Spanish rice casserole

I made this from this recipe on A Year of Crockpotting. It called for a pound of browned meat but I had loads of left over roast turkey from the weekend so I chopped that up and used it instead.

1 lb meat - any kind (browned mince or chopped leftovers)
1 onion, chopped
1 cup brown rice
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 clove garlic, crushed
Large pinch mixed herbs
salt and pepper to taste
water or stock

Brown your mince if not using leftovers. Add it to the crock pot with the onion, rice, garlic and herbs. Drain the liquid from the tomatoes into a measuring cup and put the tomatoes in the crock pot. Make up the juice from the tomatoes to 2 cups with water or stock and add. Cook on low for 2-4 hours, until the rice is tender. Season to taste.

Rice pudding for breakfast

The lady who writes this crock potting blog is a genius. Rice pudding is a great idea any time but waking up to it for breakfast on a Sunday morning? Fab.

1 oz butter
2 small apples, cores removed and chopped
3/4 tsp cinnamon
pinch each of nutmeg, ground cloves and salt
3/4 cup short grain brown rice (soaked and drained if you remember)
1-2 tbsp honey
2 1/2 cups milk (or apple juice or a mix)

Place the ingredients in the crock pot and cook on low for 6-8 hours. 6 is better but I couldn't find my plug-in timer so it went for 8 and was fine - just caught a little on one side. I used 1 tbsp of honey and this was plenty sweet for us. You can always add more once it is cooked if you like it sweeter.

I bet coconut milk would be divine in this but I haven't tried it yet.

*edit to add - yes coconut milk in this is really really good! Might even be better than the traditional rice pudding with dairy milk..... *

Crab risotto

This served me and the kids but if you are cooking for 4 then you will probably want to double it.

500 ml stock (fish, vegetable or chicken), hot
1 tbsp butter
1 stick celery
1 - 2 leeks
1 onion
100 ml white wine
200g arborio (or other risotto) rice
Dressed crab (or small tin crab meat)
Dash of cream
Parmesan
Salt and pepper

Heat the butter in a pan. Add the (finely chopped) leeks, celery and onion and fry until soft. Add the rice and fry for a minute or two until the rice starts to turn translucent. Then add the wine. Cook over a gentle heat, stirring, until the wine is absorbed. Then start to add the stock, a ladle full at a time, stirring. Keep adding the stock when the last lot has been absorbed until the rice is soft and creamy. Gently stir through the crab and cream and season to taste. Serve topped with finely grated Parmesan.

Khili hui khichri (Khichri which has bloomed)

I love the name of this dish! It is a drier side dish, great with a stew or something with a sauce. This is another recipe courtesy of the wonderful Madhur jaffrey.

Serves 6
2 oz (50g) yellow split peas, washed and drained
15 fl oz brown basmati or long grain rice
3 tbsp ghee or coconut oil
1/2 tsp whole cumin seeds
1/2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp salt (to taste)
4 tbsp chopped fresh coriander or parsley
1 pt (570ml) chicken stock (veg stock or water could be used)

Soak split peas in 3/4 pt water for 3 hours and then drain. Wash the rice thoroughly and drain. Soak in 2 pts water for 1 hour then drain.
Heat the ghee or oil over a medium flame. When hot add the cumin seeds and stir them for a few seconds. Put in the rice and peas and cook for a couple of minutes to coat the grains with the oil. Add the garam masala, salt and coriander. Cook for a minute more, stirring. Add the stock or water and bring it to the boil. Cover tightly (using kitchen foil to help if your lid doesn't fit well) and turn to the lowest heat. Cook for about 25 minutes before turning off the heat and leaving the dish to sit, covered (no peeking!) for another 10 minutes.
Gently fluff with a fork before serving.

Kedgeree

I love kedgeree! It is supposed to be a breakfast dish but generally speaking we eat it in the evening. I had it at least once a week when I was pregnant with my eldest and I think that at least some of his high intelligence can be put down to all that oily fish!

Serves 4
4 smoked mackerel fillets (can also use smoked haddock or any other smoked fish you have)
250g rice (I use brown basmati)
1 onion, finely chopped
knob of butter or olive oil for frying
2.5 tsp curry powder (use more or less to taste)
Frozen peas
4 hard boiled eggs
250g yogurt or creme fraiche

Place the fish into a large frying pan and just cover with water. Bring to a simmer and cook until the fish is heated through and flaky. Remove the fish to a plate and reserve the cooking water (it is a nice smokey fishy stock). Heat the oil or butter in the pan and fry the onion until translucent. Add the curry powder and rice and fry for another minute or so. Add some of the hot fish stock. Cook, covered, until the stock is absorbed. Add more and cook again. Repeat until the rice is done. Meanwhile remove the skin from the mackerel (make sure you keep as much of the brown flesh next to it as possible - that is where a lot of the omega 3s are) and flake the fish. Quarter the hard boiled eggs. Add the frozen peas and a little more stock (or water if you have run out). Simmer until the peas are done then taste it and season as needed. Turn off the heat and add the fish and creme fraiche/yogurt and stir through gently. Serve topped with hard boiled egg quarters.

Bean chilli

Breakfast
Kids: cottage cheese and toast
Me: fruit smoothie

Lunch
We were out for lunch today

Dinner
Bean chili with quinoa and rice

Bean chili
I don't really have a recipe for this at all! The things that usually go in are tomatoes, beans (obviously), lentils, spices and oregano. Leeks are also very tasty in chili. I also regularly add some molasses or cocoa powder as well. I throw every thing in a pan, simmer and then add bit of what ever I have around until I'm happy.
When I am making beans I use a hot soak method, which I understand (from all-knowing Google) is the best method for reducing gassiness. The best method for removing phytates is apparently to soak at 140oF. But I am not messing about with a thermometer! I put my beans into a pan and cover them with plenty of water. I bring them to the boil and then turn off the heat. I leave them in the pan with the lid on to soak over night. When I want to cook them I drain and rinse them then put them back in the pan with fresh water. I boil them vigorously for about 10 minutes (this is especially important with kidney beans) then drain and rinse them again. Then I add either water or broth and cook them for a few hours until they are tender. There are a few steps to this method but it does make for digestible and tasty beans.

Rice and quinoa
1 cup long grain brown rice
2 cups stock (vegetable, chicken, beef - whichever you have)
1 cup quinoa

Soak the rice and quinoa (in separate bowls) overnight in water with a splash of vinegar. The rice doesn't matter too much - you can just use it as is but the quinoa does need soaking. Drain and rinse them both. Bring the stock to the boil in a pan that has a tight lid. Add the rice and turn the heat down as low as it will go. Cover it tightly - if the lids doesn't fit well then use some tin foil to help keep it sealed. Leave it covered and cooking on low for 25 minutes (if you didn't soak the rice give it an extra 5 minutes) . After that time take off the lid and add the quinoa. You may need to add a little more boiling stock or water if there is very little or no liquid left. Cover tightly again and continue to cook on very low for 10 minutes. After that time turn off the heat and leave the pan (sealed) to rest for 5 minutes. Then season to taste and enjoy!

Mushroom Pullao

Breakfast
Kids: cottage cheese on toast
Me: smoothie

Lunch
Roasted vegetable farinata and salad

Dinner
Lentil dal and mushroom pullao

Mushroom pullao
(serves 3)
1 cup long grain rice
3 oz mushrooms
Small onion
2 tbsp coconut oil/ghee
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/2 tsp finely grated ginger
1/4 tsp garam masala
1 tsp salt
1/2 pt chicken stock (if using bought stock leave out salt) or water

Wash the rice and drain. Add a pint of water and a splash of vinegar and soak for at least half an hour. Drain for 20 minutes before cooking.
Slice the mushrooms into 3 mm thick slices. Thinly slice onion into half rings.
Heat the oil or ghee over a medium flame. Fry the onions and garlic for about 2 minutes, until the onion begins to brown at the edges. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring, for another couple of minutes. Add the rice, ginger, garam masala and salt (if using). Turn the heat low and saute the rice for 2 minutes (stirring very gently so as not to break up the rice grains). Pour in the stock/water and bring to the boil. Cover very tightly (use foil under the lid if you aren't sure how well fitting it is) and cook on the lowest heat, or in an oven at gas mark 3, for 25 minutes (a little longer for brown rice - say another 10 - 15 minutes). Turn off the heat and let it rest, covered for another 5 minutes or so before serving.
This is a recipe from an old Madhur Jaffrey cookbook. I adore it. Kids pick out all the good bits. Sigh.

Beetroot risotto

Breakfast
Kids: toast with peanut butter
Me: coconut chicken soup

Lunch
Pies from the market and salad from the garden. I was feeling idle!

Dinner

Beetroot risotto (aka 'pink rice'!)
14 oz raw beetroot, peeled and chopped into small chunks
1 onion, chopped
1 oz butter
14 oz Arborio rice
3 cloves garlic
2 pt stock, kept hot
2 fl oz vodka or dry sherry (I often leave this out as I don't have either)
Juice of half a lemon, plus a good pinch of zest (I use a bit more lemon juice if not adding vodka)
3 1/2 oz Parmesan, grated
1 tbsp parsley
4 tbsp Greek yogurt or creme fraiche (optional)

Melt the butter and fry the onion gently until transparent. Add the beetroot and continue to fry (stirring) for about 10 minutes. Add the rice and finely chopped garlic and fry for a moment or two more until the rice is starting to cook and go a little transparent at the edges. Start adding the hot stock, a ladle full at a time. Stir in each addition and wait for it to be absorbed before adding the next. Keep at this for about 20 minutes, until the rice is cooked and creamy and the beetroot is soft (it can have just a little bite left to it for texture). Add the vodka and lemon juice and half the cheese. Stir in and let the risotto sit with a lid on for a few minutes to rest.
You can use a little bit of left over stock or boiling water at this stage, if the risotto is not oozing and delicious. Serve it topped with the rest of the cheese, the parsley and the yogurt, if using.

This is a great dish - bright fuschia and really tasty. It comes from 'the Cranks bible'. Just right for brightening up a dull horrible day like today.