Techniques for Cooking With Rice

Rice is a very versatile food which can be a meal in itself, can be eaten cold as a salad, hot as a pudding or it can be served as a meal accompaniment. Use online recipes to get the most out of your packet of rice and experiment with different rices – long grain, short grain, arborio or risotto rice, pudding rice, brown rice, wild rice and basmati rice.

Here are 4 ways to use rice:-

1. Boiling rice – Rice is a great accompaniment to curry, chilli, casseroles, meat in sauces etc. and can also be used to make rice salads. You can purchase rice cookers or microwave rice steamers which are worth buying if you make a lot of rice.

To boil rice in a pan, first measure out rice and water. A mugful of rice will easily feed two people as a main course accompaniment and you will need twice as much water as rice, two mugfuls of boiling water. Either boil the water in a pan or use a kettle and then pour the water into a medium sized pan. Once the water is boiling, add the rice and a little salt. Bring back to the boil and then turn down to a simmer, place a lid on and leave to cook for about 15 minutes. Different types of rice will take different amounts of time so check the packet. If there is still liquid left after cooking, simmer for a bit longer, until it has been absorbed and serve. Some people like to place their cooked rice into a sieve and pour boiling water over it to rinse it, but this is not necessary.

2. Fried rice – Fried rice can be eaten by itself or as an accompaniment to Chinese dishes. It is a great way of using up leftover rice.

Boil the rice in the usual way and then let it cool. Beat 2 eggs together in a bowl and season. Heat some oil in a large frying pan or wok over a high heat and add the eggs when the oil is hot. Stir constantly until the eggs are softly scrambled. Add rice and some soy sauce or oyster sauce. Cook until the rice is hot and everything is combined.

For variety, you can fry chopped onion in the pan before adding the eggs and you can also add cooked chicken or cooked, peeled prawns when you add the rice.

3. Risotto – Making a risotto is easy but it does need your constant attention. Look for risotto rice or arborio rice in your supermarket.

Sauté chopped onion in a large, deep frying pan and then add uncooked rice with some mushrooms. Coat the rice in the hot oil and then start adding liquid such as stock or white wine or a mixture of both. Add the liquid a little (a ladle full) at a time and add more when the liquid has been absorbed by the rice. Stir regularly to stop the rice sticking. Once the rice is cooked and creamy (to your taste) add a knob of butter, some grated parmesan cheese and serve.

For variety, you could also add cooked chicken, sausage or prawns, frozen peas or sweetcorn – experiment.

4. Rice Salad – Making a rice salad is a good way of using left over boiled rice and is a great dish to serve at BBQs or to take on a picnic.

You need to either boil some rice and then let it cool, or use leftover rice. Make it the night before you need to serve it so that the rice takes on the flavours of the other ingredients.

Mix the cold, cooked rice with sweetcorn, chopped peppers, chopped chillies, olives, olive oil, crushed garlic, lime or lemon juice and then, just before serving, stir in some grated cheese. You can also do rice salads with chopped pineapple, tuna, beans and pulses, and cashew nuts. Look for rice salad recipes or make your own up.

Pumpkin Seeds – Pumpkin seeds, How to Prepare, Roast and Store

If you normally throw away your pumpkin seeds after you have hollowed out your Jack-O-Lantern, spare a thought for the pumpkin seeds benefits. I think we are all now aware of how healthy seeds are for your dietary needs. See below for a Pumpkin Seed Recipe that even the children will enjoy.Before roasting pumpkin seeds they must be prepared. After you have hollowed out your Jack-O-Lantern, place all the pumpkin seeds in a bowl. You need to remove all the stringing pumpkin flesh from the seeds. Pumpkin seeds will dry and be harder to clean if you don’t do this as soon as you have finished hollowing out your pumpkin, so ensure you clean them while the flesh is still moist. Place the seeds in a strainer and rinse under cold water removing any flesh that is still left on the seeds. Pumpkin seeds then need to be spread on a sheet of waxed paper and left to dry overnight. If you want the seeds salted then place in a bowl of saltwater first and leave overnight. Next day remove from the bowl and spread on waxed paper leave overnight to dry. If you are roasting pumpkin seeds in the oven or in the microwave the preparation is the same. Pumpkin Seed Recipe (seeds cooked in the microwave) Take a rectangular baking dish which is suitable for microwave cooking and place salted butter in the baking dish. Heat the butter for approximately 30 seconds. Add the seeds and coat with the melted butter. Next spread the seeds over the base of the dish in one single even layer. Roasting pumpkin seeds should take about 8 minutes on high (until they are a light golden color) but if you set the microwave for 2 minutes at a time and keep stirring the cooking seeds to prevent them from burning you will be able to get a better idea as to how long they will take as some microwaves are more powerful than others. After cooking, pumpkin seeds can be sprinkled your favorite seasoning. Pumpkin Seed Recipe (seeds cooked in the Oven) After you have finished preparing your seeds, place them in a roasting dish or tray and spray with butter spray. If you have a gas oven it needs to be on gas mark 4. (For electric ovens 350 F,180 C). Roasting pumpkin seeds should take about one hour to cook until a light golden brown. After cooking, seeds can be sprinkled with your favorite seasoning and then allow the pumpkin seeds to cool before being eaten. After Halloween, for a change why not try cooking seeds from butternut and acorn squash prepare and cook in exactly the same way as roasting pumpkin seeds. Pumpkin seeds – How to Store Your Pumpkin Seeds - Pumpkin seeds will last a good while after you have cooked them so if you feel energetic and have plenty of seeds then you could make a large batch for whenever you fancy some. At room temperature in an airtight container the seeds will last for up to three months but up to 12 months if you store them in an airtight container in the fridge. Baked pumpkin seeds are a great source of fibre and nutrition. If you are trying to loose weight use low fat butter or butter spray when you roasting pumpkin seeds and then if you feel a little peckish at any time have some seeds. Pumpkin seeds will benefit you much more than from a fattening nibble. You can store your pumpkin seeds in airtight containers at room temperature for up to 3 months. If you choose to refrigerate them, they will last for up to a year in an air tight container. Pumpkin seeds benefits are many, amongst other things they are a very good source of the minerals phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, amino acids and zinc. Eating pumpkin seeds will improve your nutrition. Seeds are also a good source of other minerals including zinc, iron and copper and a good source of protein Vitamin C and other nutrients, such as Niacin, Vitamin E, and vitamin K, Calcium, Iron and other vitamins, and are even said to lower cholesterol, improve bladder function, ease depression and prevent kidney stones. A free gift of” Delicious Pumpkin Recipes” is available for you and can be downloaded directly from the site. “Delicious Pumpkin Recipes” features delicious recipes like the Russian stuffed pumpkin recipe , Stir fried pumpkin recipe, a delicious pumpkin recipe for fruit cake and a pumpkin recipe for tasty soup.

During Cold and Flu Season, Chicken Soup Does Wonders

The person who came up with the recommendation of chicken soup to treat or alleviate the symptoms of the cold and flu will forever remain a mystery. But science has shown that it is wise advice that can contribute to an easier course of the disease. Whenever we have fever, from a viral cold or the flu, we do become slightly dehydrated, and our body rejects nutrition in the form of a heavy meal. But a light, liquid, warm meal that provides just enough calories to get by and helps to curb the dehydration caused by the fever, may just be what we need to feel better.

This chicken soup is made from scratch and it is very easy to prepare. Although it is easier to open a can, just think about the hidden ingredients added to the process, such as colorants and preservatives. You may then decide to start cooking!

Chicken soup provides the right amount of calories to help you fight the cold, with a perfect balance of carbohydrates (provided by the pasta), protein (in chicken and egg), fat (from chicken meat), as well as fiber and vitamins (in vegetables).

Recipe for Chicken Soup

- 1.5 pounds of chicken

- 2 stalks of celery

- 2 medium carrots

- 1 medium onion

- 2 garlic cloves

- 1 medium tomato

- 1/3 cup of egg pasta (little pasta shapes are popular with kids)

- 1 hard-boiled egg.

In a medium size pot, place the first 6 ingredients and add water until they are all covered. Bring to a boil and cook in low until the chicken is tender and the vegetables are soft (about 30 minutes). Take out the pieces of chicken and set them apart to allow them to cool off. Leave the rest of the ingredients in the water and remove the pot from the stove. Using a hand blender, mix the vegetables in the water until the solid vegetables become liquefied.

When the chicken is cool, separate the meat from the bones and cut the meat in small pieces. Add the chicken meat to the liquefied mixture of vegetables. Add the egg pasta in the form of stars or little bullets, and simmer for another 15 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Before serving, add the hard-boiled egg cut in small pieces.

If the soup is too liquid for you, separate ½ cup of the soup mixture and add 1 tbsp of cornstarch. Stir until it dissolves completely and then add it to the soup, allowing it to cook for another few minutes.

This soup can be prepared in advance and kept frozen if needed.