Coconut Rice with Red Beans

I saw this recipe for coconut rice which also incorporated red beans and I had all the ingredients on hand so I gave it a shot. What I really liked was that the recipe started with sauteed garlic and green onions added to the rice cooker before cooking. This gives the cooked rice a nice savory flavor and the flavor of the coconut milk is just so awesome. All I can say is that I made the exact same thing the next night, it was so good! All I needed was some coconut half's to serve the rice.

Ingredients:

1 cup white rice
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 minced garlic cloves
3 diced green onions
1 cup red beans or red kidney beans
1 cup coconut milk
1 cup water
Salt to taste, about 1/4 teaspoon

Preparation:

Heat a small saute pan to medium and add the olive oil, garlic and green onions. Cook for a couple of minutes until the garlic and green onion are softened and translucent.

Take a medium saute pan and add the all the ingredients; sauteed garlic and green onions, rice, beans, coconut milk, water and salt. Heat to boil and then simmer on very low heat for approximately 15 minutes. Remove from the heat just before all the moisture is absorbed, this will keep the rice from burning on the bottom of the sauce pan. Let the rice rest 10 minutes with the lid on and then fluff with a fork and you're ready to serve.  

Rice and Couscous Pilaf

Here's a tasty side dish that is kind of a take on rice pilaf. I used my rice cooker to make rice as usual, but added a quarter cup Israeli couscous. Once cooked I mixed in some sauteed yellow onion, garlic and finished with green onion and cherry tomato's. This is so good you could just eat this as the main course.

Ingredients:

Israeli Couscous

2 1/4 cups water

1 cup rice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 Israeli couscous

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 medium diced yellow onion

2 minced garlic cloves

1 bunch sliced green onions

1 cup sliced cherry tomato's

Chopped Italian parsley for garnish

Preparation:

Add 2-1/4 cups water, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 cup rice and 1/4 cup couscous to a medium sauce pan or rice cooker. If using a rice cooker, press start and the rice and couscous pilaf will be done in about 20 minutes. If using an saute pan, bring to a boil, cover and reduce to simmer and cook until the water has been absorbed. Once the water has been absorbed, turn off the heat and let set 5 minutes.

Heat a 12" saute pan to medium. Add the olive oil and yellow onion and cook 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook just 1 minute. Add the rice and couscous pilaf to the saute pan and well. Add the cherry tomato's and green onions and mix well. Check for proper seasoning and you're done.

To serve, place the couscous and rice pilaf on a serving plate and garnish with sliced green onions and chopped Italian parsley.

Arroz Verde, Green Rice

This recipe is very similar to my Mexican rice recipe. I simply add a 7oz can of green salsa to the rice cooker and out comes a wonderful side dish for any Mexican meal, like baked mole chicken thighs, look for this recipe soon.

 

Ingredients:

1 cup white rice

1 - 1/2 cups water

1 - 7oz can Herdez Verde salsa

Pinch of salt

 

 Preparation:

Add all the ingredients to he rice cooker and press go and 15 minute later you've got great Arroz Verde, green salsa rice.

Cilantro Chicken Fried Rice

Fried rice is one of my favorite dishes to make with leftover chicken and rice because I usually have the rest of the ingredients on hand. I made this last night and my son says; "man, this is so good" and then he didn't say another word... The key to great fried rice is to hold back on the soy sauce so you taste the wonderful combination of flavors. PS, don't forget the Sriracha sauce!

Ingredients:

1 cup basmati rice
2 cups cooked diced chicken breast
1/2 diced yellow onion
3 - 4 crushed garlic cloves
1-1/2 cups frozen mixed vegetable's (peas, carrots, green beans & corn)
1 bunch green onions.
1 bunch rough chopped cilantro
1 - 2 tablespoons lite soy sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil

Preparation:
Cook the rice according to instructions, which is 1 cup rice, 2 cups water and some salt.

 

Take a 12" sauté pan and heat to medium. Add the olive oil, onion, garlic and cook on medium until the onion is soft and translucent. Add the frozen vegetables, chicken, mix well and cook for a couple of minutes. Dice half of the green onions and add to the pan. Add most of the chopped cilantro, reserving enough to garnish the plate. Fold in the rice, add the soy sauce and mix well. Cook on medium high for a couple of minutes and you're done.

 

To serve, place the cilantro chicken fried rice on a large serving plate and top with lot's of cilantro, diced green onions and a drizzle of Sriracha sauce.

Basmati Rice with Tomato, Yellow Onion, Green Onion, Garlic, Italian Parsley and Chopped Walnuts

I cook rice a couple times a week, sometimes maybe more. Lately, I started adding other ingredients and really making an interesting side dish. Here's a combination that works well and can be successfully served with almost any protein.
 

My trusty Panasonic rice cooker, 20 years and going strong!

Ingredients:
1 cup basmati rice
2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/8 diced yellow onion
2 crushed garlic cloves
1 fine diced Roma tomato
1 bunch sliced green onions, 6-8 pcs
1 tablespoon chopped Italian Parsley
2 tablespoons chopped walnuts


Preparation:
Cook the rice according to instructions, which is 1 cup rice, 2 cups water and some salt. When the rice is cooked, remove the lid and let cool.

Take a 12" sauté pan and heat to medium / medium low. Add the diced yellow onion and garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Keep the heat down so you don't burn the garlic. Stir in the tomato, green onions, parsley and walnuts. Add the rice and toss until everything is mixed in and you're done.

To serve, place the rice onto a serving plate or bowl and garnish with a little chopped Italian parsley.

Mexican Rice

This is just one of my favorite dishes and it's really easy to make. What I like about the way I prepare the dish is that it's not loaded up with fat, in fact there isn't any. The key is to get the right kind of salsa, I prefer Embasa Salsa Mexicana. You'll find this is the Mexican section in the grocery store. Pair this with my black beans and some grilled chicken and you're having a great meal.

Ingredients:
1 cup white rice
1 1/2 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1 6oz can of Salsa Mexicana

Preparation:

For this recipe I use my trusted rice cooker. Add all the ingredients tot he rice cooker and press go and 15 minute later you've got great Mexican rice.

Here's my Black Beans recipe:
Black Beans

Saffron Rice

 

I saw some saffron at Costo and thought I would make some saffron rice. The saffron gives the rice a sweet taste and very is aromatic. I serve this with a grilled chicken breast and it's a good combination. 

 

Ingredients:

1 cup basmati rice

2 cups water

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 package saffron

1 tablespoon chopped nuts

 

Preparation:

Add the rice, water, saffron and salt to a rice cooker and let the rice cooker do its thing. When cooked, fluff with a fork and serve. Garnish with green onion and chopped nuts.

Ken's Signature Rice

I did some googling to see if I could find a recipe for this rice dish which is basmati rice, green onion, Italian parsley, 1 minced garlic clove and chives. I found a lot of things close but not a match so I guess for now I'll call it my own. I make this rice a lot. I stumble across it because I thought I was using cilantro, but it was Italian parsley. I didn't think I had any green onions so I threw in some dehydrated chives. Then I found some green onions in the fridge and threw them in as well and garlic in everything I figure. The result is magic and I've made it many times.

Ingredients:

1 cup white basmati rice

2 cups water

Salt for the water

3 to 4 diced green onions

Handful of chopped Italian parsley

2 teaspoons dehydrated chives

1 minced garlic clove

1 tablespoon olive oil

Preparation:

Cook the rice according to instructions which is 1 cup rice, 2 cups water and some salt. When the rice is cooked, remove into a 12" sauté pan. To the rice add the green onions, Italian parsley, chives and garlic. Add about 1 tablespoon of olive oil and mix, heat completely and serve.