Inspired by fresh produce from the garden, this risotto takes about 10 minutes to prepare if you have a pressure cooker! Heat some olive oil in a large frypan, add 400g (14 oz) of white zucchini chunks and season with salt. Cook gently while you prepare the rice. Preheat 4 cups of chicken or vegetable…… Continue reading white zucchini, spring onion and garlic risotto
Category: grains
moros y cristianos
Moros y Cristianos is a traditional Cuban dish of rice and black beans. The name of the dish is a metaphor: Moros (Moors) represents the dark black beans, and Cristianos (Christians) represents the white rice. It refers to the period from the 8th – 15th centuries when North African Moors ruled parts of the Iberian Peninsula before being ousted by Christian kingdoms.…… Continue reading moros y cristianos
spanakorizo
Spanakorizo is a traditional Greek lemon-forward pilaf of spinach and herbs served with feta. All the flavours you might know from spanakopita but applied to a rice dish instead. This recipe comes from Elena Paravantes of Olive Tomato. In a large pot wilt 450g (1 lb) of spinach with the juice of ½ a lemon…… Continue reading spanakorizo
kimchi fried rice
A fried rice with spicy Kimchi and smoky bacon from Sue at My Korean Kitchen – delicious! This is best made with day old rice. If you don’t have time, make sure the rice is cooled and dry. You will need 3 cups of cooked rice. Prepare your ingredients ahead of cooking time: drain 1 cup of…… Continue reading kimchi fried rice
brown rice salad
This brown rice, pea and cucumber salad has a delicious lemony dressing and plenty of fresh mint. Good for you too! Cook 1½ cups of brown rice in a saucepan of boiling salted water until tender. Drain and rinse under cold running water then leave to drain while you prepare the other ingredients. In a…… Continue reading brown rice salad
carrot fried rice + mint raita
This delicious Indian style fried rice served with fresh mint raita comes from Swasthi’s Recipes. It makes a great meal on it’s own or can be served as part of a larger spread. Cook the rice in advance if possible – good quality extra long basmati rice makes all the difference. Soak 1 cup of…… Continue reading carrot fried rice + mint raita
carrot risotto with chilli
This risotto, made from everyday ingredients, is wonderfully creamy and naturally sweet with a great contrast of roasted carrots and crispy chilli on top. Adapted from this recipe by Alexa Weibel from NYT Cooking. Heat the oven to 205ºC (400ºF). Finely chop or grate 340g (¾ lb) of carrots and set aside. Now slice another…… Continue reading carrot risotto with chilli
pea and dill pilaf
A simple but delicious pilaf. Serve it as a side dish or on it’s own with some yoghurt. Heat some vegetable oil and butter in a heavy pot and add 1½ cups of basmati rice, 1 heaped teaspoon of dried mint and salt to taste. Stir the rice until it’s coated with the oil and…… Continue reading pea and dill pilaf
steamed sticky rice
Chinese savoury sticky rice, nuo mi fan (糯米飯), is made of glutinous rice with various ingredients and flavourings, which are wrapped in lotus leaf parcels and then steamed until the flavours combine into a delicious mass. This is one of those ubiquitous dishes which has many different variations. I chose to make one large parcel…… Continue reading steamed sticky rice
buckwheat and mushrooms
Buckwheat is a popular grain in the Slavic countries of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Poland. Here it’s paired with dried porcini (cep) mushrooms in a deliciously nutty and flavourful casserole. Soak 55g (2 oz) of porcini mushrooms in 2 cups of warm water for 2 hours. Now preheat your oven to 190ºC…… Continue reading buckwheat and mushrooms
michelle picker cooks 