks.
  • Freezes Well?: Never tried- let me know if you do!

Tags: ,
Posted in Recipes, Rice, Side Dishes | No Comments »

I’ve been working on this recipe for a short while now. I grew up with rice pilaf made from a box-mix. The Near East brand is actually quite good. I have yet to be able to quite replicate it, but I do like the results of this recipe.

Ingredients:

  • 2 Tbs. butter
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 1 cup rice
  • 1/4 cup Orzo (pasta)
  • 2 cups water
  • 1/2 tsp. salt

Directions:

In a sauce pan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. While the butter is melting, chop the onions. How you chop them is up to your preference, for this recipe I tend to err on the finer side, but still rough-chopped not aiming for any shape in particular. When the butter foams, add onions to the pan and saute. Once the onions have started to cook, reduce the heat to medium, add the rice and orzo and stirring immediately, thoroughly and frequently. Once the butter has been absorbed, add the water and salt, cover and reduce to medium-low heat. Remove from heat when the rice is done.

Rice is done when all the water has been absorbed. This is not to say when all the moisture is absorbed. I like to pull my rice off of cooking heat when there is still a clear coat of water on the grains before it totally dries out. Removing from heat while there is still measurable water in the bottom of the pan is too early.

I tend to double this recipe whenever I make it.

No Comments

Accidentally Vegetarian Fajitas


2010
02.10

  • Recipe From:: Left Field
  • Serves: 2-3

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Recent Adventures | No Comments »

Quick and easy, just threw together some fajitas to use up some leftover tortillas.

Ingredients:

  • Sun-dried Tomato & Herb Tortillas
  • Onion
  • Green Bell Pepper
  • Anaheim Pepper
  • Mushrooms

Heated a combination of olive oil, vegetable oil and butter (totally about 2 1/2 Tbs.) in a medium pan. Meanwhile cut up the medium-sized onion into half-round, 1/4 inch slices, chopped the bell pepper into 1/4 inch vertical strips, chopped the Anaheim pepper cross-ways into rings, and chopped the the mushrooms into 1/4 inch slices. I started the sauteing, on medium-high, with the bell peppers, adding a large pinch of Kosher salt, a light shake of basic chili powder, and another shake of McCormick’s Gourmet Collection Mexican Style Chili Powder. After tossing in the pan a few times, and the peppers just starting to show signs of cooking (2-3 minutes), I added the onion. A few more tosses and the onions becoming translucent (4-5 minutes), I added the mushrooms and Anaheim pepper along with 2 Tbs. butter (just make a hole through the veggies in the middle of the pan and drop butter in), tossing immediately as the butter melted, I then lowered the heat to medium and continued to saute the whole mixture for another 4-5 minutes until everything looked sufficiently cooked.

Taking the pan with veggies, salsa, sour cream, and some grated cheese (cheddar and monterey jack) to the gable, we proceeded to assemble our fajitas. It was at this point I mentioned that I felt I had forgotten something important. I minute or two later after I had layered a heaping pile of veggies, salsa, sour cream, and cheese into my tortilla and was wrapping it up it hit me. Meat! Oh well, they’ll probably still be plenty tasty. Indeed, they were. Though, admittedly they were lacking some of that weight and substance provided by meat. I expect chicken or beef would have worked nicely with this.

No Comments

Pasta & Peas


2010
02.10

  • Recipe From:: Growing Up
  • Serves: 4+

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Entrees, Pastas, Recipes | No Comments »

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. Pasta
    Recommended shapes include:
    • Ditalini (Barilla #XX) *Favorite
    • Mini Shells
    • Elbow Macaroni
  • Onion
  • LeSueur Peas

Directions:

Fill your pasta pot with enough HOT water to cover 1/2 pound of the pasta of your choice- usually a couple inches.
Boil the water over high heat.
When the water boils, add salt- 1 Tablespoon or so should be good.

While the water is heating, Chop 1/2 onion as follows: Thinking about lines of longitude (north-south) and latitude (east-west, equator) Halve longitudinally. Then cut one of the halves into thirds, also longitudinally. Then cut laterally into slices approx 1/4 inch thick. You want to end up with slices like the one in the front-left of the attached picture.
In small non-stick skillet (as long as it is big enough to fit the can of peas…) heat the Butter and Olive Oil on Medium-High until the butter foams.
Add the onion, stirring occasionally until the onions soften and become translucent (about 5-10 minutes)
Add the peas with all liquid from the can.
Immediately reduce heat to low/medium-low.
Add some salt. As if you were salting a plate of food, a few shakes will do.
Simmer, stirring occasionally until the peas look plump and are tender. (about 10-15 minutes)
Remove from heat, pour over pasta when the pasta is done.

When the water boils, and after you have added the salt, pour in 1/2 pound of pasta. Stir immediately, then stir occasionally as it boils until it’s done. Different shapes and brands take different amounts of time. Every few minutes fish out a piece and taste it. If it still crunches, it needs more time!
When the pasta is soft, and chews like cooked pasta, remove from heat and pour through strainer set in sink.
Shake/jiggle the strainer some (with pasta in it) to remove water trapped inside pastas
Immediately pour into a serving bowl, pour just a little (1-2 teaspooons) olive oil over the pasta and stir. This keeps it from sticking together.
Pour the peas over the pasta.
Stir.
Serve immediately.

(oh, and salt & pepper to taste)