rice – Page 4 – The Pajama Chef

Mystery Dish: Champorado [Filipino Chocolate Rice Pudding]

January 29, 2014February 22, 2014 Sarah

When I saw the ingredients for the January edition of Mystery Dish, the first thing I thought was “fancy, fancy.” Allie from Baking a Moment gave us a list of the following to work with: champagne, strawberries, oranges, beets, filet mignon, lobster, cream, chocolate, rosewater, and rice. Though the list at first glance is fancy, my first thought was comfort food. It must be the cold weather.

As I was thinking about what to make, I noticed rice sitting all lonely at the end of the list. I’ve never had rice pudding, so I looked up a few recipes and decided to give it a whirl. Ben is a HUGE rice addict, so we always have tons of rice in the pantry. Instead of the milky, raisin-filled, old-person-stereotype rice pudding, I wanted to use chocolate to fancify things a bit. As I researched chocolate rice pudding, I decided to take an international spin on things and make an intriguing Filipino chocolate rice pudding called Champorado. When I found out it is traditionally served for breakfast, I was sold. Chocolate for breakfast? Yes, please!

This pudding is warm, comforting, and chocolately–though it’s surprisingly NOT rich. Some kinds of oatmeal I make feel richer than this is. The recipe called for bittersweet chocolate, which certainly helps create an uber chocolate flavor without any feelings of heaviness or overindulgence. I also added a little bit of orange zest to bring a citrus zing to the dish. Chocolate and orange together is absolutely DIVINE! Another way this dish stays a lighter is the pairing. You might have noticed that bacon on my plate.

Traditionally, Champorado is served with hot, buttered rolls and salted dried fish, creating that perfect blend of salty sweet balance in a meal. Since I was fresh out of salted dried fish [aka I’ve never eaten salted dried fish before] bacon was my natural alternative. 🙂

Each bite of this pudding is comforting and delightful. It’s so versatile and can be served hot, lukewarm, or cold. Though I highly recommend it for breakfast, I think it would make a fun dessert too. I definitely will be trying more rice puddings in the future now that I know they aren’t just for old people! 🙂 Thanks, Allie and Mystery Dish for broadening my horizons once again. Scroll down for more recipes from this month’s Mystery Dish! 🙂

one year ago: Buffalo Pretzels
two years ago: Cranberry Feta Pinwheels
three years ago: Baked Rigatoni with Bechamel Sauce

Champorado [Filipino Chocolate Rice Pudding] [from Chow]
click to print

Ingredients:

1 cup rice [short grain white sticky rice recommended, but I used long-grain white rice and it was fine]
5 cups water
6 ounces good quality bittersweet chocolate [I used a 70% cacao variety from Scharffen Berger]
1/3 cup sugar
zest of one orange
milk [regular, evaporated, sweetened condensed], for serving if desired

Directions:

Rinse rice in a fine gauge mesh strainer under running water for 1-2 minutes, until water runs clear. Then place in a medium saucepan with water and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer, stirring often, until rice is tender, much of the water is absorbed, and mixture thickens, about 15-20 minutes.

Melt chocolate in the microwave in 15 second increments, stirring and checking often to ensure chocolate does not burn. A double boiler would be another option too.

When rice has thickened, add chocolate, sugar, and orange zest to pot and stir together. Simmer for another 5 minutes until sugar has dissolved.

Remove from heat and serve as desired–immediately [hot], cooled off the heat for 30-45 minutes [lukewarm], or cooled off the heat, then refrigerated [cold]. Serve with milk as desired.

Time: 30 minutes.
Yield: 6 servings.

1. Carmelitas by Pass the Cocoa
2. Strawberry Champagne Cupcake Trifles by The Dessert Chronicles
3. Strawberry Orange Stuffed French Toast by I Dig Pinterest
4. Strawberry Orange Ice Cream with Chocolate Chips by Joyful Healthy Eats
5. Chocolate Strawberry Pudding by See Hubby Cook
6. Chocolate Doughnuts with Strawberry Cream Cheese Icing by Chez CateyLou
7. Champorado (Filipino Chocolate Rice Pudding) by The Pajama Chef
8. Whole Wheat Orange Scones with Vanilla Cream Glaze by The Well Floured Kitchen
9. Chocolate-Filled Cream Puffs with Strawberry Sauce by Culinary Couture
10. Red Velvet Beet Cupcakes by Yummy Healthy Easy
11. Chocolate Covered Strawberry Milkshake by I Want Crazy
12. Strawberry Rose Chocolate Verrines by Baking a Moment

Main Dishes, Other, Recipes

Quick & Healthy Pineapple Fried Rice

January 20, 2014January 22, 2014 Sarah

Lately I’ve been really into quick but still healthy meals. Working full time is great… but when I get home from a long day and an even longer commute, half the time I want to just curl up on the couch with my soft blanket and my Kindle, and the other half of the time I want to bake doughnuts, cookies, and muffins and skip dinner entirely. No idea why this disparity, but dinner is usually not my highest priority. But ya gotta eat, right? So I’ve been turning to quick meals that are still healthy and that make loads of leftovers to eat all week long, like this fabulous Pineapple Fried Rice. This crave-worthy dinner can be made in about 20 minutes so it’s awesome for busy or lazy nights when you just want something yummy but not heavy.

I started off this dish with the Asian Cuisine Cooking Oil from STAR Fine Foods which they graciously sent me to try out. If you can’t find this at your local grocery store, just add a little ginger [fresh or ground] and some extra soy sauce as the veggies are sauteing. Normally I wouldn’t think of using special infused oils on an ordinary weeknight, but I’m beginning to change my mind. They really make an ordinary dish shine–and cut down on my prep time so I can get back to my book sooner. 🙂 #librarianalert

For this batch of fried rice, I used garlic, carrots, edamame, peas, and green beans, but feel free to use whatever veggies you want. I’m thinking some sugar snap peas and broccoli would be good to try next time. What we especially loved about this vegetarian fried rice was the subtle sweetness of the pineapple with the salty soy sauce and sesame oil. Oh man, what a combo! This dish was hearty enough without meat [I totally think fried rice is one of those dishes where meat isn’t missed] but if you gotta have some, pork or shrimp would be good. Chicken is too predictable, methinks. Oh, and don’t forget the chopped honey roasted peanuts on top. Crunch crunch! 🙂 Cilantro would be a good addition too! TTYL 🙂 [I can’t believe I just wrote that. LOL! Hahaha.] Enjoy!

one year ago: Lemon Cranberry Muffins
two years ago: Camp Tecumseh Baked Oatmeal
three years ago: Pork Chops with Red Wine Sauce

Quick & Healthy Pineapple Fried Rice
click to print

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons STAR Asian Cuisine Cooking Oil [extra virgin olive oil infused with soy and ginger]
2 carrots, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2/3 cup frozen edamame
2/3 cup frozen peas
2/3 cup frozen cut green beans
20 ounce can pineapple tidbits in pineapple juice, drained [reserve 1/4 cup pineapple juice and save the rest to drink or for something else]
4 1/2 cups cooked, cold rice [day old if possible]
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
sesame seeds, for serving
chopped honey roasted peanuts, for serving

Directions:

Add cooking oil to a large skillet or wok set over medium-high heat. When hot, add carrots and saute for 5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Add garlic and saute for about 30 seconds, until fragrant. Stir in edamame, peas, green beans, and pineapple. Cook for a minute or so until they just begin to soften.

Add rice and soy sauce to vegetables, then stir continuously for about 4 minutes, until rice is hot and begins to crisp up.

Push all the rice mixture to one side of the pan and pour the eggs in the empty spot. Quickly stir the eggs on the hot surface until they just begin to cook, then whisk them into the rice mixture. Pour in toasted sesame oil, then stir to combine.

Remove from heat, and serve fried rice with sesame seeds and chopped honey roasted peanuts.

Time: 20 minutes.

Yield: 5-6 servings.

Disclosure: STAR Fine Foods sent me a complementary package of their new cooking oils and some other goodies to try out. I had no obligations to blog about them or provide positive feedback. I’m glad I had the opportunity to try them though! Thanks to Ruby and all the other great people at STAR Fine Foods for their generosity.

Linked up with: What’s Cookin’ Wednesday.

Recipes, Rice, Sides

Mexican Rice

May 28, 2013May 31, 2013 Sarah

Oh my goodness. This RICE! Normally, rice is Ben’s obsession, but this time, it’s mine. This Mexican Rice is seriously amazing. It’s the closest restaurant-style replica recipe that I have ever successfully made. Ben agreed, and thought this was better than something you could get at a restaurant. And for a guy who likes to eat out, that’s saying something!! So many recipes online or in cookbooks claim to be restaurant-worthy, but most of the time, they’re lying. Well this one? Not so much. It’s just like the rice you’d get at your favorite local hole in the wall Mexican place.

When I first saw that the recipe called for three jalapenos, I have to admit that I was a little nervous [even considering my recent love of spice]. But really, I needn’t have been afraid–this rice had the perfect amount of kick. Not too spicy, not too bland. Stirring in cilantro at the end and adding a squeeze of lime juice to each serving definitely balanced out the flavors and gave the rice a little something special.

At first glance, this Mexican Rice recipe might look a bit intimidating. Even if it has good flavor, isn’t it a bit overkill to go through all these steps of rinsing and sautéing the rice, then cooking it on the stove and in the oven? NO! Not at all. Don’t skip a step–each is necessary to make this light and fluffy without a bit of gloopy, gloppiness that can all too easily happen when a bunch of stuff is added to rice. The texture isn’t sticky or mushy. It’s just perfect. And when paired with homemade tacos and refried beans, well, it’s just like eating at a restaurant But at home, for a fraction of the cost… and with all the leftovers you could want. 🙂 I know I’ll be making this rice over and over again for many tacos nights in our future, and I hope you will too. Enjoy!

Mexican Rice [from Food.com]
click to print

Ingredients:

1 can diced tomatoes [15 ounces]
1 medium onion [yellow or white]
2 cups long grain white rice
1/4 cup canola oil
3 medium jalapenos, minced and divided [deseed as desired–I deseeded two]
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup cilantro, minced
freshly ground black pepper
1 lime, wedged

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a food processor or blender, combine tomatoes and onion. Puree until smooth, then pour into a measuring cup and reserve 2 cups. Discard excess [or save for something else, like salsa, or eat with a spoon…].

Add oil to a large [10-12 inch] straight-sided sauté pan or Dutch oven [with a tight fitting lid] and set over medium-high heat. While oil is heating up, place rice in a fine mesh strainer and rinse under cold running water for about 2 minutes or until water runs clear. This is similar to rinsing quinoa–it removes the starch from the rice to make it nice and fluffy. Do not omit this step! Shake rice to remove excess water.

Next, drop a few grains of rice in the oil. If they sizzle it is ready. Add rice to oil and cook for 6-8 minutes, constantly stirring, until rice is lightly golden and translucent. Reduce heat a little if the oil starts to splatter, and add up to another 2 tablespoons of oil if it seems too dry.

Reduce heat to medium, then add 2 jalapenos and garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.

Stir in pureed tomatoes and onions and chicken broth and bring to a boil.

Remove from heat, cover, and transfer to oven. Cook for 15 minutes, then remove and stir well. Return to oven for another 15-20 minutes, or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed. Remove from oven and stir in remaining jalapeno and cilantro. Season to taste with freshly ground black pepper.

Serve with a wedge of lime to squeeze on each serving before enjoying.

Time: 55 minutes [20 minutes active].

Yield: 8-10 servings.

Notes: You can use 12 ounces fresh ripe tomatoes but since I made this before tomato season, I opted for canned. If you use fresh tomatoes, the recipe recommends supplementing with salsa if you need to get up to 2 cups AND to add 1 tablespoon tomato paste to the mix as well.

Linked up with: Weekend Potluck.

Chicken, Main Dishes, Recipes

Sweet and Sour Chicken {Repost}

March 20, 2013March 17, 2013 Sarah

So, I used to post once a month on a blog called Today’s Housewife. Last fall, the group decided together to stop posting due the busyness of life and families and such. Though sad, I enjoyed being part of the group. As of early January, the blog was officially taken down. But I don’t want to lose my recipes, so periodically I will be reposting them on here. Enjoy!

this post is originally from October 13, 2011

Chinese is Ben’s favorite ethnic food, so I’m constantly on the look out for ways I can surprise him with some special dinners at home. First it was Healthy Fried Rice, next it was Sweet and Sour Chicken. Before I tried any of these recipes, I expected them to be really difficult. But you know what? Making Chinese food at home really isn’t that hard. It’s actually pretty simple; all it takes is a bit of effort.

In almost no active preparation time at all, you can have restaurant-quality Sweet and Sour Chicken on your table for everyone to enjoy. We loved how sweet and tangy this dish was, as well as the freshness and healthiness factors. Because nothing beats the impressiveness of homemade!

Sweet and Sour Chicken [from Mrs. Schwartz’s Kitchen]
click to print

Ingredients:

1-2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
salt and pepper
1 cup cornstarch
2 eggs
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup pineapple chunks or tidbits
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup rice vinegar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
brown rice, for serving
stir fry vegetables, for serving
sesame seeds, for topping

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet.

Put cornstarch in a shallow bowl. Crack eggs into another shallow bowl, and beat slightly with a fork. Season chicken with salt and pepper then dip in cornstarch and egg.

Working in two batches, brown the chicken, tossing every so often so that all sides crisp. Remove chicken to a large baking dish and arrange in a single layer, using a paper towel to degrease if necessary.

In a medium bowl, stir the sugar, pineapple, ketchup, vinegars, soy sauce, garlic, and red pepper together until sugar dissolves and sauce is fully mixed. Taste and adjust seasonings if desired. Then pour half of the sauce over the chicken and toss to fully coat.

Bake the chicken for 60 minutes, turning every 15 minutes. [This would be a good time to start your brown rice, if you haven’t already.]

Meanwhile, pour remaining sauce in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Turn heat to low and simmer to reduce, about 20 minutes.

Serve chicken over rice and vegetables and top with additional sauce and sesame seeds.

Yield: 5-6 servings.

Time: 90 minutes [30 minutes active].

Main Dishes, Pork, Recipes

Italian Sausage and Red Rice

February 27, 2013March 20, 2013 Sarah

I love one dish meals. They are just so delicious, comforting, and, well, easy. Yes, that’s the main reason I love ’em. Casseroles, pasta, skillet meals… all of the above are great because then I don’t have to think about sides–I just whip up a quick side salad and am good to go. But the problem with many one dish meals is that they are all kinda the same. Taste the same, look the same, are virtually the same. I for one know that I’ve made about a zillion variations of Mexican chicken, beans, corn, cheese, and pasta/rice/quinoa. [But yet I still make them. It’s probably the cheese. I LOVE cheese!] Those dishes are all good but can certainly become a bit of a bore after awhile, so I’m always on the lookout for new recipe ideas that satisfy my easy one dish requirement. When I recently scored some Italian sausage on sale, I immediately started looking for some interesting recipes and landed on this Skillet Italian Sausage and Red Rice.

It may not look like much, but it is SO amazing. It’s made with only seven ingredients and is ready in less than 30 minutes, making this an excellent choice for a weeknight dinner. I don’t know what red rice usually is, but in this case it is a flavorful combination of tomato soup, Tabasco sauce, and Worcestershire sauce. I’m pretty picky about using convenience-type foods in recipes [and in general], but I won’t hesitate to admit that every once in awhile I like to indulge in a Kraft singles grilled cheese dipped in Campbell’s Tomato Soup. There’s nothing like it… gourmet, homemade versions are good but just don’t compare. 🙂 So, for that reason and that reason alone I was okay with using readymade soup to flavor up this rice and make it uber rich and creamy. It has just a bit of heat too, and is the perfect base for slices of hearty Italian sausage.

If you need an easy dinner soon, I highly suggest you whip up this dish. There are tons of ways to fancify it if that’s your thing–adding extra veggies or some beans, making the tomato soup base from scratch, even experimenting with different types of sausage. I was frankly quite surprised with how much I enjoyed this dinner [especially since it was cheeseless. Oh my!]. I thought I’d be ruthlessly plotting to have Ben take all the leftovers in his work lunches, but instead I was sneaking them away for me. Cray cray, I know, but this is just… so… good! Enjoy!

Skillet Italian Sausage and Red Rice [method adapted from Premio Foods]
click to print

Ingredients:

1 pound Italian sausage [links]
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1/4 cup hot water
1 can condensed tomato soup [10.75 ounces]
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce [or to taste]
1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 cups cooked rice

Directions:

In a large skillet set over medium head, add sausage and cook until browned on all sides [and cooked through if not precooked]. Remove sausage from pan and set on place to rest. Meanwhile, add onion and cook until golden.

Next, slice sausage into bite size pieces and return to pan. Pour in hot water to deglaze pan. Add soup, Tabasco sauce, and Worcestershire sauce and stir to combine. Add rice, cover, and cook for 15 minutes, or until hot. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired.

Time: 25 minutes.

Yield: 6 servings.

Linked with: Weekend Potluck.