15 specialty rice Recipes

white basmati rice (available at indian markets, specialty foods stores and some supermarkets), vegetable oil, onions, thinly sliced, cumin seeds, whole black peppercorns, whole cardamom pods, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, water, whipping cream, salt, saffron threads, frozen peas, chopped almonds, chopped cashews, raisins

white short-grain rice, rice vinegar (available at oriental markets, specialty foods shops, and some supermarkets), sugar, dry sherry, salt, avocado (preferably california ), fresh lemon juice for rubbing the avocado, three 8- by 7-inch pieces of toasted nori (dried laver), cucumber, peeled and cut lengthwise into 8- by 1/4-inch strips, discarding the seeds, fresh king crab meat, thawed if frozen , picked over, and drained, wasabi (japanese horseradish) paste* to taste for the sushi plus additional as an accompaniment if desired, soy sauce as an accompaniment, pickled ginger* as an accompaniment if desired

uncooked shrimp, peeled, deveined, and tails removed, chopped scallions, soy sauce, grated fresh ginger, short-grain rice (such as arborio), soaked in 2 cups very hot water for 2 hours, cabbage or lettuce leaves, ponzu sauce (available at asian specialty stores) or more soy sauce

low-salt chicken broth, dry sherry, soy sauce, golden brown sugar, hot chili paste (such as sambal oelek), boneless pork shoulder (boston butt), cut into 5 x 1 1/2-inch strips (sometimes called boneless country-style pork ribs), peanut oil, onion, chopped, green onions; white and pale green parts finely chopped, green parts thinly sliced, garlic cloves, chopped, minced peeled fresh ginger, whole star anise, orange peel removed from orange with vegetable peeler, carrots, peeled , cut into 1-inch pieces, turnips, peeled , cut into 1-inch pieces, steamed white rice, ingredient info : hot chili paste (such as sambal oelek) can be found in the asian foods section of many supermarkets and at asian markets. look for whole star anise- brown star-shaped seedpods-in the spice section of some supermarkets and at specialty foods stores and asian markets.

boneless, skinless chicken breasts, dried parsley flakes or chives, garlic powder to taste, cream cheese sliced in 4 pieces, cream of chicken soup, mayonnaise, milk, lemon juice, black pepper, salt, egg noodles or rice cooked

plain low-fat yogurt, rice vinegar, chives, chopped, fresh parsley, chopped, garlic powder, pepper

basmati rice (available at indian markets, specialty foods stores and some supermarkets), vegetable oil, onions, thinly sliced, cumin seeds, whole black peppercorns, whole cardamom pods, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, water, whipping cream, salt, saffron threads, frozen peas, chopped almonds, chopped cashews, raisins

uncooked specialty wild rice blend (such as uncle ben s), apple juice, low-salt chicken broth, olive oil, skinned, boned chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces, sliced green onions, firm ripe bosc pears (about 1 1/2 lb), cored and cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch slices, dried cranberries or dried tart cherries, sugar, salt, ground cinnamon

risotto with sausage and cranberry beans, make risotto , you absolutely must use a specific type of rice called arborio rice (carnaroli and vialone nano are also used, some say superior, but are more difficult to find). these types of rice release starch when stirred in a liquid; it is this process which makes risotto, otherwise you just have a starchy mess of mush. these types of rice are identified by their fat round grains and pearly appearance. they can be used to make other sorts of rice dishes, such as pilaf, but other types of rice cannot be used for risotto. arborio is no longer that much of a specialty product; it can be found in most large, well-stocked grocery stores in the italian section. or sometimes, misguidedly, in the asian section., okay , so now we have the rice. you will also need some good, low-salt stock or broth - it should be low-salt not for health reasons, but because a good deal of it will evaporate, leaving its salt behind, and i like to have more control over the salt in a dish. it can be homemade, but i m not going to be a snob about it because, in truth, we go through gallons of store-bought stock in this household and i don tsp see that changing anytime soon. furthermore, risotto is actually a dish which can be whipped up out of thin air when it seems as though you have nothing to eat, as long as you have butter, rice, stock, maybe a few herbs, and some leftover parmesan. i like the kind of stock purchased in tetrapak cartons, because they are resealable and can be put in the fridge and used as needed. if you really want to use homemade but you don tsp have time to make stock or don tsp like the aroma of roasting bones in your house (i don tsp blame you), you can buy really great stock at north market poultry and game - it is expensive, but can be diluted with a 2- or 3-to-1 ratio of water to stock, so it stretches. my general guideline is to plan on 1/4 cup dry rice per person, and about 4 cups of stock to 1 cup of rice. of course, this isn tsp exact and will vary depending on your elevation and the phases of the moon, but it s a good place to start. i usually just use 4 cups of stock and then dilute with water or wine (or sometimes beer, if that s all i have) if i feel i m going to run out., well, we have rice and stock covered, now we just need our setup: place the stock in a saucepan on your rear burner, bring to a simmer, and leave it there with a 6-8 oz ladle in, and place a large, wide saute pan (must be really large, plan that your rice will at least quadruple in size) or dutch oven on the burner in front. get out your favorite wooden spoon and flex your stirring arm., nice thing about using sausage is it s so full of flavor you can leave out the usual onion/garlic/shallot/celery nonsense if you re tired and don tsp feel like chopping. furthermore, sausage goes from the freezer to the pan without suffering too much. okay, let s go, risotto with sausage and cranberry beans - serves 4, links italian sausage , or 1 lb bulk (or hot, or a combination - definitely with some fennel), casings removed, cooked cranberry beans or 1 can white beans, drained, arborio rice, beef , chicken or vegetable stock, butter, freshly, finely grated parmesan cheese , plus more for garnish, an oz) flat-leaf parsley, chopped finely, lemon juice , or juice from 1/2 lemon, salt and black pepper to taste, red pepper flakes to taste, optional, good balsamic vinegar , optional

dried porcini mushrooms (available at italian markets and specialty foods stores), butter, chopped onion, arborio rice or medium-grain white rice, canned low-salt chicken broth, chopped peeled carrot, freshly grated pecorino romano cheese, chopped fresh tarragon, egg, beaten to blend, fresh tarragon sprigs, carrot curls

yellow onion, butter (1/2 stick), more chicken broth, canned or homemade, arborio rice (available in many supermarkets or specialty food stores), salt and pepper to taste, freshly grated parmesan cheese

vegetable cooking spray, won ton wrappers (we tested with frieda s asian specialties), creamy peanut butter, water, fresh lime juice, rice wine vinegar, honey, chili sauce with garlic (we tested with hokan), dark sesame oil, sliced almonds, toasted, green onions, sliced, chopped cooked chicken, shredded napa cabbage

frozen banana leaves, achiote paste* (recommended : recado rojo), garlic, white vinegar, orange juice, kosher salt, trimmed, boneless pork butt, halved, water, marinated red onions , recipe follows, habanero salsa , recipe follows, suggestion : steamed white rice or fresh, warm tortillas, be found at gourmet supermarkets or specialty mexican markets.