I don’t make sushi at home very often, or ever, since we’re surrounded by top-notch sushi chefs here in San Francisco, but that doesn’t mean I don’t make sushi rice. I think sushi rice makes a perfect side dish for just about any grilled meat, and since it’s perfectly fine at room temperature, it’s great for picnics.
You can even turn it into some quick tortilla-less tacos using nori seaweed wraps, as seen in the video. They make for such a unique summer meal – the perfect delivery system for any and all leftovers. I even seen it rolled into balls, and tossed in toasted sesame seeds, or seaweed, and served like truffles.
What I’m trying to say is, you can do a lot with this stuff. Including sushi. There are thousands of videos on YouTube showing how to make literally every type of sushi in existence, so check those out if you’re so inclined. Maybe one of these days I’ll even give it a go, if only for the “constructive criticism.”I really hope you give this sushi rice technique a try soon.Enjoy!
2 cups sushi rice, rinsed well, and left to dry for one hour
2 1/4 cups water
1/4 to 1/3 cup seasoned *rice vinegar, or to taste
* I buy mine already seasoned, but to make your own seasoned rice vinegar; combine:
There are many of foods I’ll stand in line for, and/or pay too much for, but Hawaiian-style tuna poke isn’t one of them. I can’t make a world-class croissant at home. I can make a decent one, but not a perfect one, so I’ll happily queue up at a boulangerie that does.
However, when it comes to poke, the technique is so basic that even the most inexperienced cooks can get something pretty much identical to what they’d get out. There’s one catch though. You have to use only the freshest possible tuna, even if that means it’s frozen.
Hopefully you’ll be able to get a hold of some fresh, sushi-grade tuna, but if you can’t, frozen will work. What many people don’t realize, is that most of the fish they enjoy at their favorite sushi restaurants has actually been frozen beforehand anyway. Google it, it’s true.
So, as long as the tuna is Grade A, or sushi grade, the frozen variety will work. Above and beyond that, all the other ingredients, except for the soy sauce, are optional. So, please use this video as merely a guide to the technique, understanding that this will work with so many different ingredients. I really hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!
Makes 4 portions Tuna Poke:
1 pound sushi-grade ahi tuna (aka yellowfin), cut into about 3/4-inch cubes
It's been a very hot summer thus far, so salads have been appearing more often than not on the table. This earthy summer salad has everything you need for a complete meal. Lightly sautéed robust green broccoli florets, plump buttery soft chickpeas for protein, and nutty brown rice and sliced almonds to fill it out. I dressed it up with zesty dressing of lemon juice, pineapple juice, Dijon mustard, olive oil, a bit of garlic and tamari.
It's a snap to make up and substantial while not too taxing on the digestive system or the cooks patience — it's pretty common for our appetites to melt away along with our desire to cook anything fancy in the heat and humidity. But easy never means bland — just try this salad and see what I mean.
1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, soaked in hot water for 40 minutes, drained and chopped (optional)
2 to 3 green onions, trimmed and chopped, or 2 shallots finely chopped
1/4 cup sliced almonds (lightly toasted if desired)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro or parsley, trimmed and chopped
Dressing:
juice from 1/2 lemon (1 1/2 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons pineapple juice (juice from canned pineapple)
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons tamari (soy) sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt, or to taste
fresh ground black pepper
Instructions:
In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the broccoli, stir well, and cover. Cook, stirring often, until the broccoli is tender. Add the broccoli to a large bowl, along with the remaining salad ingredients.
To make the dressing, whisk together all of the dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well to coat evenly. Taste for seasoning and serve.
Thakkali Sadam, this is the favorite mixed rice in our home, I have already posted one version of it ( the one that I make more often ) here in the blog, I don't use any masalas, garlic or coconut milk in that rice, just plain seasoning and green chillies for spice. Today's rice is another version of Tomato Rice, we cook the rice with tomatoes, coconut milk and it has garlic, it's more like a pilaf. This rice tastes totally different from the first one and the flavors are totally different with the coconut milk and garlic. Both are tasty in their own way, you might like one better than the other, depending upon your choice of flavors.. Need To Have
Basmati Rice - 1 cup
Tomatoes - 3 medium, chopped
Onion - 1 medium, chopped
Frozen Peas - 1/2 cup
Garlic cloves - 5
Green Chillies - 2
Store Bought Coconut Milk - 1/2 cup
Cinnamon - 1" stick
Cloves - 5
Green Cardamom - 3
Cashews - 6 or 8, broken into pieces
Salt to taste
Method
Pound together the garlic and green chillies and keep. Wash and soak the rice for about 30 minutes.
Heat some oil, add the cloves, cinnamon and cardamom, once they start sizzling, add cashews, saute till they turn golden, then add the onion.
Saute for a minute, add the garlic-chilly and saute till raw smell goes away. Now add the chopped tomatoes and salt and saute till it breaks down.
Now add the drained rice and green peas, mix, add the coconut milk and 2 cups of water, cover and cook, once it starts boiling, reduce the heat and cook on medium-low heat till done. Once all the moisture has almost gone way, switch off and leave it covered without disturbing for about 20 to 30 minutes. Serve it with some raitha and chips or some kind of kurma or curry.
Note If using freshly squeezed coconut milk, you can use even one cup and reduce the water. Check the salt before adding the rice, it should taste slightly on the saltier side, then it'll be fine when the rice is cooked. Don't disturb the rice when it's hot, you'll end up making it mushy. You can leave out the green peas if you don't have or don't like.
This combination of rice, toor dal, vegetables and spices is essentially a south Indian variation of north Indian kitcheree — the classic one-pot meal — with the use of tamarind, coconut, aromatic spices and a tempering characteristic of south Indian cooking. The bisi bele spice mix is a rather unique and wonderfully aromatic blend of coriander, fenugreek, dried chiles and cinnamon that is a snap to make up. A fragrant and warming dish with a bit of heat and a delightful sweet and sour flavor, bisi bele bhath is all you need for a satisfying and nourishing meal. Throw in some crunchy vegetables and roasted cashews for a nutty taste, bisi bele bhath is a south Indian comfort food and gentle for tender tummies.
There are a few steps to this recipe but it's totally worth the effort as you get a complete meal for your effort. The bisi bele masala or spice blend is available commercially at Indian grocers, but grinding your own blend at home always give you the freshest spice blend experience. I've used carots and green beans for the vegetables in this version, but feel free to experiment with other vegetables such as okra.
Bisi Bele Bhath (Rice with Lentils and Spices)
Recipe by Lisa Turner Cuisine: South Indian Published on June 19, 2016
A fragrant and warming south Indian one-pot meal of rice, lentils, vegetables, tamarind and aromatic spices tossed with coconut and cashews
1 tablespoon tamarind pulp, soaked in 2/3 cup hot water for 20 to 30 minutes
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 small red onion
2 green or red chilies, seeded and minced
2 medium carrots, chopped
1/2 cup green beans, chopped
1/2 tablespoon coconut or brown sugar or jaggery
1/2 cup roasted unsalted cashews, halved or chopped
1/2 cup toasted dried unsweetened shredded coconut
1 to 2 teaspoons sea salt, or to taste
Tempering:
2 teaspoons coconut oil
1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
a few pinches of asafetida
small handful of dried curry leaves, crumbled
Instructions:
Rinse the rice under cold running water and transfer to a medium saucepan. Cover with 2 cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 15 minutes until the water is absorbed. Remove from heat and set aside.
Meanwhile, rinse the toor dal and bring to a boil in a large saucpean with 2 cups water. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the dal is tender, about 40 to 50 minutes.
While the rice and dal are cooking, toast the ingredients for the bisi bele masala (spice blend) for a few minutes in a small unoiled saucepan over medium heat, tossing or stirring frequently. Transfer to a coffee to spice grinder and blend to a powder. Set aside.
Now drain the soaked tamarind pulp by pushing it through a sieve over a bowl and remove any seeds that may remain in the pulp. Reserve the soaking water.
Heat the coconut oil in a frying pan over medium heat. When hot, add the onion and sauté for 5 minutes until softened. Now add the chilies, carrots and green beans. Continue to fry until the vegetables are just tender.
Once the toor dal has cooked, add the tamarind and its soaking water, sugar or jaggery, spice blend and salt. Mix well. Add the cooked vegetables, rice, coconut and cashews. Add a bit more water if it seems too dry. Stir gently to combine.
For the tempering, heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. When hot, add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Once the mustard seeds begin to splutter and pop — 30 to 60 seconds — add the asafetida and curry leaves. Stir once and then pour into the rice and lentil mixture. Cover and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes, then stir and serve hot.
This thick and hearty vegetable stew is a vegetarian version of the classic spicy Cajun jambalaya stew loaded with red kidney beans, brown rice and plenty of vegetables. And once the beans are cooked, it's essentially a simple one-pot meal with everything you need for a complete meal. The Cajun blend of herbs really complements everything in the dish and it makes a fair amount too so you can share with friends and have leftovers besides. Adjust the hot sauce according to taste, and be sure not to skip the liquid smoke as it adds an essential flavor.
Red Kidney Bean Jambalaya
Recipe by Lisa Turner Cuisine: American South Published on May 6, 2016
Thick and hearty, spicy and smoky vegetarian version of Cajun jambalaya loaded with kidney beans, brown rice and plenty of vegetables
Rinse the kidney beans and brown rice separately. Cover the kidney beans with water and soak for 8 hours or overnight. In a separate bowl, cover the brown rice with water and soak for 8 hours or overnight.
Drain and rinse the kidney beans, then transfer to a medium saucepan and cover with fresh water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 1 hour or until just tender but not falling apart. Drain and set aside.
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. When hot, add the onion and sauté for 5 minutes. Now add the garlic, carrots, celery and green beans, and stir for another 5 minutes. Next add the tomatoes, red pepper, eggplant, sage, thyme, marjoram and celery seed, and continue to stir for another few minutes.
Pour in the vegetable stock, liquid smoke, rice and the cooked kidney beans. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 45 minutes or until the rice is tender. Add water as necessary if the stew becomes too dry.
Season with sriracha, salt and pepper, and taste for seasoning — add more liquid smoke, sriracha, salt, pepper or herbs as desired.
My photo does not do this dish justice, but I assure you though that this casserole is not to be missed. For those of you who may have been raised on chicken pot pies, this creamy chickpea is very much like a vegan rendition of this comfort food classic, and it is really just as comforting to the contemporary vegetarian. It is easy to prepare, and with chickpeas, succulent mushrooms, brown rice and herbs, finished off with a cashew paste and some nutritional yeast, you have a complete and hearty meal with plenty of protein. I served it up with my classic Greek salad for a meal that was thoroughly enjoyed by all.
Creamy Chickpea, Mushroom and Brown Rice Casserole
1 cup raw cashews, soaked in 1/2 cup warm water for 1 hour
juice of 1 lemon (3 tablespoons)
pinch of sea salt
Instructions:
Rinse the chickpeas and brown rice separately and soak each in enough water to cover for 8 hours or overnight. Drain and rinse the chickpeas, then transfer to a small saucepan and cover with fresh water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 1 1/2 hours or until tender. Drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, drain the rice and set aside.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the onion and sauté for 5 minutes until soft. Now add the carrots and garlic and sauté for another few minutes. Add the mushrooms and sauté for another 5 minutes. Stir in the peas, cook for another few minutes, then stir in the sage, thyme, marjoram and celery seed.
Preheat an oven to 350°. Transfer the skillet contents to a large lightly greased casserole dish and pour in the rice and water. Cover and bake for 60 minutes.
While the casserole is in the oven, make up the cashew paste. Combine the cashews with their soaking water and the lemon juice and salt in a small food processor or blender. Process until smooth.
Take the casserole out of the oven, stir in the cashew paste, nutritional yeast, and salt and pepper. Stir in a little water if you want a thinner casserole. Cover and let sit for about 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Taste for seasoning and add more herbs and salt and pepper if desired.
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