There are so many creative, and delicious ways to use up the last of that holiday bird, but this super simple turkey rice recipe might be my favorite. This is easy, comforting, and won’t remind you that you’re eating leftovers. That’s what turkey sandwiches are for.
And, as always, enjoy! If you want more information about why the blog format has changed, and why we're now offering complete written recipes, please read all about that here.
Believe it or not, the first place I ever had dirty rice was
Popeye’s fried chicken. They were out of the red beans and rice. I’ve never
been a huge fan of liver, especially in my younger days, but I figured, what
the heck, let’s give this stuff a try. Much to my surprise I really enjoyed it,
and I’ve been a fan ever since.
In fact, not only did I come to love dirty rice, but I
started to crave it with even more “dirt,” by which I mean more liver, pork,
and aromatic vegetables; and so that’s how this redundantly named dish came to
be. Beyond using more of everything, except rice, I also changed the
traditional method, which calls for the rice to be cooked first, and then “soiled.”
Here, we’re adding all the “filth” at the beginning, and cooking it into the
rice.
This method did produce a more flavorful product, but also a
slightly stickier one. When you cook rice in a thick sludge like this, verses
just water or broth, it will always come out a bit starchier, which may bother
certain dirty rice aficionados, but I like this texture even better. So to
recap, this is dirtier, stickier, and tastier, which is why I really do hope
you give it a try soon. Enjoy!
Ingredients for 6 portions:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
6 ounces pork shoulder, diced or roughly chopped
1 yellow onion, diced
1/2 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced green peppers, or jalapeno 6 ounces cubed spicy smoked pork sausage, like andouille
If you don’t do a lot of cooking, this confetti rice salad
recipe might be the kind of thing you disregard, since it probably appears to
require lots of slicing and dicing, which is true, but that’s a bad reason to
not make it. That would be like not using real confetti for your celebration
because it’s hard to clean up.
The truth of the matter is, with very little practice, all
the veggies for this salad can probably be prepped in less than 15 minutes. In
fact, this would be a great recipe to set your benchmark, and then see how you
improve over time. Or, just use a food processor to chop everything. Either
way, it’s worth the effort.
Obviously, you can adapt this recipe a thousand different
ways, and I’m not just talking about which vegetables you toss in. If you want
something creamier, you can add some mayo, or sour cream, or any combination of
both. If you do, I’d cut back on the oil and vinegar a bit, but either way,
make sure you hold back some of whatever you’re dressing this with.
Any dressing you add before it goes in the fridge will be
full absorbed, and I think the texture is much nicer if we moisten the salad
with more before service. That’s up to you also, but we don’t want our confetti
rice as dry as the real stuff. Other than that, not much can go wrong, and I
really do hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!
Ingredients for 12 portions:
2 cups white long grain rice
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups boiling water
- Place in 9 x 12 baking dish, cover, and cook rice for 35
minutes, then let rest 10 minutes, before fluffing.
1/2 cup green peas
1/2 cup sliced blanched green beans
1/2 cup finely diced blanched carrots
2 large red bell pepper, finely diced
1 large orange bell pepper, finely diced
1/4 cup sliced green onions
1/4 cup red onions
2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
cayenne to taste
3/4 cup sherry and/or rice vinegar (add 1/2 cup before
fridge, and 1/4 cup after)
3/4 cup olive oil (add 1/2 cup before fridge, and 1/4 cup
after)
This amazing Hawaiian comfort food classic is made by
topping rice with a fried burger, which is then smothered with a rich, brown
gravy, and finished with a fried egg. Seriously, how did it take until 1949 for
someone to think of this combination? And, once they did, why exactly did they
name it, “crazy mucus,” which is what this actually translates to.
I’ll let you read all about that here, but disturbing names
aside, this really is a cheap, filling bowl of goodness, that can be adapted in
all sorts of ways. The beef patty is standard, but spam is also used, as is
roast pork, and even seafood.
I like the classic burger best, although as I mentioned in
video, I do recommend using a thinner patty, around 4 ounces, which will make
this easier to eat, as well as provide a better beef-to-rice-to-gravy ratio. I
had a pound of meat and decided to make two portions, but in hindsight I should
have saved half for something else.
Of course, you’re having a pretty good week when you’re
complaining that your burger was too thick for your loco moco. Anyway, I hope
you had a great week as well, and that you give this fast, and very satisfying Hawaiian
classic a try soon. Enjoy!
Ingredients for 2 portions:
1 teaspoon unsalted butter for cooking the burger
2 ground beef patties (4 to 6 ounces is ideal)
salt, freshly ground black pepper, cayenne to taste
2 tablespoons minced green onions (white/light parts)
2 cup cooked white rice
2 fried egg
sliced green onions to garnish
For the gravy:
1 1/2 cups high-quality beef broth
4 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
few drops of sesame oil, optional
2 teaspoons ketchup
2 teaspoons sugar
4 teaspoons cornstarch (or a little more if you want a
thicker sauce)
If you have a bunch of cold, leftover rice around, you
should probably just use the classic method, but if you don’t, this easy oven
method for making fried rice will not only produce something very similar in
taste, but the texture of your rice comes out perfectly every time.
That’s because we’re using the same method as we do for rice pilaf, where the grains of rice get coated in fat before absorbing the cooking
liquid. This ensures plump, tender, separate grains, and never sticky clumps of
rice. By the way, this technique will work no matter what you include in your
mixture, as long as you’re using long-grain rice, and cooking it in a similarly
sized pan.
That’s not to say you can’t use other types of rice, or
other size pans, but that will change the cooking time, so just something to
keep in mind. Also, as I warned in the video, some sesame oils can be very
strongly flavored, and if that’s the kind you have, the amount I poured over
the top of my egg could overpower the dish, so be careful. Okay, that’s it for the
warnings. I really do hope you give this baked “fried” rice a try soon. Enjoy!
Ingredients for 4 large portions:
(I used a 11.5” x 8” x 2.5” pan, but your standard 9” x 12”
casserole dish will work the same)
2 cups white long grain rice
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 tablespoon sesame oil (mine was mild, so you may need to
adjust this down)
optional 1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt, depending on the saltiness
of your broth and ham.
This creamy cashew chicken recipe is completely dairy-free
(expect for the butter), but that’s not why you should make it. You should make
this simple curry because it’s so rich and satisfying that you won’t even care that
it’s better for you, and possibly the cows.
It really is pretty remarkable how similar the cashew cream is to
regular heavy cream in appearance, taste, and in-sauce behavior. In fact,
cashew cream actually thickens up faster than cream, which usually has to be reduced a
bit before it will coat the meat.
As far as the rest of the ingredients go, there’s nothing
too exotic, except maybe for the garam masala, which in case you’re wondering, translates
to “hot spice.” There are many variations, but if you can’t find one, the most
common ingredients are cumin, coriander, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, ginger,
nutmeg, mace, dried chilies, sesame seeds, mustard seeds, bay leaves, and
turmeric; just in case you want to whip up a batch of your own.
Speaking of spices, how much you should use in this is a very
personal thing. Below you’ll see what I went with, which I thought was on the fairly
mild side, so feel free to add more. Also, the salt in our dry marinade does a
pretty good job of seasoning the chicken, but you’ll probably need more as it
cooks in the sauce, so be sure to check. Of course, the hardest thing about this recipe is deciding whether to serve it with rice, garlic naan, or both, but I'm sure you'll figure that out when you give this a try, which will hopefully be very soon. Enjoy!
Ingredients for 4 large portions Creamy Cashew Chicken:
For the Spice Mix:
(use a little more than half to marinade the chicken, and
the rest to add to the sauce)
2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
2 teaspoons paprika (hot and/or smoked would also work well)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
2 generous teaspoons garam masala, or other prepared “curry
powder” blends
For the Cashew Cream:
3/4 cup whole roasted cashews
2 cups cold water
For the rest:
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs (mixed with 1 tablespoon
vegetable oil and spice blend, and marinated for 4 to 12 hours)
2 tablespoons butter, divided
1 yellow onion, chopped or sliced
rest of the reserved spice blend
2 tablespoons tomato paste
4 finely minced garlic cloves
1 tablespoon finely minced ginger
1 cup chicken broth
all the prepared cashew cream
1/3 cup sliced green onions
1/3 cup freshly chopped cilantro
freshly squeezed juice of one lime, plus extra wedges for
service
After too many requests to count, I’m finally posting my
recipe for kimchi fried rice, and by “my recipe,” I mean everyone’s recipe,
since give or take a handful of meat, they’re all pretty much the same.
Having
said that, I’ll give a shout out to the lovely and talented, Maanchi, since I
checked her channel to make sure I wasn’t missing any key elements, as well as
learn how to say, “gochujang.”
I’m not sure how close I got to the later, but except for
the seaweed, I did get all the ingredients right. Of course, the diced corned beef is optional, but if you do have some leftover from your St. Patrick’s Day,
I highly recommend you give it a try. Bacon is another fine choice, as is
almost any other diced meat I can think of.
The egg is also technically optional, but not for me. The
way the runny yolk mixes into, and moistens the rice takes this to a whole
other level. The poached egg also paired quite nicely with my “landweed”
garnish, as it does with the much more traditional shredded seaweed. But, no
matter how you accessorize, I really hope you give this corned beef and kimchi
fried rice a try soon. Enjoy!
Ingredients for 2 large portions:
1 generous cup chopped drained kimchi
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups diced corned beef or other meat
3 generous cooked rice, (I find cold works best for
crustification)
While it’s true this great side dish was invented in The
City, to call it “the San Francisco treat” is a bit of a stretch. Like I said
in the video, the next time I see this served around here, will be the first.
I’d say a Mission-style burrito is the real San Francisco treat. Which reminds
me, I seriously need to do that video.
Regardless, if you like the stuff from the box, I think
you’ll enjoy this, although without all that MSG, it will not be quite as
savory. I guess we’re sacrificing a little less flavor for something that’s
more healthful, at least according to me. I’ve stopped trying to convince
people that eating lots of MSG is not a great idea; but as far as how it
impacts one’s diet and carb cravings, I think the research is clear. In fact,
forget the research, and just ask yourself why so many people are addicted to fast
food.
It’s certainly not the quality, or appearance. Having said
that, if you do want to get closer to the original, simply use a cheap,
powdered chicken base to make your broth. That stuff is loaded with MSG, among
other things, and may be preferable to many of you drive-thru junkies, he said judgmentally.
Either way, I really do hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!
Ingredients
3 tablespoons unsalted butter 1/2 cup finely diced onions
2/3 cup orzo pasta, or spaghetti broken into small pieces
I love coconut rice, especially as a side for spicy, grilled
meats, but when I order it out, it’s usually too sweet for my tastes, and more
closely resembles dessert than a side dish. So, I decided to create a more
savory version at home, which I eventually did, after a few short decades of
testing.
Turns out that cooking rice in water is way easier than it
is in the much thicker coconut milk, and that’s just one of the issues. We also
have to account for the fat being introduced, which is why I suffered through
countless failed attempts, before finally nailing this formula. For me this
features a great balance between stickiness and separation.
As far as the taste goes, the only sweetness here comes from
the coconut milk, and some toasted coconut on top. If you want it sweeter,
which apparently lots of chefs do, you can add a spoon of sugar, but that’s not
what I’m into. I’m going to be serving mine with rich, fatty, often
sweet-glazed meats, so I want a fairly simple, savory rice, that’s just subtly
scented with coconut.
Having said that, there are lots of things you can add, like
herbs, fresh vegetables, and/or sliced spring onions, so personal adaptation is
very much encouraged. So, whether you wait for the grilled hoisin beef teased
herein, or you already have something in mind, I really hope you give this
coconut rice a try soon. Enjoy!
Ingredients for 4 servings:
1 1/2 cups jasmine or long-grain rice
1 rounded teaspoon finely grated ginger
1⁄2 teaspoon red chili flakes
1⁄4 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup water
1 (14-ounce) can coconut milk (not coconut cream)
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup toasted coconut to garnish
- Bring to a simmer, cover, cook on low for 18 minutes. Turn
off heat, leave covered 5 more minutes, then fluff and serve.
It’s not every day you find yourself walking next to someone
on the street, who’s eating from a ridiculously large tub of rice pudding.
Well, that’s exactly what happened to me the other day, and it served as a
reminder for what a great, and comforting dessert rice pudding really is.
For whatever reason, it’s usually not near the top when
people list their favorite desserts, but despite that, it’s a proven
crowd-pleaser, and quite easy to make, especially using this simplified,
one-pot method.
Most recipes have you make the pudding in a clean pot,
since, I’m assuming, they’re afraid the starch at the bottom of the pan used to
cook the rice will burn. And, it probably would, unless you deglaze the bottom
with cold milk before turning the heat back on. Not only will this simple step prevent the pudding from
scorching, but also I think we get a little bit of extra toasted rice flavor. I
also prefer an egg yolk to a whole egg, but regardless, be sure to whisk it in
fast and furious, or they might scramble.
If you’re scared, you can temper the egg by mixing in a few
spoons of the hot rice mixture, before blending in, but as I’ve said before, there’s
nothing wrong with a little adrenalin-inducing danger in the kitchen. So, no
matter what you garnish it with, or whether you eat it inside, or crossing
Dolores Street, I really hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!
Spanish rice was one of the first recipes I made for my
parents after returning home from my first semester at culinary school. Ironically,
I didn’t learn the recipe in class, but rather at a Mexican restaurant I worked
at part-time.
I don’t remember much from that job, or decade, but I’ll
never forget how that rice was put together, and that’s exactly how we’re doing
it here – except for one minor detail. We’re not using rice.
I really love farro, and have used it in various rice preparations,
always with great results. This was no exception, and maybe my favorite so far.
This larger, meatier, “ancient” grain pairs perfect with the spices, and I find
it even easier to cook perfectly than rice.
If you don’t have a pan like the one used in the video,
simply prepare everything in a skillet. Once your broth starts to boil, transfer
it into a 2-quart casserole dish, wrap with foil, and proceed as directed.
Either way, I really hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!
Ingredients for 6 portions:
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup finely diced onions
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, or to taste
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons ancho chili powder, or other dried, ground chili
1 teaspoon chipotle
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup “pearled” farro, rinsed, drained well
2 cups chicken broth
- Bake at 350 F for 50-60 minutes, or until farro is just
tender
I don’t make sushi at home very often, or ever, since we’re
surrounded by top-notch sushi chefs here in San Francisco, but that doesn’t
mean I don’t make sushi rice. I think sushi rice makes a perfect side dish for
just about any grilled meat, and since it’s perfectly fine at room temperature,
it’s great for picnics.
You can even turn it into some quick tortilla-less tacos
using nori seaweed wraps, as seen in the video. They make for such a unique
summer meal – the perfect delivery system for any and all leftovers. I even
seen it rolled into balls, and tossed in toasted sesame seeds, or seaweed, and
served like truffles.
What I’m trying to say is, you can do a lot with this stuff.
Including sushi. There are thousands of videos on YouTube showing how to make
literally every type of sushi in existence, so check those out if you’re so
inclined. Maybe one of these days I’ll even give it a go, if only for the “constructive
criticism.”I really hope you give this sushi
rice technique a try soon.Enjoy!
2 cups sushi rice, rinsed well, and left to dry for one hour
2 1/4 cups water
1/4 to 1/3 cup seasoned *rice vinegar, or to taste
* I buy mine already seasoned, but to make your own seasoned
rice vinegar; combine:
There are many of foods I’ll stand in line for, and/or pay
too much for, but Hawaiian-style tuna poke isn’t one of them. I can’t make a
world-class croissant at home. I can make a decent one, but not a perfect one,
so I’ll happily queue up at a boulangerie that does.
However, when it comes to poke, the technique is so basic
that even the most inexperienced cooks can get something pretty much identical
to what they’d get out. There’s one catch though. You have to use only the
freshest possible tuna, even if that means it’s frozen.
Hopefully you’ll be able to get a hold of some fresh,
sushi-grade tuna, but if you can’t, frozen will work. What many people don’t
realize, is that most of the fish they enjoy at their favorite sushi
restaurants has actually been frozen beforehand anyway. Google it, it’s true.
So, as long as the tuna is Grade A, or sushi grade, the
frozen variety will work. Above and beyond that, all the other ingredients,
except for the soy sauce, are optional. So, please use this video as merely a
guide to the technique, understanding that this will work with so many
different ingredients. I really hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!
Makes 4 portions Tuna Poke:
1 pound sushi-grade ahi tuna (aka yellowfin), cut into about
3/4-inch cubes
Making delicious meatballs with fatty, flavorful beef is no
great feat, but creating something as delectable using ground turkey is another
story. As the old joke goes, it may be bland, but at least it’s dry. So, you’re
going to need a very specialized strategy, and by “specialized strategy,” I
mean some cold, leftover rice.
As these simmer in your sauce or soup, the grains of rice absorb
moisture, swell up, and create a relatively tender, moist meatball. Above and
beyond that, you’ll also want to look for ground turkey thigh meat (available
at most of your higher-priced grocery chains).
By the way, like all meatball/meatloaf recipes, you can test
your seasoning by cooking a small piece of the mixture before rolling your
ball. Even though the meat hasn’t simmered in the sauce yet, at least you can see
if it needs more salt. I’ll just fry up a little patty, and adjust if need be,
and suggest you do the same.
I didn’t intend this recipe to be a Thanksgiving dinner
alternative, but now that I think about it, these could actually work. Maybe
you have a small group, or don’t like looking at a giant carcass on the table (hey,
some people are weird like that), or your in-laws are Spanish, and you want to show
them you can pronounce “albondigas.”Whatever
the occasion, I hope you give these a try soon. Enjoy!
Ingredients for about 20-24 small meatballs:
1 pound ground turkey thigh meat
1 packed cup cooked white long grain rice 3 cloves crushed garlic 1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley 1 large egg
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon olive oil
For the sauce (I didn’t measure these ingredients, so these
are just guesses)
2 1/2 cups prepared tomato sauce
1 cup chicken broth, plus more as needed
1 teaspoon paprika
1/3 cup crème fraiche or heavy cream
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar 2 tbsp chopped Italian parsley salt and pepper to taste
There’s no getting around the fact that these lamb and rice
stuffed grape leaves, aka “dolmas,” take some time and effort to put together,
but at least they’ll all be gone in just a few minutes. What I’m trying to say
is, maybe make a double batch.
If you order these at your favorite Mediterranean restaurant,
you’ve probably enjoyed the more common meatless version, but I really do love
the lamb in these. The technique works the same no matter what you use, but of
course, how much rice you use will affect how much liquid you need.
As far as the grape leaves go, I’ve only done these with the
ones in the jar, which work great for me. I’ve heard these are even better with
fresh grape leaves, but where the heck am I going to get my hands on those in
Northern California?
As I mentioned in the video, these are wonderful at any
temperature, which makes them a great option for parties. You can put them out
warm, knowing that they’ll be just as delicious when they are cold. I garnished
mine very simply with lemon and olive oil, but any cold yogurt sauce makes for
a beautiful dip. I really hope you give these a try soon. Enjoy!
Ingredients for about 32 Lamb & Rice Stuffed Grape
Leaves:
1/2 pound ground lamb
rounded 1/2 cup long grain rice
1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 tablespoon currants
1 tablespoon pine nuts
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon dry oregano
2 tablespoons chopped mint 1 large egg
1 jar (16-oz) grape leaves, drained and rinsed
To cook the “Dolmas:”
4 cups chicken broth (tip: use already hot to save time)
Juice of one lemon
drizzle of olive oil
- Simmer, covered, gently for about 45 minutes or until rice
is tender. I usually check at around 35 minutes, and play it by ear from there.
