May – Stir Fry with Forbidden Rice
by

May – Stir Fry with Forbidden Rice

Are you familiar with black rice, also sometimes called forbidden rice? I have had a package in my pantry for some time. When perusing the cookbook Vegan, Vegetarian, Omnivore (Dinner for everyone at the table) by Anna Thomas I came upon a stir fry using it and was inspired. It’s a vegan recipe called Fried Black Rice with Peanuts.

Forbidden rice is also known as imperial rice, heaven rice and king’s rice. In ancient China, this exquisite ingredient was exclusive to the emperors, who ate it for longevity and good health. It was forbidden to all but the most wealthy and powerful people, thus its name

According to the registered dietitian Beth Czerwony, RD at the Cleveland Clinic

“We know forbidden rice is high in nutrients and antioxidants, which help protect our bodies against disease,” she continues. “It’s also low in sugar, fat and salt, which is important when we’re looking to improve our diets and maintain health.”

 It has more protein, fiber and iron than other types of rice and contains high levels of:

  • Amino acids.
  • Antioxidants.
  • Fatty acids.

For example, a one-cup serving (100 grams) of prepared black rice contains 2.4 milligrams of iron — more than 10 times the amount in unenriched white rice. It also contains 8.89 grams of protein vs. 6.94 grams in white rice.

What does it taste like? Nutty and it retains a bit more bite and is chewy.

We uncovered our grill for the first time this season and served the rice with grilled asparagus and salmon. It was a perfect Sunday supper.

Stir Fry with Forbidden Rice

Stir Fry with Forbidden Rice

Fried Black Rice with Peanuts

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon peanut oil
  • 1 tablespoon dark roasted sesame oil
  • 1 3/4 cup sliced green onions, both white and green parts
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt plus more to taste, or 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt
  • 4 1/2 cups of cooked black rice (I used the brown rice setting on my electric rice cooker)
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon of agave nectar
  • 1 teaspoon of grated orange zest
  • 1 cup of fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped
  • 2/3 cup of roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped (I used Trader Joe’s chili onion peanuts)

Method:

  1. Heat the two oils in a large nonstick pan, add the green onions and salt. Stir over medium high heat for about 4 minutes until they are softened and beginning to turn golden.
  2. Add the cooked rice and stir-fry for about another 3 to 4 minutes until the rice is heated through.
  3. Stir in the lemon juice, agave, orange zest and turn off the heat.
  4. Just before serving, stir in the cilantro and peanuts.
  5. Taste and add more salt if needed.
Stir Fry with Forbidden Rice

Stir Fry with Forbidden Rice

In My Kitchen – May 2024
by

In My Kitchen – May 2024

We were gone a good part of last month so there hasn’t been as much cooking as usual. There are, however, some new things in my kitchen. This post is part of a monthly wrap-up of kitchen stories hosted by Sherry of Sherry’s Pickings. Click on the link to read what has been happening in kitchens around the world.

What have I been cooking in my kitchen? I tried a new air fryer tofu recipe from the blog Pinch of Yum, it was actually quite delicious although I haven’t tried it on my reluctant tofu eating husband yet.

Air fryer tofu

Air fryer tofu

He was out of town for a few days and this was a dinner I made for myself.

Air fryer tofu, roast butternut squash, brown rice and arugula

Air fryer tofu, roast butternut squash, brown rice, avocado, and arugula

I recently found a way to cook artichokes which cuts the time. It involves cutting them in half first, steaming them, removing the choke, then browning them (cut side down) in a bit of oil before serving. You could also pop them on the grill. I credit this one to the blog Smitten Kitchen.

Another new kitchen discovery was a way of cooking sweet potatoes. I know the pictures look like hockey pucks, but the outside is wonderfully crisp and the inside meltingly tender.

Slow-roasted, crispy sweet potatoes

Slow-roasted, crispy sweet potatoes

There are some new ingredients in my kitchen. Travel really expands eating horizons. While in Amsterdam we ate at some wonderful restaurants. At Trees we had a dish that was garnished with tiny pine cones. Who knew you could eat pine cones??? They are a Siberian specialty and I was able to order some on Amazon.

I haven’t had a chance to use them yet but will keep you posted. At the restaurant they used them to garnish a slice of smoked pork tenderloin.

The Chef Mimi Blog wrote about black garlic and a delicious pasta recipe using it with morels. I have been meaning to try black garlic for some time and her post pushed me over the edge. Although I doubt I can get fresh morels, I will try her recipe with other mushrooms.

Also new is this harissa preserved lemon.

Harissa preserved lemon

Harissa preserved lemon

I am looking forward to using it.

The ginger marmalade was new at our local grocery store. I think it will be wonderful as a glaze for chicken.

Ginger Marmalade

Ginger Marmalade

Lastly, I have to tell you about this knife sharpener. I apologize as I cannot remember where I saw it mentioned. It was probably on another In My Kitchen post. I need to tell you that this actually works. My knives have never been so sharp. Over the years I have tried many sharpeners, even electric ones. This one beats them all.

Knife Sharpener

Knife Sharpener

You can buy it on Amazon.

For my curveball (it’s a little off color) I want to show you something we saw on our trip in Prague. This is the statue created by David Cerny.

Peeing Guys

Peeing Guys

I hope it gives you a giggle.

May – Artichokes
by

May – Artichokes

It’s artichoke season, and asparagus season…joy! And although I love artichokes, I don’t love how long it takes to cook them. That is until I discovered a recipe on the blog Smitten Kitchen which shortened the time dramatically. And, why didn’t I think of this???

This is going to be a ‘no-recipe recipe’.

The trick is to cut them in half and steam them. This shortens the cooking time to about 25 minutes.

Artichokes in the steamer basket

Artichokes in the steamer basket

I usually trim them by removing any discolored or small outside leaves, cutting off the tops, and using kitchen scissors to trim any sharp tops of the remaining outside leaves. You can rub the cut edges with lemon to prevent browning but I don’t think it makes much of a difference unless you plan on storing them after the preparation step.

These 4 halves took about 25 minutes to soften. I used a small knife to check if they were done.

Once they are cool enough to handle you can use a small spoon or knife to remove the center choke.

At that point you can put them aside for later or immediately finish them. Heat a skillet large enough to hold a couple of halves over medium high heat, add avocado oil or another neutral oil to coat the bottom. Cook them, cut side down until warm and browned.

Or, I have also cooked them on the BBQ. You can read about them in this post from 2015. Those artichokes came from my Oakland garden before we moved up to Fort Bragg.

Artichoke plants (Oakland)

 

Serve with your favorite sauce. Our choice is mayonnaise thinned with a little soy sauce and a squeeze of lemon. In the 2015 post I used a sauce made with preserved lemon.

Artichoke

Artichoke

Going forward I think steaming them when they are halved will be my go to preparation method.

May – A New Way with Sweet Potatoes
by

May – A New Way with Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are one of my favorite vegetables. I usually prepare them very simply, roasting them at 400 degrees for an hour or so. The timing will depend on their size. I like them best when the skin is charred and the inside meltingly soft.

Sweet potato fries or chunks are also delicious. Add a bit of cornstarch to the batch along with some seasonings and oil, you don’t need much. Pop them in a convection oven or air fryer at 400 degrees until they are done to your liking with a crispy exterior. Chunks of about 1/2 inch in size will take about 30 minutes, shake the basket every 10 minutes or so. Sticks will be a little faster, about 20 minutes. The timing depends on your brand of air fryer, they are all slightly different so you need to keep checking.

I often cook chunked butternut squash in the same way. The cornstarch (you only need a little) ensures the outside gets extra crispy.

Air fryer butternut squash

Air fryer butternut squash

But the title of this post is “a new way”, a way I hadn’t encountered before for preparing sweet potatoes.

Slow-roasted, crispy sweet potatoes

I know they look like hockey pucks, don’t let that put you off. I encountered this recipe in the book Always Add Lemon by Danielle Alvarez, she is the chef at the Sydney restaurant, Fred’s. It’s a cookbook I received as a present a year or so ago and hadn’t had a chance to examine carefully. I recently dusted and reorganized our bookcase and discovered several cookbooks that had been forgotten since they were gifted or purchased.

These take some time but most all of it is hands off. Start them the day before you want to serve them so they have time to dry out a little in the fridge.

Slow-roasted, crispy sweet potatoes (serves 2-4)

  • 2-4 sweet potatoes
  • Olive oil for rubbing and drizzling
  • Sea or kosher salt
  1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F
  2. Pierce the unpeeled sweet potatoes with a fork or sharp knife and rub with olive oil to coast lightly. Sprinkle with sea or kosher salt and wrap them tightly in aluminum foil. Bake until they are completely soft. The timing will depend on their size, usually 1-2 hours.
  3. When done, unwrap the foil and cut them crosswise into several pieces, about 1 inch thick.
  4. Allow them to cool, then crush each piece to flatten it. Try to push the ‘meat’ back under the skin.
  5. Leave the potatoes, uncovered, to dry out in the fridge overnight.
  6. When ready to cook, reheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
  7. Place the potatoes on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Coat each piece with a generous drizzle of olive oil on both sides and sprinkle with salt.
  8. Roast for another hour, flipping them every 15 minutes or so. After that time they should be crispy on the outside, and soft and creamy on the inside. Cook a little longer if they don’t feel super crispy.
  9. Drain on a paper towel and serve. Or cool and reheat when ready to eat them.
Slow-roasted, crispy sweet potatoes

Slow-roasted, crispy sweet potatoes

 

 

 

 

 

 

In My Kitchen – April 2024

I am rushing to get this post out under the cut off time. Sherry from Sherry’s Pickings hosts a friendly community of bloggers who post monthly (or less) about their kitchens and/or kitchen gardens. It is a collection from around the world detailing what is new related to food, or kitchen gadgets, or simply life in general, over the past month (and sometimes longer). Click on the link to Sherry’s Pickings to read them all. Following is my own summary from the past couple of months.

Spring is finally here, but with a very slow start. It’s been cold and very wet, my vegetable garden does not look like spring. I was reminiscing over some photos of it from a few years ago, it’s a sad comparison. I was hoping to be able to cut salad greens before we leave for vacation in the middle of this month…it’s not going to happen. A dry warming trend is on schedule for the end of this week so I may be in luck when we return at the end of the month.

I have been cooking more vegetarian meals over the past couple of months as a result of being told my cholesterol is too high. Our daughter has also been spending more time with us and doing a share of the cooking, which is wonderful but probably not good for my cholesterol level. Her latest recipe has pasta cooked in the sauce rather than separately, something I have been meaning to try but not gotten around to.

Chicken sausage and cheese bake with chickpea rotelli.

Chicken sausage and cheese bake with chickpea rotelli

It was delicious, quite rich.

My husband has also been taking a turn in the kitchen. It’s tough to beat his bruschetta with cheese, sliced tomato and avocado. If we have leftover chicken or some prosciutto, those go on as well.

We have been, up to now, able to get some lovely organic tomatoes at the market. But they are looking rather pathetic at the moment.

In My Kitchen my own efforts have tended more to salads and vegetarian meals.

 

Kale Salad with Butternut Squash and cheddar

Kale Salad with Butternut Squash and cheddar

 

 

 

Linguini with Carmelized Onions

Linguini with Carmelized Onions and Pine Nuts

I was recently reminded of a cookbook written by the late Judy Rodgers from the Zuni Cafe in San Francisco. One of her most famous dishes at the restaurant is brined and roasted chicken served atop an arugula and crisp bread salad. I was surprised to realize that I had never tried it at home. It was a big hit.

Zuni Cafe's Roasted Chicken with Arugula and Bread Salad

Zuni Cafe’s Roasted Chicken with Arugula and Bread Salad

It’s fun to go back and explore history through a personal collection of cookbooks. There was a recent post on the blog Menu Mistress that inspired me to take a look at my own collection. I started with Julia Child, Michael Field, James Beard, and Roy Andres de Groot. Looking over those books again I was struck by how meat centric they were and how much cooking (and eating) has changed in the last few decades. The author de Groot even added MSG to most dishes, not something you would see today.

I have arranged my cookbook collection in the bookcase by topic, I wonder how it would look like if I arranged them on a timeline of influence and acquisition. Something to consider. We need to repaint the bookcase and they will all need to be removed for that project at some point this summer.

There are also the books that are as much memoirs and essays as cookbooks. My favorites are by the authors…M.F.K. Fisher, Betty Fussell, Laurie Colwin, Ruth Reichl, and Alice Waters. Ella Risbridger belongs in that group as well although she is much newer.

My latest cookbooks are more are vegetable, vegetarian, and salad centric.

And then there are the gardening books.

It’s a good thing that my husband has a bookcase in his office because books on cooking, gardening, and travel have pushed most other things out of the bookcase in the living room. It might be time for a purge.

Bookcase

Bookcase

It’s difficult to part with any of them.

And finally…

Did you know that this sweet and innocent looking puppy is a heart surgeon?

Shanna Feb 2024

Shanna Feb 2024

Heart Surgery…

Heart Surgery - Squeaker Beware

Heart Surgery – Squeaker Beware

It is her passion to remove each and every squeaker from her toys, usually with great precision and skill.

 

Although sometimes it takes some work to get it perfect.

This toy was labeled ‘indestructible’.