Coconut Rice with Broccoli and Fried Edamame

Plain white rice.  It’s a jumping off point for many who have just entered the kitchen.  It’s easy, it’s versatile, but let’s be honest, it’s also pretty boring.  So, how do you make it tastier?  You could go the down dairy drive, adding butter or cheese.  You could stop into sodium station for some soy sauce, Sriracha, or barbeque sauce.  You might even try to sweet talk it with a little brown sugar.  But what through me off my rice rocker was coconut milk.  

 Now, it won’t make your dinner taste like a plate of Mounds or Almond Joy.  Coconut milk isn’t super-sweet, and has only a faint coconut taste.  All the same, coconut milk gives rice a rich, meaty flavor that does not compete with bolder notes.  Although the flavor of the milk is considered mild, it adds a pleasant silkiness.  Add some aromatics like ginger, green onion, and garlic and you are on your way to a fragrant Thai-style curry.  

 This recipe was simple; it only took about 30 minutes.  It was hardly more involved than plain white rice, but with much more flavor.  The nutty, meatiness of the edamame complimented the tart lime, garlicky Sriracha, and hints of ginger that pecked through the smoothness of the meal.  Plain white rice, no more. 

Coconut Rice with Broccoli and Fried Edamame

Ingredients:

1 T olive oil

3-4 green onions, thinly sliced

1 T fresh ginger, grated

1 (15 oz) can coconut milk

¾ cup water

1 tsp salt

2 T lime juice

1 cup basmati or jasmine rice

2 T olive oil

1 cup shelled edamame

1 tsp salt

2-3 cups broccoli, chopped

1 clove garlic, finely diced

1 T lime zest

¼ cup chopped peanuts (optional)

Sriracha (optional)

Instructions:

1.       In a large saucepan, heat 1 T oil over medium heat.  Once hot, add green onions and ginger.  Cook until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. 

2.       Add coconut milk, water, salt, and lime juice.   Bring to a boil over medium high heat.

3.       Add rice, cover.  Turn heat down to low and simmer until rice is fluffy, about 15-20 minutes.

4.       Meanwhile, in a medium sized frying pan, heat 2 T olive oil over medium heat.  Once hot, add edamame, toss with salt.  Fry edamame until golden brown and slightly crispy, about 5-6 minutes. 

5.       Add garlic and broccoli to frying pan, cook for about 3 minutes. 

6.       Add edamame and broccoli mixture to rice (mix well) in the last 5 minutes of cooking to steam broccoli. 

7.       Add lime zest to rice before serving.

8.       Garnish with peanuts and Sriracha, if desired. 

Swiss Chard, Cannellini Beans, and Fire-Roasted Tomatoes

They call it a “Valedictorian Vegetable”.  While Swiss chard is not the secret to a stellar GPA, it is a smart vegetable pick.  Though uncommon to most kitchens, especially in college, it should not be overlooked.  Swiss chard is a standout on taste and appearance.  This leafy green should receive kudos for not only being an excellent source of fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals, but also coming in a rainbow assortment of colors: red, yellow, green, and purple. 

I met Swiss chard on a blind date at the grocery.  I knew its background, I knew what dishes it was often involved in, and what nutrients it could provide me, so it came down to looks.  I figured it would be just another leafy green on the long produce aisle.  Turns out, it looks like the love child of spinach and celery, with punk-rock flair.  This particular Swiss chard had a brilliant red stem running down the middle and red veins bulging through the wavy, fan-like, dark green leaves.  Quite the “looker”, I must say.    

 Back at home, I had originally planned to discard the stems because they looked tough and fibrous.  However, once boiled, they turned out to be delicate and added a pleasant root taste to the dish.  The leaves appeared sturdier than spinach, but after blanching, they took on the buttery smoothness of wilted greens, with a bold, earthy taste all its own. 

 Adding creamy Cannellini beans and fire-roasted tomatoes made this a hearty dish.  It was stew-like, without the typical time commitment.  It was hearty, warm, and will satisfy your craving for earthy stews all in about 30 minutes, prep included.  A well-deserved meal for a chilly autumn night.  

 Swiss Chard, Cannellini Beans, and Fire-Roasted Tomatoes

 Ingredients:

1 lb Swiss chard (could substitute spinach or kale), stems ¼ inch slices, leaves roughly chopped

2 T olive oil

½ onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 (15 oz) canned diced tomatoes (I used Muir Glenn Fire Roasted)

1 (15 oz) can of cannellini beans, or other white bean, drained

½ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp salt

3-4 Sprigs of thyme and rosemary (or a pinch of dried)

Instructions:

1.       In a medium sized pot, boil about 3-4 cups water and season with about 2 tsp salt.   Bring water to a boil over high heat.  Once water is boiling, add the Swiss chard stems to the water and boil for about 3-4 minutes.  Then add the leaves and continue boiling for another 3-4 minutes.  Strain the chard in a colander, trying to drain off as much liquid as possible. 

2.       Meanwhile, heat up a large skillet over medium heat.  Once hot, add olive oil. 

3.       Then add onion and garlic.  Sautee for about 5 minutes over medium heat, until onions are translucent.  Be careful not to burn garlic.

4.       Add in canned tomatoes (with their liquid) and cannellini beans (drained).

5.       Season with red pepper flake, oregano, salt, thyme, and rosemary.   Let stew for about 8-10 minutes.

6.       Remove any sprigs/stems from the herbs.  Add Swiss chard.  Mix until heated through. 

Serve along with rolls or bread.

"All Red" Rice and Beans

Red Bull, red carpet, red light, redheads: all things we are attracted to because of their vibrant common color, right?  Some believe our eyes are physically drawn to this color.  Just think of all the companies that incorporate red into their marketing schemes.  There’s always a reason…

 During my last grocery shopping trip, I guess was seeing red.  Out of the paper shopping bags, I pulled a can of tomatoes, a red onion, a red pepper, and a can of red beans.  They say you need to strike a color balance on the dinner plate.  I failed that test– you caught me red handed.  So I called malarkey on this rule for the day and created a tasty, but completely red, dish.  It was a hybrid of Spanish rice with beans and goat cheese for a more filling, warm and creamy meal.  I love the familiar flavors of chili powder, cumin, and sautéed garlic and onions, and the red bell pepper adds a varied texture.  And goat cheese…what is it not good in? For those of us looking for a quick, filling, and cheap meal, this fits the bill well.  There is lots of room for experimentation, as well.   Almost nothing is irreplaceable in this recipe, so don’t sweat it if you’re short a couple ingredients or want to substitute in others.  Follow your stomach!   

“All Red” Rice and Beans

Ingredients:

1 cup long grain Basmati rice

2 cups tomato juice (like V8)

1 chicken bouillon cube

½ cup diced canned tomatoes, drained

1 cup water (add incrementally as needed while rice cooks)

5 T olive oil, divided (3 T/ 2 T)

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

½ cup red onion, finely diced

½ cup red pepper, chopped

1 (15oz) can red kidney beans

1 t salt

Chili powder

Cumin

Cayenne Pepper

¼ cup goat cheese, crumbled

Cilantro, garnish

Instructions:

1.       In a large pot, combine rice, tomato juice, bouillon cube, tomatoes, and 3 T olive oil.  Place over high heat until comes to a boil.

2.       Reduce heat to low, cover and let simmer for about 20 minutes.

3.       Meanwhile, in a small non-stick pan, add 2 T olive oil, and place over medium heat. 

4.       Once oil is hot, add garlic and cook for 1 min.  Add onions and peppers, cook for about 3-5 minutes, or until onions have become translucent and peppers are soft.

5.       Add onion and pepper mixture, beans, and seasoning to rice about 5 minutes before rice is finished cooking. 

6.       Once rice is done, add goat cheese and gently stir to incorporate.  Garnish with cilantro for a pop of color.

Middle Eastern Spiced Burgers

Grilling: a traditional American culinary sport.  But do you cancel the game when it’s raining or too cold? A hamburger was sounding so good!  I doubt that your dollar store umbrella will hold up to the heat of standing over a grill for 30 minutes.  So, you gotta move it inside.  No, not the grill; the cooking.

Hamburgers on the stovetop may not have the same manly appeal or smoky charcoal  taste, but with the programmable heat of a stove top, you truly become “grill master”.   There is no waiting for the grill to heat up, or poking the coals in an attempt to distribute the heat.  The stove top ensures instant, even heat – aka the way to a perfectly cooked burger.   If you still want to cook with the dry heat quality of the grill, I would recommend using a well seasoned cast-iron skillet.  If you have a non-stick skillet though, I have a plan for that too. 

Diverging again from tradition, I chose to season by hamburger with Middle Eastern spices like allspice, cumin, coriander, and cayenne, and fresh parsley from the herb garden.  When I season burgers, I use the smell test – if you can smell the spices, not faintly or overwhelmingly, you are golden.  (It’s kinda like that smell test you use when you wake up and decide that this sock is clean and that one is…ugh, not.) Egg, olive oil, and breadcrumbs were my binders, so the burgers wouldn’t fall apart while cooking.  As for the cooking device, the cast-iron was dirty, so the non-stick frying pan won out.  So instead of technically grilling these burgers, they were semi-deep fried in olive oil.  Great choice.  These burgers had a crispy outer crust, but were still dripping on the inside with juices, and loaded with fragrant spices.  

The last thing I would recommend is smearing your burger with a dollop of plain Greek Yogurt, and pairing with with thin slices of tomato and cucumber.  So, while it’s not your all-American cookout-style burger, it may be your new favorite creative alternative.     

Middle Eastern Spiced Burgers

Ingredients:

1 clove garlic, finely diced

¼ cup onion, finely chopped

½ cup fresh parsley, chopped

1 T lemon juice

1 lb ground beef (80/20 or 85/15, don’t go too lean)

½ tsp ground cumin

½ tsp ground coriander

¼ tsp ground allspice

¼ tsp cayenne pepper (can substitute regular pepper too)

1 tsp salt

1 egg, slightly beaten

½ cup bread crumbs

2 T olive oil + about ½ cup, divided

Instructions:

1.       Using your hands, mix together all ingredients, except ¼ cup olive oil, until well combined. **Do not over work meat, as it will make your burger tough. 

2.       Preheat medium sized skillet with ¼ cup olive oil over medium heat. **DO NOT let oil smoke, or get too hot.

3.       Form six 1-inch-thick patties with ground beef mixture. 

4.       After verifying oil is hot (hover hand over oil to feel heat or place piece of bread to see if the oil sizzles and browns the bread), gently place patties in oil 3 at a time. Oil should sizzle once beef is placed in. 

5.       Cook over medium heat for about 4 minutes per side, flipping once.   

6.       Once browned and cooked through, remove from oil and place on paper towels to absorb remaining oil.