Moosewood Restaurant Simple Suppers - Moosewood Collective [45]
2¼ cups water
½ teaspoon salt
Rinse and drain the rice. Heat the oil in a saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. Add the rice and turmeric or saffron and stir on high heat for a minute or two. Add the water and salt, cover, and bring to a boil on high heat. Lower the heat to a gentle simmer and cook covered for 12 to 15 minutes, or until all of the water is absorbed. Fluff the rice with a fork, cover, and let sit until ready to serve.
INGREDIENT NOTE Brown rice is fine in this recipe; it just takes longer to cook, about 40 minutes of simmering.
serving & menu ideas
Yellow Rice is the perfect bed for Black Beans with Pickled Red Onions, West Indian Red Beans, Shrimp Curry with Snow Peas, Roasted Vegetable Curry, and Flounder with Herbed Lemon Butter.
green rice
SERVES 4
TIME: 25 MINUTES
SIMMERING TIME: 15 MINUTES
1½ cups white rice
1 tablespoon vegetable oil or olive oil
2¼ cups water
½ teaspoon salt
3 scallions
4 cups loosely packed spinach (about 3 ounces)
pinch of black pepper
Rinse and drain the rice. In a saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, on high heat briefly sauté the rice in 1 teaspoon of the oil, stirring to coat each grain. Add the water and salt, bring to a boil, cover, and reduce the heat to very low. Cook until the water is absorbed, about 12 to 15 minutes.
While the rice cooks, coarsely chop the scallions and rinse the spinach. In a large skillet, sauté the scallions in 2 teaspoons of the oil for a minute or two. Add the spinach and pepper, cover, and cook until just wilted and still bright green, about 2 minutes. In a blender, purée the spinach and scallions until smooth, adding a little water, if necessary.
When the rice is done, fluff it with a fork, stir in the spinach purée, and serve.
INGREDIENT NOTES This recipe is just fine with brown rice, but it will take a bit longer to cook and the green color will be muted.
Add fresh herbs to the blender: about 2 tablespoons of dill, basil, or tarragon.
serving & menu ideas
Green Rice is pretty served under Scrambled Tofu with Greens & Raspberry Chipotle Sauce, Baked Stuffed Tomatoes, or Shrimp Curry with Snow Peas. Or top it with Easy Baked Tofu or sautéed shrimp. Leftovers can become tomorrow’s Green Fried Rice.
lemongrass rice
SERVES 4
TIME: 30 MINUTES
SIMMERING TIME: 15 MINUTES
1 stalk fresh lemongrass
1½ cups jasmine or white basmati rice
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
2½ cups water
1 Keiffer lime leaf (optional)
½ teaspoon salt
Remove any dried outer leaves from the lemongrass stalk, cut it in half lengthwise, and mash the halves a bit with a mallet or the flat side of a large knife blade cut into lengths that fit in your pan and set aside.
Rinse and drain the rice. In a heavy saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, sauté the rice in the oil for a minute, stirring to coat the grains. Add the water, lime leaf, mashed lemongrass, and salt and bring to a boil on high heat. Reduce the heat to very low, cover, and simmer until the water is absorbed, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove and discard the lemongrass and lime leaf. Fluff the rice with a fork.
serving & menu ideas
Great with curries, sautés, and fish or tofu dishes, or as the base for fried rice. Serve this fragrant rice under Curried Tofu with Tomatoes, or Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Easy Baked Tofu. Turn leftovers into Pineapple Fried Rice with Tofu.
coconut rice
SERVES 4 TO 6
TIME: 25 MINUTES
SIMMERING TIME: 15 TO 20 MINUTES
1½ cups white rice
½ teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1½ cups water
¾ cup coconut milk
Rinse and drain the rice. In a saucepan on medium-high heat, sauté the rice, turmeric, and salt in the oil for a minute or two, stirring constantly. Add the water and coconut milk, bring to a boil, cover, and reduce the heat to low. Simmer until the rice is tender and the liquid absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes.
serving & menu ideas
This sweet rice perfectly complements West Indian Red Beans, Sesame Tofu with Spinach, or Spicy