Rice

Talking about rice… we weren’t?… well let’s!
Rice has been grown since ancient times, although we will probably never know exactly when its cultivation began rice is an important crop and a popular in America due to the many ways it can be used.
I use rice quite a bit and Van’s IGA, here in Forsyth, has a nice selection: short and long-grain, brown rice, instant…; so I went to Van’s and asked Mercedes Vannett, produce manager, which rice she would recommend for sushi and she took me to the rice section and showed me the different rice they carried and pointed out the one that would work best for sushi. She said she uses Calrose Rice - White Medium Grain because it is a “sticky/glutinous” rice; so I purposed the 5 pound bag and headed for home. I then used the following method to cook my rice. This method had been taught to me by one of my friends in Japan. I use this method whenever I cook glutinous rice whether it is for sushi or using it as a side dish.

Boiled Rice

Washing Rice:
Fill a bowl with cold water and add rice. Stir it quickly, and pour off the opaque liquid immediately.
*Quick washing is essential. Otherwise, rice will absorb bran dissolved in water.
Fill the bowl with fresh water from the tap. Press the rice repeatedly 20 to 30 times with the heel of the palm to make the grains rub against each other. Pour off the opaque water. Repeat this procedure about 3 or 4 times until the water becomes almost clear.
Drain the rice in a sieve. Make a shallow cavity at the center of the rice heap, and let it rest for about half an hour in summer and about 40-60 minutes in winter. (Do not cook rice immediately after washing or the grains will not become full and plump when cooked.)
Cooking Rice:
After draining the rice thoroughly, transfer it to a rice cooker. Add water to cover the rice, and turn on the rice cooker. Rice needs to settle after the heat is turned off, but modern rice cookers handle the whole cooking process up to settling automatically.
*If your rice cooker has no settling function, allow the grains to settle with the cooker covered for about 10 minutes after it is switched off.
Finishing:
Open the lid of the rice cooker. Insert a wet flat wooden spoon between the rice and the inside walls of the cooker, and gently overturn and mix the rice. This finishing process will allow the steam trapped inside the rice to escape, and makes the rice crisp and plump.

Rice Molds

Seasoned and colored rice and rice salads make eye-catching accompaniments pressed into small molds and turned out before serving.
• Brush the inside of the molds - cups, timbale, or ring molds - with oil.
• Spoon the rice mixture into the greased molds, pressing down firmly.
• Turn out the individual molds onto plates and serve as soon as possible, before the hot rice cools down.

When my friend Toshiko first came to Hysham as an exchange teacher, we had cooked rice and had some left-overs. That evening we decided to have a snack and I remembered the rice and said that I was going to make Rice Pudding and she thought I was joking. She said she had never heard of putting sugar on rice! She usually put a sweet seaweed on hers (which she had sent from Japan) so I tried her way of eating left-over rice and she tried mine. Both were very good. She still thought, for a long time, that I was joking her about the rice pudding so I had to find a recipe for rice pudding.

Rice Pudding

2 1/2 cups (600 ml) whole milk
1/3 cup (66 grams) uncooked short grain white rice
Pinch salt
1 egg
1/4 cup (50 grams) dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup (40 grams) raisins
In a medium-sized, heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring the milk, rice and salt to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer until the rice is tender, about 20-25 minutes. Stir frequently to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together egg and brown sugar until well mixed. Add a half cup of the hot rice mixture to the egg mixture, a tablespoon at a time, vigorously whisking to incorporate.
Add egg mixture back into the saucepan of rice and milk and stir, on low heat, for 10 minutes or so, until thickened. Be careful not to have the mixture come to a boil at this point. Stir in the vanilla. Remove from heat and stir in the raisins and cinnamon.

Vegetable Fried Rice

Be sure the cooked rice is thoroughly chilled before you start so the rice grains won’t stick together during stir-frying.
1 t. toasted sesame oil or cooking oil
1 egg, beaten
1/2 lb. fresh asparagus spears, cut into 1-inch pieces (1 cup)
1/4 c. chopped fresh mushrooms
1/4 c. bias-sliced celery (1/2 stalk)
2 T. thinly sliced green onion (1)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T. cooking oil
3 T. reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 T. dry white wine or water
Dash ground red pepper
2 c. chilled cooked rice
Ina large skillet heat the 1 teaspoon oil over medium heat. Add egg, lifting the tilting the skillet to form a thin layer (egg may not completely cover the bottom of the skillet). Cook for 1 minutes or until egg is set. Invert skillet over a baking sheet to remove cooked egg: cut egg into short, narrow strips (about 3x1/2-inch). Set egg strips aside.
In the same skillet cook and stir asparagus, mushrooms, celery, green onion, and garlic in the 1 tablespoon oil about 4 minutes or until the asparagus and celery are crisp-tender. Stir in soy sauce, wine, and red pepper. Add cooked rice. Cook and stir about 2 minutes or until mixture is heated through. Stir in egg strips.

Taco in a Pan

1 lb. lean ground beef
2 cups water
1 pkg. taco seasoning mix
2 cups rice
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese - Mexican
2 cups lettuce - shredded
2 cups tomato - chopped
tortilla chips
sour cream non fat
Brown meat in large nonstick skillet; drain. Add water and seasoning mix, stir. Bring to a boil. Stir in rice. Sprinkle with cheese; cover. Reduce heat to low; simmer 5 minutes. Top with lettuce, tomatoes, and sour cream. Serve with tortilla chips. Print this post