Basmati Rice Pilaf

This Basmati Rice Pilaf from Once upon a Chef perfectly pairs with your favorite kebab. The raisins or dried fruit really compliments the overall flavor of the rice. I'm definitely going to make this my staple rice pilaf whenever I make kebabs.

1 1/2 cups basmati rice
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 1/2 cups water
1 1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 cup dried fruit, such as raisins, currant, or finely chopped apricots

1) Place rice in a medium bowl and fill it with enough water to cover the rice by 2 inches. Wash and rinse the rice about 4-5 times until the water runs almost clear. Use a fine mesh strainer to drain the water from the rice. Set aside.

2) Melt butter in a pot or skillet over medium-low heat. Add onions and cook, stirring regularly until softened, but not browned, about 4 minutes.

3) Add cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, and garlic. Cook unit fragrant, about 30 seconds or so. Add rice to the pot and cook, stirring constantly for about 3 minutes.

4) Add water, salt and pepper and return to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer until all liquid is absorbed, about 15-18 minutes. Remove from heat and sprinkle dried fruit. Do not stir. Place lid loosely over the pot and allow to sit for 10 minutes. Fluff rice with a fork and serve.

Kimchi Fried Rice with Portuguese Sausage

I had my first taste of Kimchi fried rice during a recent visit to Hawaii. Hubby's cousins took us to dinner at Side Street Inn in Waikiki. I never really liked Kimchi because I just couldn't get past the strong fermented smell of cabbage. But I was on the islands and it seemed to be in a lot of the menus we ordered from. And of course, the cousins ordered it for the table, so I gave it a taste. Man-oh-man was I missing out. Yes, it did have that pungent smell. But boy did it taste ono.

I started seeing posts on Facebook of people making Kimchi fried rice and decided to recreate that yummy dish I had in Hawaii. Kimchi Fried Rice, also known as Kimchi Bokkeumbap, is just the way its sounds. Fried rice made with Kimchi. I did a search on Pinterest and came upon this recipe from Notions and Notations from a Novice Cook. It called for shrimps, but in order to make it Hawaiian style, I replaced them with Portuguese sausage, which I bought at a Japanese supermarket that sold Hawaiian items. You can also use canned luncheon meat like Spam or Polska Kielbasa or Louisiana Hot links for that extra spice. The rice came out just like I remembered. So yummy and flavorful. This has been somewhat of a staple at home for hubby and me (my daughter can't take the spice yet).

3-4 cups cold, day-old white rice
1/2 - 1 cup cubed Portuguese sausage (or Spam, Kielbasa, or hot links)
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp. fish sauce
1 tsp. lime juice
2 Tbsp. sesame oil
1 - 1 1/2 cups kimchi, chopped (juice reserved)
1/4 cup chopped green onions
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil for cooking
salt & pepper to taste
fried egg for garnish

1) Heat sesame oil in a large pan over medium heat for about 1 minute. Add sausage and kimchi and saute for about 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly.

2) Add soy sauce, fish sauce, and lime juice and continue to stir.

3) Add rice, making sure to break up as much of the large pieces as possible and stirring constantly to prevent it from sticking to the pan. Add kimchi juice, one tablespoon at a time, if the rice is too dry.

4) Stir in green onions and season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and place in a serving platter, topped with fried egg for garnish.

Catalan Paella

I know its been approximately 3 months since my last post. Its not that I haven't been in the kitchen much. Its just that I haven't had the time to sit down and blog about my musings in the kitchen. I still try out new recipes, but not as often as I used to. Before I had 2 kids, I would post at least 2 new recipes a week. Lately, however, I've just been making repeat recipes and many, many make-ahead meals. Make-ahead-meals are lifesavers for busy households such as ours. Maybe when the baby gets a little older and more independent, I'll be doing more blogging.

When I do try out new recipes, I always turn to my new found favorite, Pinterest. I have a go-to Paella recipe. However I came across this Paella recipe on Pinterest from Key Ingredient which uses saffron. I happen to have some saffron left over that I wanted to use up, so I gave it a try. This Paella was so much better than my old recipe. I guess it was the saffron that did it, but it had so much more flavor. Saffron is quite an expensive herb to use, so the recipe suggests turmeric as a substitute. But I don't know if it would be as good as using saffron though. I'll probably try this recipe out with turmeric since I've used up all the saffron.

4 Tbsp. olive oil
1 lb. chicken breast, cubed
2 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 medium onion, diced
1 cup arborio rice
1/2 tsp. saffron or turmeric
1/2 cup diced tomatoes
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 cups chicken broth
1 red or green bell pepper, sliced into strips
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 lb. large shrimp (either peeled/de-veined, or shell on)
4-6 small clams
4-6 mussels
*you can use any seafood you like

1) Heat oil in a large frying pan or saute pan over medium heat.

2) Add chicken and saute until no longer pink. Add garlic and onions and saute until soft. Stir in rice and saffron (or turmeric). Continue stirring to coat with the oil, about 1 minute.

3) Add tomatoes, wine and broth. Bring to a boil, scraping the bottom of the pan. Add bell pepper and peas. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes.

4) Add all the seafood and cook undisturbed for 15 minutes or until rice is done. Garnish with fresh parsley before serving.

Arroz Chaufa

Chaufa is a term used in Peruvian cuisine when a rice dish is Chinese-influenced. Arroz Chaufa (or Chinese Fried Rice) is more  of a Chinese based rice dish rather than Peruvian. But it certainly shows how big Chinese cuisine is in Peru.

I first had Arroz Chaufa de Pollo (Chicken) at a local Farmer's Market and really enjoyed it. Recently, I had a taste of it, once again, in the form of beef. As usual, I made it a goal to try to replicate the dish at home. And so I did a quick search online and modified this recipe from about.com. I'm not sure if there is a difference in cooking styles between Arroz Chaufa and regular Chinese Fried Rice, but this dish was delicious, nonetheless. Another great way to use up leftover rice.

1/2 lb. beef, chicken or pork, sliced into strips
1/4 cup plus 3 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger
4 Tbsp. vegetable or sesame oil
4 eggs
1 bunch green onions, sliced (separate the white ends from the green)
1 cup bean sprouts
4 cups cooked rice
salt and pepper to taste


1) In a medium bowl, combine 1/4 cup soy sauce, brown sugar, half of the minced garlic, and 1/2 tablespoon of grated ginger. Add meat and marinate for at least an hour.

2) Whisk together eggs and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoon of oil over medium heat  in a wok or large frying pan. Pour eggs into pan and allow to cook without mixing. Turn the egg pancake over to finish cooking. Remove egg from heat and coarsely chop. Set aside.

3) Add remaining oil in pan. Add the white parts of the green onions and the remaining ginger. Saute for 2-3 minutes.

4) Remove meat from the marinade and add to pan. Saute for a few minutes until cooked through. Add bean sprouts, the remaining green onions, and remaining soy sauce. Continue sauteing until heated through. Add rice and continue stirring until well incorporated and rice has heated through. Mix in prepared eggs and serve hot.

Bibimbap

Last week, our friend, Reni, came down for a quick visit from Portland and we took her out for a lunch at a local Korean BBQ restaurant. We decided not barbecue our meats for fear of smelling like the grill when we finished. So we decided to order our own plates. I decided on Bibimbap, a Korean vegetable and rice dish. I've had bibimbap once before, but it was a more fusion-type bibimbap from Roy's Restaurant. So I felt a little embarrassed that I didn't know how to eat the real, authentic bibimbap. After our other friend, Vivian, took charge and added the house-sauce and mixed it all up, I was able to enjoy this light, yet filling dish.

I enjoyed my dish so much, that it inspired me to attempt to make it. And since it was a light dish, I figured I'd make it today, instead of barbecuing in the heat. The house-sauce reminds me of the sauce I use for one of my Korean tacos. So I figured Bibimbap wouldn't be too difficult to make. I looked at a few recipes and the common way of making it is by just cooking all the vegetables separately and seasoning them with sesame oil and salt. The sauce actually was similar to the sauces for Korean tacos. I finally settled on this recipe from the Food Network. It took a while to get all the vegetables cooked. I also used my Korean Bulgogi Beef recipe and chopped up the beef really finely using a food processor. The final product came out really well and I was quite pleased with the results. So was hubby.

steamed white rice
Bulgogi Beef, finely chopped

1 carrot, julienned and sauteed in sesame oil and salt

bean sprouts, sauteed in sesame oil and salt

1 lb. spinach, blanched and then seasoned with sesame oil and salt

4 cups shiitake mushrooms, sliced and sauteed in sesame oil and salt

2 zucchini, sliced and sauteed in sesame oil and salt

eggs, cooked over-easy

Gochuchang paste (recipe below)

1) Place desired amount of rice on the bottom of a bowl (individual bowl or serving bowl). Nicely arrange bulgogi and vegetables on top of rice. Place an egg on top of vegetables and drizzle desired amount of Gogchuchang paste.

When ready to eat, garnish with sesame seeds and sesame oil and mix all ingredients together.

Gochuchang paste

4 Tbsp. gochuchang (Korean red pepper paste)

1 1/2 Tbsp. sugar

1 Tbsp. toasted sesame seeds

3 tsp. sesame oil

4 tsp. water

1) Combine all ingredients in a bowl until well incorporated.

Indonesian Shrimp Fried Rice

This recipe popped up on my reader the other day from What's Cookin' Chicago? and looked really yummy. I've been looking for a savory dish to make and add on to my blog, because I've noticed that, lately, I've been making a lot of sweets. I need to make more new dinner recipes. And what's not to like about fried rice. This was pretty easy to make. You can make this into a spicy dish by adding some red pepper flakes or diced jalapeno into the sauce. But because my daughter would be eating this, I omitted the spice. Hubby actually asked what makes this dish "Indonesian." I assumed it was the sweetness and spice of the sauce. Whatever it is, this still came out quite good and Hubby and daughter were really pleased with this dish.

2 Tbsp. brown sugar

2 Tbsp. light or mild molasses

2 Tbsp. soy sauce

2 Tbsp. fish sauce

1 1/4 tsp. salt

4 eggs

3 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. vegetable oil

1/2 medium onion, finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

12-14 extra large shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 cups left over cold rice

1/2 cup frozen peas & carrots, thawed

4 green onions, sliced thin

lemon or lime wedges

1) In a small bowl, stir together brown sugar, molasses, soy sauce, fish sauce, and salt. Set aside.

2) In another small bowl, whisk together eggs and 1/4 tsp. salt. Heat 1 teaspoon oil over medium-high heat. Pour eggs into pan and allow to set. Pull the cooked edges towards the middle and tilt the pan to allow runny eggs to coat the bottom of pan. Continue to do this as need until no runny eggs remain.

3) With a spatula, carefully flip the egg to cook the top side. Remove from heat and break into pieces. Set aside.

4) Heat the remaining 3 tablespoon of oil in a skillet over over medium heat. Saute onions, stirring constantly, until translucent. Add shrimp and cook, stirring constantly, until they turn opaque. Push shrimps to the side.

5) Crumble rice into middle of skillet. Cook rice and shrimp until rice is warmed and slightly toasted, about 5-7 minutes. Add sauce mixture and toss to coat. Stir in peas, carrots, and eggs. Cook for another 1-2 minutes. Add green onions and remove from heat. Transfer to a serving platter and serve with lemon or lime wedges.

Indian Basmati Rice Pilaf

I love the Indian rice pilaf that is served in the restaurants. But it never occured to me to look up the recipe. Go figure. However, I heard my friend, Kiran, tell one of our co-workers how to cook rice the Indian way. Unfortunately, I was only able to get bits and pieces of how its done. What I do remember is that the rice must be rinsed thoroughly until the water runs clear and soaked for a while to get rid of the starch, so the rice wouldn't be sticky. Asian rice is normally so sticky that "you can build a house with it," as hubby would say. Indian rice pilaf is soft and fluffy.

I decided to incorporate Kiran's method of cooking the rice with this recipe from Epicurious. It turned out delicious. A lot of the Indian restaurants cook their rice with spices such as cumin seeds. I'll attempt that next time. This rice would go great with my Chicken Tikka Masala or kabobs, which is what I'm making for dinner tonight.

2 cups Basmati rice

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

3 1/3 cups water

1 tsp. salt

1) Rinse rice several times until the water runs clear. Soak rice in fresh water for about 20 minutes. Drain well through a fine-mesh sieve. Set aside.

2) In a 4 quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add rice and cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes. Stir in water and salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Once it starts to boil, lower heat to low. Cover and cook, undisturbed, until rice is tender and water is absorbed, about 20 minutes.

3) Remove from heat. Let stand, uncovered and undisturbed for 5 minutes. Fluff rice gently with a fork and serve.

Green Goddess Rice

I served the Sea Scallops with Saffron Aoli with a side of this rice dish the way Claire Robinson from the Food Network also did. The sauce came out quite tangy. I may lessen the lemon juice it requires next time. Otherwise, the flavors meshed well.

1 1/2 cup basmati rice (I used long grain white rice)

salt

1 small avocado, peeled and seeded

1 cup fresh basil

juice of 1 lemon

3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup water

black pepper

1) In a medium sauce pan, bring rice, pinch of salt and 5 cups of water to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer, stir, cover and cook until liquid is absorbed, about 18 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered for 10 minutes.

2) Meanwhile, put avocado, basil, lemon juice, olive oil and water in the blender and puree. Season with salt and pepper. Add more water and puree until the mixture reaches the consistency of sour cream.

3) Fluff rice with a fork and gently fold in green dressing into warm rice. Taste and add more salt and pepper if necessary. Serve immediately.

Arroz con Pollo (Chicken and Rice)

Man, I am on a roll! This is my third new recipe today. I think I'm using newer recipes more in the beginning of the week because hubby is back in school again. His classes are scheduled more in the middle of the week where I don't have too much time to experiment.

Anyway, I've been dying to make Arroz con Pollo for a long time, but I somehow convince myself not to because it just reminds me of my Paella recipe. I thought, why make another rice dish that tastes the same? But I was watching a show on the Cooking Channel where they were making it, and so it inspired me to give it a try for dinner tonight.

I've seen quite a few recipes online, but I found this recipe from the Cooking Channel. I've modified the original recipe because I didn't have some of the ingredients it called for. I also cut the recipe in half. It came it out quite tasty and it won the approval of hubby and daughter. Its definitely different from paella.

1/4 cup achuete oil (annato seeds cooked in oil)

3 boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into large chunks

salt & pepper to taste

1/4 cup sofrito

1/2 tsp. cumin

pinch of ground cloves

2 cups long grain rice

3 cups chicken broth

3/4 cup frozen peas and carrots

1/2 red bell pepper, cut into strips

Sofrito

1 medium onion, cut into large chunks

8-10 garlic cloves, peeled

1/2 bunch cilantro, washed

2 plum tomatoes, cut into large chunks

1/2 red bell pepper, cut into large chunks

1) First make the sofrito by combining all its ingredients in a food processor and puree until smooth. Set aside.

2) In a wide, shallow pan, heat half of the achuete oil. Season chicken with salt and pepper and cook in the oil for about 5 minutes until it starts to brown. Remove from heat.

3) Heat the remaining oil in the same pan and add the sofrito. Season with salt and pepper. Increase the heat to high and boil until water has evaporated. Add cumin and cloves.

4) Stir in rice until it is coated with the sofrito mixture. Stir in the cooked chicken. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Continue cooking until the liquid reaches the level of the rice. Gently stir in peas and carrots and reduce the heat to low. Cover the pan and cook until the liquid is absorbed, about 15-20 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve.

Thai Fried Rice

I've been making Thai Fried Rice for a while. I had a Thai friend tell me how to make it once a long time ago - throw in some of this and some of that and Voila! I never really had a recipe, but it always comes out really good. I was thumbing through my Thai cookbook, Thai Food and Cooking - one that I hardly open, though I don't know why - and, to my surprise, actually found a recipe. Its almost exactly the same way I used to make it.

Making fried rice is really easy. I decided to make some for dinner tonight because I didn't want to really slave over the stove and wanted to make something quick. What's really great about this recipe is that you can practically use whatever ingredients you have on hand. Just make sure you have the basic seasonings - fish sauce, soy sauce, sugar. My daughter loved this because it had rice and egg, her favorite combination. This was a whole meal in itself, so hubby and I were quite satisfied with this simple dinner.

3 Tbsp. oil

1 small onion, sliced

1 Tbsp. chopped garlic

4 oz chicken (or pork, beef, or shrimp) cut into small cubes

2 eggs, beaten

4 cups cooked rice

2 Tbsp. fish sauce

1 Tbsp. soy sauce

1/2 tsp. suar

4 green onions, finely sliced (for garnish)

sliced limes (for garnish)

sliced cucumbers (for garnish)

1) Heat oil in a wok or large frying pan. Add onions and garlic and cook for about 2 minutes until softened.

2) Add meat and stir fry until met is cooked through. Add eggs and cook until scrambled into small lumps.

3) Add rice and continue to stir and toss to coat with oil and prevent it from sticking together. Add fish sauce, soy sauce and sugar. Mix well and cook until rice is thoroughly heated.

4) Place rice in a serving platter and garnish with green onions, cucumbers and sliced limes.

Chicken and Shrimp Gumbo with Andoullie sausage

I think the first time that I can remember eating Gumbo was at Disneyland last month. I may have had it a while back, but the Blue Bayou's Gumbo at Disneyland has left me a lasting impression. After that meal, I was on a hunt for another great recipe.

My friend Stacy raved about her roommate's Seafood gumbo, so I asked her if she can ask for the recipe for me. But just like a great chef, she did not want to reveal her secret. I don't blame her. There were times when I don't like giving away my recipes either. Except for this blog and a few chosen people. So I guess I was on my own.

I found this recipe and decided to give it a try. It was delicious! I never really liked okra. My mom used to put it in some of her dishes, which I never really cared for. So I could definitely do without all the okra in this gumbo. I think next time, I'll either lessen the amount or eliminate it altogether. Though I think the okra is what gives the dish its texture. This recipe will be great with any kind of shellfish such as crab or lobster. I know it seems like there are a lot of ingredients in this recipe, but it was pretty easy to make. I'll play around with this recipe some more, but I'm definitely making it again. I cut the original recipe in half, because it was too much for just 2 people to eat. I didn't feed it to my daughter because it was a little spicy. Hubby liked it. And just like me, he could do away with the okra.

1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup flour
1 cup chopped bell peppers (I used green bell pepper)
1 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped celery
2 cloves garlic, minced
12 oz bag of frozen cut okra
1/2 lb. andoullie sausage, sliced
1/2 lb. chicken, cut into small cubes
1/2 lb. shrimp (peeled, deveined)
1 quart chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. oregano
3 Tbsp. gumbo file
a few dashes of Tabasco sauce to your taste
2 tomatoes, peeled and chopped
salt and pepper
1 1/2 cups cooked rice

1) Heat oil in a stock pot. Slowly whisk in flour. Stir constantly until the "roux" turns golden brown.

2) Add all the chopped vegetables and stir. Let cook for about 1 minute. Add herbs and seasoning and continue cooking.

3) Slowly add chicken broth, stirring constantly on high heat. Let boil for a few minutes.

4) Add chicken and cook for a few minutes, until it starts to become no longer pink. Add the sausages, shrimp and rice. Continue cooking until the shrimp is done. Serve immediately.

Crockpot Creole Chicken and Shrimp

HAPPY 50TH POST TO ME!!! I can't believe in 3 months, I've made so many different kinds of dishes and have been able to share all my culinary experiences on here.

This is another crockpot recipe I found recently that looked pretty easy and tasty. I've always been interested in the taste of creole food. Up until now, I only know of Jambalaya and Gumbo. I'm still planning on trying to make those one day. When I came across this recipe and saw how easy it looked, I had to try it for dinner tonight since Hubby is out late for school. This dish almost reminds me of my Paella with a little more kick to it. It tasted really good and hubby really liked it. So this will be a recipe that I'll definitely keep using. The recipe called for cooking it for 6 hours, and we all know that I'm out of the house for about 12 hours. And from past experiences, cooking chicken in the crockpot for 12 hours will cause the chicken to turn dry. Luckily, hubby was able to stop by the house in the middle of the day to plug the crockpot in and I was able to come home to the smell of dinner in the air. yummy!

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken (cut up into 1 inch pieces)

1 1/2 cup chicken broth

1 (14.5 oz) can of diced tomato (and its juices)

8 ounces polska kielbasa, sliced

1/2 cup diced cooked ham

1 cup chopped onion

1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste

1/4 cup water

1 1/2 tsp. Creole seasoning

a few dashes of hot sauce to your taste

1 lb. shrimp (peeled and deveined)

2 cups instant rice

1 cup chopped bell pepper

1) Combine all ingredients except the rice, shrimp and bell pepper in the crockpot. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours.

2) At the last 15 minutes of cooking, add shrimp, rice and bell pepper. Cook until rice is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed.

Paella

This is a traditional Spanish dish that made its way to the Philippines. There are different ways this dish can be made, so this is my version. Its a whole meal in one dish. The good thing about this recipe is that you can use any type of shellfish you'd like. I used shrimp and mussels for this recipe. I haven't made this in a while, so I decided to make it for my daughter to try.

2 Tbsp. oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup uncooked basmati rice

1/2 medium onion, chopped

1/2 red bell pepper, chopped

1 1/2 cups sliced polska kielbasa

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

2 1/2 cups chicken broth

1 lb. chicken wings, fried

1/2 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/2 lb. mussels on a half shell

3 Tbsp. annato seed oil (annato seed cooked in oil until the oil changes into a red color)

1/2 cup frozen peas

1) Heat oil in a pan. Add rice. Cook until rice starts to look opaque. Add garlic and onions and cook for about a minute. Add kielbasa and bell pepper and stir until sausages start to brown. Stir in salt and cayenne pepper.

2) Add chicken broth and annato seed oil. Tuck in the chicken under the rice and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3) Add mussels, shrimp and peas to the mixture and cook for another 15 minutes, carefully stirring occasionally, until rice is done.