New Spices

After some urging by friends, I tossed some of my older spices. This week, I ordered some new ones, to replace a few that I ran out of recently - and to try some different ones.

Sent by Mark & Reese at Season With Spice, using USPS Express Mail. 3 days after placing the order, I was taking the picture.

Now, to find some new recipes. I am familiar with coriander and mustard. And I have a few curry recipes. Garam Masala I am just learning - and the other two will be completely new.

So, Google is your friend, we'll see what happens.

Sesame Mint Rice, Bengali Style

The difference is in how you cook it. This started out as plain old white rice - see how more interesting it looks, as fried rice? Learn tasty it is!


An online friend gave me a link to a video from a Bangladeshi cooking show (no longer available), where they demonstrate how to cook Basmati rice.

Well, I speak not a word of Bengali, nor do I have any Basmati rice - but the technique used, in cooking the rice, intrigued me.
I've eaten lots of Chinese fried rice (wok cooked), this was the first time I tried frying it myself (in a deep pot, no less). Here, we have all 5 identified healthy spices.

>> See it done!

Ingredients

• 2 C white rice.
• 4 C water (3 1/2 C for the rice, 1/2 C for the vegs).
• 1 t bouillon (opt).
• 2 or 3 pods cardamom.
• 1/4 t cayenne pepper.
• 1 stick cinnamon, broken up or 1/2 t cinnamon.
• 4 (1/2 t) cloves.
• 1/4 t coriander powder.
• 1/2 t curry powder.
• 1/2 t garam masala.
• 1 t ginger.
• 1 T mint.
• 1 T sesame seed.
• 1/4 t tumeric.
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced / 1 1/2 T minced garlic.
• 1 jalapeno pepper, diced (opt).
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped. Or 1/8 C dried, minced onion, with 1/8 C water added.
• 1/2 C yogurt - unflavoured, unsweetened. Or 1/2 C peanut butter, with 1/4 C extra water.

Preparation (Or See it done!)

1. For easiest cooking, get all of the ingredients ready for the pot, before heating it up. It seems like extra work - but the end result is worth it!
2. You want the rice clean and very dry. Only rinse the rice, if specifically instructed on the rice paskage. If you rinse it, let it drain until completely dry.
3. The cinnamon stick is the fun ingredient. It provides little flavour bursts, with the cinnamon stick slivered, then chopped into little 1/8 square fragments. If the cinnamon stick is tough and hard to chop (cinnamon stick is just tree bark), soften it in the microwave for a minute with a teaspoon of water in a saucer.
4. Heat up a dutch oven, and add cooking oil to cover the bottom. Turn heat down to 50%.
5. Saute the rice. Add white rice - and stir frequently, until it becomes a light yellow / tan.
6. Add ingredients to the rice, in proper order. For each ingredient, one by one:
   • Stir the rice, making a hole in the rice, to expose the bottom of the pot.
   • Add the ingredient into the hole, stirring constantly, until the air fills with the aroma.
   • Mix the ingredient into the rice, stir again, and continue with next ingredient.
7. The ingredients, in proper order:
   • Garlic. Stir until aromatic.
   • Onion. Stir until soft and transparent.
   • Mint / Sesame. Stir until aroma is enjoyed.
   • Cardamom / Cinnamon. Stir until aroma fills the air.
   • Other herbs / spices. Stir briefly, until spices are warm. Do not inhale the spices vapour - as cayenne pepper is caustic.
     • bouillon.
     • cayenne.
     • cloves.
     • coriander.
     • curry.
     • garam masala.
     • ginger.
     • dried onion (if not using fresh onion).
     • tumeric.
8. Add water, bring to Boil (100%), stirring occasionally.
9. Add yogurt or peanut butter, and stir.
10. Reduce heat to Simmer (25%), cover - and cook until all visible water is gone, stirring regularly.
11. When visible water is gone, and you cannot hear boiling, stir once more, turn stove off, stir again, cover, and let it sit. Have faith - do not remove the lid to check. Let it sit for 10 - 15 minutes, then uncover.
12. When rice is soft, you're done.
13. Garnish / mix with chopped celery / cucumber / green onion / tomato.

You get flaky, soft rice, with a nutty flavour, and a hint of cinnamon, ginger, and mint. It's not Basmati rice - that's a registered trademark - but it's not sticky like my previous Sesame Mint Rice.

In truth, the only things common between my recipe and the one in the video is "rice", onion, and probably tumeric (maybe cinnamon?). It was still educational, learning how to fry rice.


Sesame Mint Rice, topped with Cuban Style Black Beans.


http://recipes.nitecruzr.net/2015/05/sesame-mint-rice-basmati-style.html



See it Done!

Heat up a pot until water drops sizzle, and add oil.

Add rice, turn heat down to 50%. Stir rice, frequently, as it toasts. Toasted rice has a wonderful yeasty aroma.

As it toasts, rice will get gradually browner.
See the beautiful golden tan? Stir constantly. This is how the yeasty flakiness starts.

Saute rice and garlic briefly, and make a hole to saute the onion.
See how the rice is becoming a beautiful golden brown?

Add onion, and saute until it's soft. Then mix that into the rice.
The rice is becoming a rich, chocolate brown.

Mix the onion into the rice, and make a hole. Add the mint and sesame seed, saute until the aroma fills the air.

Make a hole for the cardamom and cinnamon, and saute that briefly. A new aroma wafts to your nose.
See how dark the rice gets - contrasting with the green mint and white onion and sesame seed?

Add the herbs / spices, let them warm briefly, and mix with the rice.

Note that in contrast with the inspiring aromas of cinnamon, garlic, and mint, the spices will have a harsh aroma.


Inhaling the vapour, as the cayenne pepper toasts, is not recommended.

Add the water and bring it to a boil (100%), add peanut butter or yogurt, mix well.

Peanut butter.

Yogurt.

Simmer lightly (25%), covered, until no water is visible. Stir, turn off heat, cover, let it sit until it's cool enough to not burn your mouth.


You get flaky, soft rice with a yeasty undertone - and hints of cinnamon, garlic, mint. and onion.

Sesame Mint Rice

Encouraged by my recent success with using mint as a spice, I decided to continue.


Jalapeno slices added, as a garnish. What can you do, to photo rice, after all?

Ingredients

• 2 C rice
• 4 1/2 C water (4 C for the rice, 1/2 C for the onion flakes)
• 2 t bouillon
• 1/2 t curry powder
• 1/2 t ginger
• 1 T mint
• 1 T sesame seed
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 T onion flakes

Preparation

1. Start with rice, in water.
2. Bring water to boil, stir frequently.
3. Add bouillon, spices, garlic, onion.
4. Reduce to simmer, cover.
5. Stir occasionally.
6. When all of the water is absorbed by the rice, and the rice barely sticks to the spoon, stir once more, cover, and turn heat off.
7. Let rice finish cooking, and cool.
8. Serve topped with a bit of salsa (Herdez is my fave), sourdough bread, and lemonade.

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A variant of this dish is prepared Bengali style.

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Curry Potatoes

I love the smell of Curry Potatoes with garlic in the evening - it smells like - - - dinner.

Eat first, take pictures after. And this is what was left.

Ingredients

• 6 medium / 12 small potatoes, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 T sliced jalapenos
• 1 T nopalitos
• 1 can chopped tomatoes
• 1 can red beans
• 2 T bouillon powder / 2 cubes bouillon
• 1/4 t cayenne pepper
• 1/2 t coriander powder
• 1/2 t cumin powder
• 1 T curry powder
• 1/2 t garam masala

Preparation

1. Chop potatoes, slice garlic.
2. Heat up dutch oven, until water sizzles on bottom.
3. Cover bottom with oil.
4. Saute garlic 15 seconds or so, just long enough until the room fills with the aroma.
5. Add potatoes, stir like crazy 1 - 2 minutes until potatoes brown just slightly.
6. Add beans and tomatoes, mix. With the right amount of potatoes, the top layer should be 1/2 floating in juice.
7. Add nopalitos and jalapenos, and a bit of juice from each jar.
8. Add spices, and mix well.
9. Bring to boil, reduce to slow simmer.
10. Stir frequently.
11. When potatoes just stick to the spoon, cover pan, turn off heat, let it finish and cool down to not burn your mouth.
12. Serve with sourdough bread, or steamed tortillas - and dark Mexican beer.

Winter Stew

My least favourite season of the year - so maybe I will "celebrate" with a new recipe (OK, I am posting it 2 days late!).

In this case, I had run out of ginger - but mint and rosemary made an interesting substitute.

• 2 T / 2 cubes bouillon
• 3 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, minced
• 3 or 4 good sized carrots, chopped
• 1 can corn
• 1 can peas
• 1 can tomatoes, diced
• 1/2 pound tube steaks
• 1/4 t black pepper
• 1/4 t cayenne pepper
• 1 T chili powder
• 1/2 t cumin
• 1 T dried mint, crumbled
• 1/2 t rosemary, crumbled
• 4 C water
• 2 C white rice

1. Dice, chop, mince, slice fresh vegetables, set aside.
2. Slice tube steaks, into 1/4" medallions.
3. Heat up large dutch oven, add 1 T or so cooking oil, saute garlic 30 seconds or so (I Love the aroma of garlic, frying).
4. Add onions, jalapeno pepper, saute until onion is transparent.
5. Add bouillon, carrots, corn, peas, tomatoes, spices, tube steak medallions, water, mix well. Cook until largest chunks of carrots are chewy.
6. Add rice, mix well. Cook until rice is soft. Stir rice frequently, add water if necessary.

Serve with warm (steamed) tortillas, and dark Mexican beer - Negra Modelo would be my fave here.

Thanksgiving 2014

My neighbours and I are all tired of Thanksgiving Turkey. We sort of got the idea (blame it on the Jack) of having what you come up with.

The rules are simple.

1. Half must be "leftovers", or "whatever is in the cabinet / refrigerator".
2. No going to the store.
3. No burning each other out.
4. 3/4 of the audience (people who did not cook it) have to be able to eat it.

So, we'll see what we get. We all love spicy stuff.

• 3 clove garlic
• 1 medium onion
• 1/2 pound tube steak, sliced 1/4" thick medallions
• 1 can beans (2 would have been better)
• 1 can tomatoes
• 1 C leftover canned corn, in juice
• 2 T sliced jalapenos
• 1/4 C nopalitos
• 2 T bouillon powder (or 2 cubes)
• 1/4 t cayenne pepper
• 1/2 t cumin
• 1/2 t curry powder
• 1 T ginger
• 1/2 t mustard
• 1 T sesame seeds
• 1/4 t tumeric
• 2 C rice
• 3 C water (4 C total, for 2 C rice)

And cook.

1. Saute the garlic and onion (I love the smell of sauteing garlic).
2. Add everything else but rice and water, bring to boil, reduce to simmer, cook 1/2 hour or so.
3. Add rice, and water, being to boil, reduce to simmer, cook until rice is tender.
4. Drink more Jack.
5. 3 of us added just a tiny bit of Tabasco - and we all ate it.
6. See what else we got - but my neighbours don't publish recipe blogs. 8-(

Ginger Sesame Green Beans

Quick, easy to make, came right out of the cupboard when I couldn't find anything else.

• 1 can cooked green beans
• 1/2 t chicken bouillon
• 1 p cayenne pepper
• 1/2 t dried, chopped garlic
• 1 t ginger
• 1 t dried, chopped onion
• 1 t sesame seed
• 1 s soy sauce
• 1 d sugar
• 1 p tumeric
• 1 d vinegar
• 2 C dried pasta, cooked, drained, and cooled

1. Combine everything but the beans in a bowl.
2. Drain the beans into the bowl, and mix the bean juice and everything else, well.
3. Add the beans to the bowl, mix again.
4. Cover mixture, put in refrigerator to marinate.
5. Allow an hour or two for the liquid to soak into the veggies (dried, chopped garlic and onion has to reconstitute).
6. When ready, toss the marinade with pasta.
7. Add green beans, toss again.
8. Serve.
9. Substitute cooked rice for pasta, if you wish.
10. In cold weather, the beans could be warmed in a wok.