Recipe Five: How to make rice

My bags are packed, I couldn't tell you what's in them, and I have stuffed WAY more shoes than one person could ever wear into every nook and cranny in my over-sized suitcases (but I will be sure to wear each and every pair since they will cost me hundreds in airplane baggage fees). It's a big ball of sad over here, so I thought I'd distract myself with the ultimate happy-maker: FOOD!

I know I'm supposed to continue with the "how-to" recipes for Dan, but I also have to include this delicious stew I made a couple weeks ago. You could serve it over rice (to make the how-to make rice title of this post actually work), but I made it with couscous since it was more Moroccan-based and begged for something lighter than rice.

So, here are directions for making white rice, brown rice and rice pilaf. I am Armenian and every Armenian is basically born knowing how to make pilaf, so I bring you my mom's way of making it. We use orzo pasta, other people break up angel hair, but I like the shape of orzo better.

How to Make Rice

Step one (for pilaf):  

Place one tablespoon of oil in a pan and warm it for a few seconds. Put 1/4 cup orzo pasta in the pan with the oil and brown it slightly, mixing it and watching it constantly. When it’s light brown, add the rice and water and follow the directions below.

Step one for rice only: 

Put 1 cup of white, long grain rice and 1.5 cups of water in a small (one-quart) saucepan with a tight-fitting lid (or in the rice cooker)

IF you’re using basmati rice, use 1 cup of rice to 1.5 cups of water, If you're using brown rice, use 1 cup of rice to 2 cups of water.

IF you’re using the rice cooker, place the rice, water and maybe a little bit of butter in the cooker, turn it on and set the timer for about 20 minutes, just like in step three.

Step two: 

Bring the water to a boil over high heat. Steam should be coming out from under the lid; keep the pot covered and don't peek under the lid. (Use the glass lid so you can see in)

Step three: 

Reduce the heat to very low. The rice grains swell as they absorb the water. If the temperature is too high, the bottom of the pan of rice can scorch while the top rice is still undercooked. Set a timer for 20 minutes.

Step four: 

When the timer rings, turn off the burner and remove the pan from the heat. Let the rice sit, covered, for an additional 5 minutes (and no peeking under the lid - the steam will escape…I always peak and stir the rice way more than you’re supposed to, and it still turns out fine).

Step five: 

Remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork to separate the grains.

Moroccan Stew with Couscous 

Serves 4

Ingredients 

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

2 lbs lamb or beef (I used beef "stew meat" already cut into chunks from Whole Foods) 

2 yellow onions, chopped

2-3 carrots, chopped

2-3 garlic cloves, minced

1 (15 oz) can chopped tomatoes

2 cups chicken broth

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon red pepper

1 (15 oz) can chickpeas/garbanzo beans

1/2 cup raisins

Salt and pepper to taste

1 cup of couscous prepared to package directions

Preparation

Rinse the meat and dry it well on paper towels. You want to make sure the meat is super super dry or else you won't get a good sear when it's in the pan.

Place olive oil in a heavy, large pot with a flat bottom and heat it until it shimmers. Place beef or lamb in the oil and sear it on all sides until it looks a little charred all over.

Removed the meat and cook the onions and carrots in the meaty oil until the onions are a little translucent. Add the minced garlic and cook for 30-60 seconds. Add the spices (cumin, turmeric, red pepper flakes) and some salt and pepper to the veggies and cook until you smell the spices (about 30 seconds).

Add the meat back to the pot with the tomatoes and their juice, and the broth. When the liquid begins to boil, turn the heat down and simmer this for as long as you can stand it (the longer the better because it will soften the meat...you could also dump everything into the crock pot at this stage).

After simmering for 20-30 minutes, add the raisins and chickpeas and cook for another 5 minutes.

Place a lump of couscous in a bowl and pour stew over the top. The couscous will continue to expand in the bowl, which thickens the stew. YUM!

Recipe Four: How to Boil an Egg

I'm packing bags, doing laundry, scheduling hair cuts and dentist appointments, cleaning out the fridge - I must be moving, again. I can't believe it's actually here, six months of finishing school, living in Seattle with mom, reconnecting with friends, and six months of time apart from my beloved husband-to-be. I am hands down the worst long distance relationship person in the universe, so this should be one of the more challenging six months of my 30 years. Ugh.

But, back to the recipes for Dan. The other day I boiled some eggs to make egg salad sandwiches and Dan asked how I knew when they were done.

Yikes.

I think I've been making the Dan how-to recipes a little more advanced than I thought. So, here you have it honey bunches. How to boil an egg, just in case you need a homemade Cobb salad, egg salad sandwiches, just a boiled egg slice in half with salt and pepper - there are so so many uses for the boiled egg.

Step one: Place whole, raw egg in a saucepan.

Step two: Run cold water into the saucepan until the water is 1 inch above the egg.

Step three: Place the saucepan on a stove and cook over medium heat until the water begins to boil.

Step four: As soon as the water begins to boil set the time for 15 minutes for a hard-boiled egg or 7 minutes for a soft boiled egg. Reduce the heat slightly so the eggs are not moving around too much

Step five: When the timer is up, place the pan in the sink and run cold water over the eggs until they are cool enough to touch.

Step six: Peel the eggs, rinse them off and enjoy!

See you all in Seattle very soon!!

Recipe Three: Meatloaf

I realize meatloaf seems a little advanced for the beginning chef, but it's really one of the easiest ways to impress guests, a cheaper option than steak, and leftovers taste better than the original - what's not to like?!

Last night I made meatloaf for Dan, Amy and Greg. It was the second time I've made meatloaf for Dan and the recipe was completely different. After taking an informal poll last night at the dinner table, we concluded that there are two distinct camps of meatloaf lovers. Those that prefer the red saucy part mixed in and those that prefer the red saucy part as a glaze on top. Last night's loaf was of the latter, sauce as a glaze on top. It makes the log of blended meats appear a little fancier and helps to lock in moisture, but I'm not much of a ketchup lover so getting a big taste of sweet, tomatoey ketchup as I bite into a juicy section of the loaf is not appealing to me.

So, here it is. Two, yes TWO meatloaf recipes for your use and, hopefully, your critique. Let me know which one you like, which one you hate, if you like all kinds of meatloaf, if you just like saying the word meatloaf, if meatloaf grosses you out...

Note: "meatloaf mix" used to be readily found in supermarkets. It's a blend of beef, pork and veal. Now, with different meat-mixing regulations, it's difficult to find anywhere, so feel free to use a mix of ground beef (90% lean) and ground pork.

America's Test Kitchen All-American Meatloaf (the sauce on top kind)

Ingredients

1 tbls vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped fine
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
4 tsp cider vinegar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup milk, plus extra as needed
2 tsp dijon mustard
2 tsp worcestershire
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 lbs meatloaf mix (1 lb hamburger + 1 lb ground pork)
2/3 cup crushed saltine crackers
1/3 cup minced fresh parsley

Directions

Adjust oven rack to the middle position and heat the ovn to 350°. Heat the oil in an 8-inch non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Set aside to cool for 5 minutes.


Meanwhile, mix together the ketchup, brown sugar, and vinegar and set aside. In a separate bowl, mix the eggs, milk, mustard, Worcestershire, salt, pepper and tabasco together

Mix the meatloaf mix, crackers, parsley, sautéed onion mixture, and egg mixture until evenly blended and the mixture doesn’t stick to the bowl (if the mixture sticks, add additional milk, a tbls at a time, until it no longer sticks).

Turn the meat mixture onto the foil-lined baking sheet and shape into a 9 by 5-inch loaf. Brush with half of the ketchup mixture. Bake the loaf for 45 minutes 

Brush the loaf with the remaining ketchup mixture and continue to bake until the center of the loaf measures 160° on an instant-read thermometer, about 15 minutes. Let cool for 20 minutes before slicing and serving.

Martha Stewart's Meatloaf 101 (the sauce all mixed in)

Use a combination of meat for perfect meatloaf: beef for flavor, veal for tenderness and easy slicing, pork for juiciness.

Serves 8 to 10

Ingredients

4 slices white bread, torn into pieces

1 3/4 pounds ground beef

3/4 pound ground pork 

1 medium yellow onion, peeled and cut into eighths 

2 cloves garlic 

2 stalks celery, cut into 2-inch pieces 

2 carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces 

1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley 

1 large egg 

3/4 cup ketchup 

4 teaspoons dry mustard 

1 tablespoon coarse salt 

2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper 

2 tablespoons packed light-brown sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse bread until fine crumbs form. Transfer to a medium bowl; add ground beef and ground pork.
 

Place onion, garlic, celery, carrots, and parsley in food processor; pulse until finely chopped. Add to beef mixture; combine using your hands. Add egg, 1/2 cup ketchup, 2 teaspoons dry mustard, salt, and pepper; combine thoroughly, using your hands. Place in an 8 1/2-by-4 1/2-by-2 1/2-inch loaf pan.
 

In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1/4 cup ketchup and 2 teaspoons dry mustard, and the brown sugar; stir until smooth.
 

Brush mixture over top of the meatloaf. Place the pan on a baking sheet to catch drippings, and transfer to oven. Bake until a meat thermometer inserted in the center reaches 160 degrees, about 1 1/2 hours. (If the top of the meatloaf gets too dark, cover with foil and continue baking.) Let meatloaf stand 15 minutes before slicing.

Recipe Two: He's finally back!

Business trip # 435 (at least that's what it seems like to a stay-at-home fiancee) and he's finally back. This time Dan circumnavigated the globe to bring games to the cold cold people of Kiev. However, if you came over you wouldn't know he's back, because he's in a post-business-trip-sans-ambien sleepytime coma. Ah the life of a stay-at-home-fiance. At least I have time to post recipe number two: Cooking Light's Macaroni and Cheese - revamped to be less fatty. 

I want to be very clear that I am a full-fat cheese eating, butter loving kind of girl, so making this recipe made me cringe a little. And, to be honest, I would highly recommend using real, full fat sharp cheddar instead of the Cooking Light recommended reduced fat cheddar because the latter tastes like plastic - and frankly is made of ingredients similar to those found in plastic. In all circumstances, I fully support the consumption of REAL food. Real sugar (truvia, stevia, equal are NOT real, they are weird chemicals you're putting into your body to fool yourself that you're eating healthily), real cheese, real butter (margarine is NOT real, it is yet another way to pretend you are a low fat eater, but really you're just an eater of science), and, yes, real meat, but I also support those that choose not to consume little furry animals.

Anyway, bottom line, I thought this mac was passable and I was impressed at the creaminess and flavor for it being low fat. Dan thought it was DELICIOUS. So here it is as recipe number two of the teaching-Dan-how-to-cook series.

Note: it makes six servings, so halve the recipe and you’ll still have enough for two hungry people with a side salad or vegetable of choice.

Ingredients

4 cups uncooked medium elbow macaroni

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 1/4 cups fat-free milk

1/4 cup (2 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon bottled minced garlic

1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese

A sprinkling of cayenne pepper (to taste, I added this, without it the mac is bland)

Pasta prep: Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain and set aside.

Cheese sauce prep: While pasta cooks, place flour, salt, and pepper in a large saucepan. Add milk, stirring with a whisk until well blended. Drop cream cheese by teaspoonfuls into milk mixture; bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly.

Reduce heat; simmer 2 minutes or until thick and cream cheese melts, stirring occasionally. Stir in mustard, Worcestershire, and garlic; simmer 1 minute.

Mix it up: Remove from heat. Add cheddar cheese, stirring until cheese melts. Combine pasta and cheese sauce in a large bowl; toss well.

(totally stole this picture,but that is what it looked like!!)