Rice is more than just a side dish -- it's one of the most important and widely consumed food staples in the world. For many cultures, it's not just a food, but a way of life. It's grown throughout the world, especially in Asia, with China as the leading producer.
You'll find that many classic dishes from around the globe are made with rice. Just think of Asian stir-fry recipes, Italian risotto, Spanish paella, Southern dirty rice, Japanese sushi and so much more.
.jpg)
When you're shopping for rice at the grocery store, you probably reach for the same box or bag every time. The rice you probably use most often is white rice, which is a long-grain rice that is polished down to remove the bran and germ, leaving just the white endosperm (the rice kernel).
But there's more to rice than just the standard white. Brown rice, which is gaining popularity, is considered whole grain, because it includes the bran and germ. But before we get into brown vs. white, you must know that rice comes in three types or sizes, long grain, medium grain, and short grain.
The Sizes Of Rice
Long grain is a classification for rice that is at least three times as long as it is wide. Think of long-grain white rice, like Carolina, or long-grain brown rice.
Basmati and Jasmine, popular in Indian and Thai cuisine, are also long-grain varieties. Medium grain rice is less than three times as long as it is wide.
Risotto rices, like Arborio, Carnaroli, and Vialone Nano are considered medium grain, but are sometimes lumped together with short grain. Short grain rice is less than twice as long as it is wide. Sushi rice is a good example of short-grain rice.
There are two other methods for cooking rice beyond the simple method mentioned above. Rice can also be cooked like pasta, in an abundant amount of water and then drained.
Or, as many Asian cuisines dictate, certain rice, like sticky rice or sushi rice, should be steamed, which involves placing the rice in a fine-mesh steamer basket over boiling water.
Cooking rice can be as simple as combining rice with double the amount of water and boiling it until tender. That works best for long-grain white rice, but other varieties can take longer to cook, or require less water.
Storing Rice
White rice can last many years, because the bran and germ are not intact. But brown rice and other whole-grain rices tend not to keep longer than 6 months. It's best to use whole-grain rices within 3 to 6 months. It's also a good idea to store the rice in a cool dry place, or better yet in your refrigerator or even freezer.
Coconut rice and grilled pineapple with shrimps
1 cup jasmine rice
1 cup coconut milk
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tbsp butter
3 shallots - slice thinly
2 cloves garlic - minced
1 in ginger- slice thinly
4 cloves
1/ Wash and drain jasmine rice.
2/ In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat, saute shallots, garlic, cloves, ginger. Stir fry until fragrant, about 5 mins.
3/ Add rice stirring to coat and lightly toast for 2 to 3 minutes.
You can enjoy a simple, delicious home cook gourmet meal with style.5/ Transfer to rice cooker or steamer. If use steaming method, steam for 25 mins.
6/ Fluff the rice, garnish with fried shallots and coriander leaves. Serve hot.
Sweet Sour Pineapple Shrimps
Ingredients for seasoning
3 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 tbsp soya sauce
1 tbsp rum
1/2 tsp pepper
500 g shrimps ( peeled and deveined )
4 o 6 slices of pineapple
2/ Pull the legs and shell from the shrimps. Leave the tip of the tails for presentation.
3/ Devein the shrimps. Using the small knife, cut along the outer edge of the shrimps.
4/ If you can see it, remove and discard the vein. If you cannot see the vein, don't bother with it. It won't cause any harm to your health.
5/ Wash and pat dry. Season the shrimps with the seasoning ingredients for 2 to 4 hours. Chill in the fridge.
6/ Line the baking tray with aluminum foil. Arrange the shrimps on the tray and pour the seasoning sauce on top the shrimps. Grill over medium-high heat, turning once until shrimp are pink.
7/ Grill the pineapple until slightly charred.
8/ Serve coconut rice and sweet sour shrimps with grilled pineapple.
Chicken pot pie cupcake
Pastry for cupcake ( make 10's )
2 cups flour
1 tbsp baking powder
7 tbsp butter - chill
3/4 cup milk
1 tsp honey
1/ Sift the flour together with baking powder.
2/ Cut the butter into small cubes, using your finger tips rub the butter with the flour until resembles bread
crumbs.
3/ Add honey and milk and mix into a dough. Knead lightly for 2 min.
4/ Dust your working table with flour. Roll the dough into rectangular shape about 5mm thick. Fold the top portion over the centre segment. Then fold the bottom segment up. Like a business letter. Make a half turn so that the opening edges on both ends face you and the first fold is on your right. Rest for 10 mins.
5/ Roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thick, cut with a 3 inch cookies cutter and press the dough onto the muffin tray.
6/ Fill the pastry cup with 1 tbsp full chicken pot pie filling.
7/ Bake at 190 deg c for 20 to 25 mins or until pastry is slightly brown.
Note: If the bottom pastry is not brown, you can remove the cupcake from the muffin tray and line on a baking tray then bake for another 5mins. Enjoy while it's piping hot.
Chicken pot pie cupcake filling
1 piece chicken breast
1 (300gm) can cream of chicken soup
1 cup frozen mixed veggies
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 tbsp Herbs De Provence
1 small onion
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/ Poached the chicken breast meat and diced into small cubes.
2/ In a large bowl, combine the cooked chicken, cream of chicken soup, frozen veggies, cheese, herbs, onion and spices. Mix well. Chilled in fridge till ready to use.
This post is link to Foodie Friends Friday host by Marly of This & That.
Have a fabulous week ahead and have fun. Cheers.
Amelia