Glutinous Rice Balls
August 17, 2008
Ingredients (use vegan versions):
* 1 cup red bean paste (can buy this in cans or i can post recipe)
* 2 cups glutinous rice powder (look in asian markets for this)
* 5 Tabl. vegan sugar
* 2/3 cup water
* 1 cup sesame seeds
* 6 cups oil for frying.
Directions:
Divide red bean paste into 16 portions to form the filling.
Mix ingredients the next three ingredients into a smooth dough.
Lightly oil table top and place on table and knead until smooth. Roll
into a long rol and cut into 16 pieces.
Flatten each piece of dough into a 2-inch wide circle. Place a
portion of filling in middle and gather edges of skin to enclose
filling. Pinch to seal. (make sure you do a good job here becase if
they are open or come open during frying it is messy (the oil
splatters more)) Roll each filled skin into a ball and dip in water.
Coat outside with sesame seeds.
Heat oil for deep-frying. Deep fry balls over medium heat for 5
minutes until expanded and golden. remove drain and serve.
Barley Pilaf
August 17, 2008
Ingredients (use vegan versions):
* 3 cup stock (plus more for ’sauteing’ the vegs)
* 1 cup pearled barley
* 3 scallions, chopped
* 1 celery stalk, chopped
* 1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced
* 1/2 teaspoon salt (may be omitted or reduced)
* 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Directions:
1. In a medium saucepan, heat the stock to boiling over high heat. Add the
barley, reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook until tender, about 50 minutes.
Drain and place in a large bowl.
2. In a medium skillet, heat a few tbs. of stock over medium heat. Add the
scallion and celery and cook until the celery is crisp-tender, 5-6 minutes.
Add the mushrooms, salt and pepper and cook unitl the vegetables are soft and
most of the liquid from the mushrooms has evaporated, about 5 minutes.
3. Stir the cooked vegetables into the barley. Mix well. Serve hot or cold.
5 servings, refrigerates well (makes a great lunch salad).
Incredible Spanish Rice
August 17, 2008
Ingredients (use vegan versions):
* 1 1/2 cups long grain white rice
* 8 ounces tomatoes, roughly chopped with the skin on
* 1/2 small onion, roughly chopped
* 1 clove garlic, coarsely chopped
* 1/3 cup olive oil
* 3 1/2 cups un-chicken broth
* 1/2 medium carrot, cut into 1/4 inch dice (Optional)
* 1/2 zucchini, cut into 3/8 inch dice (Optional)
* 3/4 teaspoon salt (Optional)
Directions:
I have made this a few times and its
always a huge hit with the carnivores
and vegans alike. It takes a little time
but once you’ve made it a few times you
can make it without even reading the
recipe. In my opinion this is the best
Spanish/Mexican rice I have ever had.
Also this lasts me about a week so its
worth the time. Let me know what you think.
In a large bowl, combine the rice with
enough very hot tap water to cover. Stir
and let sit for about 10 minutes. Drain,
rinse in cold water, and drain again,
shaking thoroughly. In a blender,
combine the tomatoes, onion, and garlic
and blend until smooth, scraping down
the sides of the container as necessary.
Set aside.
In a large heavy saucepan, heat the oil
over medium high heat. Add the rice and
cook, stirring occasionally, until the
rice turns a light golden color, about
10 minutes. Do not let it scorch. Add
the tomato puree and fry, scraping the
bottom of the pan to stop the mixture
from sticking, for 6 to 8 minutes, or
until all the liquid has been absorbed.
Add the un-chicken broth, carrots,
and zucchini. Stir in
the salt and reduce the heat to
medium low. Cook the rice uncovered and
undisturbed until almost all of the
broth has evaporated and little air
holes form in the surface. Cover the top
of the pan with a towel and the lid,
reduce the heat to very low, and cook
for 5 minutes more. Remove the pan from
the heat and let rest for 10 minutes
more, so that the rice can absorb the
steam and swell. Just before serving,
turn the rice over from the bottom so
that the juices are redistributed.
Serves: 6
Preparation time: 45 - 50 min
Barley and Wild Rice Pilaf with Pomegranate Seeds
August 17, 2008
Ingredients (use vegan versions):
* 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
* 1 medium onion, finely chopped
* 1/2 cup wild rice, rinsed
* 1/2 cup pearl barley
* 3 cups reduced-sodium vegetable broth
* 1/3 cup pine nuts
* 1 cup pomegranate seeds
* 2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest
* 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Directions:
If you want to prepare this ahead of
time, fridge the dish and don’t add the
Pomegranate seeds, lemon zest, toasted
pine nuts or parsley until after it has
been reheated. Add a bit of water and
cover it in the micro.
1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over
medium heat. Add onion and cook,
stirring often, until softened. Add
wild rice and barley; stir for a few
seconds. Add broth and bring to a
simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover and
simmer until the wild rice and barley
are tender and most of the liquid has
been absorbed, 45 to 50 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, toast pine nuts in a
small, dry skillet over medium-low
heat, stirring constantly, until light
golden and fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes.
Transfer to a small bowl to cool.
3. Add pomegranate seeds, lemon zest,
parsley and toasted pine nuts to the
pilaf; fluff with a fork. Serve hot.
Serves: 5
Preparation time: 20 min
Easy Cilantro Rice
July 8, 2008
Ingredients (use vegan versions):
* 6 cups just cooked, hot rice
* 1 bunch fresh cilantro
* 2-3 cloves garlic
* 1/2 sweet yellow onion (like Maui, Vidalia or Walla Walla)
* salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Directions:
While rice is cooking, prepare the rest of the ingredients as
follows: remove stems from cilantro, roughly chop
then put into a food processor with garlic and onion.
Process until everything is finely chopped.
When rice is cooked and still very hot, combine
with cilantro mixture, salt and pepper to taste. At
this point you can let sit covered for 5-10 minutes to blend flavors
then serve, or bake at 350 degrees for 20 -25 minutes and then
serve. Either way is good. The rice takes on a greenish hue
that looks pretty. This dish goes well with Mexican
dishes as a substitute for “Spanish Rice”.
Serves: 6 - 8
Esau’s Birthright
July 8, 2008
Ingredients (use vegan versions):
* Rice (Basmati tastes best)
* Lentils (I use about 1 cup lentils to two or three cups rice, but this is to taste)
Directions:
Other possible ingredients include:
Raisins, to taste about 1/2 the amount of the lentils. Moisten with hot water until puffy.
Dried apricots, ” ” ” ” ” ”
Pine nuts or your substitute–I like pecans
Dairy free margerine or oil
Possible garnishes: Caramelized onion, tomato
Boil rice and lentils separately until just chewy. (The lentils will take longer.) Drain
off water. In the bottom of your largest, thickest pot, melt margerine or pour in
small amount of oil, and heat. Spoon in enough rice to cover the bottom of the pot about
1/4 inch deep, and mix in with the melted margerine. Spread smoothly over the bottom of
the pot. Add alternate layers of rice and lentils and, if you wish, the raisins or
apricots and nuts. Heap it in the pot, keeping it away from the sides of the pan as much
as possible. With the handle of a spoon poke three holes from the top of the heap all the
way to the bottom. Wrap a tea towel or very absorbent paper towel around the lid of the
pot–the towel will be on the INSIDE of the lid, wrapped around to the top to keep it from
touching the burner of the stove. Cover pan tightly and steam on very low heat until done.
The water the rice and lentils have already absorbed should be enough–do not add any
water. The sides of the pot should be just hot enough so that you can touch it for a
second or two, but not longer. When done, turn upside down on platter. It should hold its
form and be topped with a golden crust, known as “tadik.” If you prefer, you can line the
bottom of the pan with potato slices instead of the rice. If you prefer not to have any
crust at all, do not put the holes in the layered heap of rice and lentils–this will keep
in more moisture.
Preparation time: 1 hour
Herbed Rice
July 8, 2008
Ingredients (use vegan versions):
* 2 teaspoon olive oil
* 1 garlic clove, minced
* 1/2 cup uncooked basmati rice
* 1 cup water
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onion tops
* 2 teaspoons minced fresh bazil
* 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
* 2 tablespoons dairy free parmesan cheese
* 1/4 pignoli (pine nuts)
Directions:
Saute garlic in oil one minute. Add rice; stir well. Add
water and salt; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and
simmer 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Stir in
green onions, basil, and thyme. Sprinkle with non dairy
cheese and pignoli.
115 calories per serving.
Serves: 2
Preparation time: 25 min
Glutinous Rice Balls
July 8, 2008
Ingredients (use vegan versions):
* 1 cup red bean paste (can buy this in cans or i can post recipe)
* 2 cups glutinous rice powder (look in asian markets for this)
* 5 Tabl. vegan sugar
* 2/3 cup water
* 1 cup sesame seeds
* 6 cups oil for frying.
Directions:
Divide red bean paste into 16 portions to form the filling.
Mix ingredients the next three ingredients into a smooth dough.
Lightly oil table top and place on table and knead until smooth. Roll
into a long rol and cut into 16 pieces.
Flatten each piece of dough into a 2-inch wide circle. Place a
portion of filling in middle and gather edges of skin to enclose
filling. Pinch to seal. (make sure you do a good job here becase if
they are open or come open during frying it is messy (the oil
splatters more)) Roll each filled skin into a ball and dip in water.
Coat outside with sesame seeds.
Heat oil for deep-frying. Deep fry balls over medium heat for 5
minutes until expanded and golden. remove drain and serve.
Itch Pilaf
July 8, 2008
Ingredients (use vegan versions):
* 1 cup #1 bulgur
* 1 small can tomato sauce - about 4-6 oz
* 0.5 of tomato sauce can worth of water
* salt
* paprika
* juice of 1.5 lemons
* chopped parsley and chives
Directions:
This is a recipe (minus the oil) that my Armenian grandmother makes
during Lent.
Mix bulgur, tomato sauce and water. Wait until liquid is absorbed. Add
the rest of the ingredients to taste.
Fried Rice
July 8, 2008
Ingredients (use vegan versions):
* 1 cup raw rice (calrose or basmati)
* 1 can bamboo shoots
* 1 cup bean sprouts
* 3 scallions, chopped fine
* 1 can water chestnuts, chopped coarse
* large handful of snow peas, remove the stems
* 4 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
* 1/4 cup light soy sauce
* 1 tablespoon vegan wine vinegar
* white pepper to taste
* 1/4 cup peanut oil (or a little less)
Directions:
Cook the rice while preparing the vegetables (I just throw it
in the rice cooker with 2 cups of water). Prepare all of the
vegetables, spices, and sauces for all dishes in advance, so the
final step of stir frying can be done quickly. Heat the wok.
Put the oil into the wok and let it heat. Throw in the garlic
and ginger, stir fry for 1 minute, then add the cooked rice.
Stir and toss for about 3 minutes; then add (one minute apart)
the bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, snow peas, bean sprouts, and
scallions. Stir fry for about 2 minutes after the scallions, then
add the soy sauce and vinegar, stir to mix, sprinkle with white
pepper (about 1/4 tsp or to taste), and serve.


