Fried Brown Rice

This recipe looks complex but it’s fun and not that hard!

In a small capacity pressure cooker, add

2 cups brown short-grain rice
3 2/3 cups water.

Close the cooker and turn heat to medium high.  After the first blast of steam, turn the heat to medium low and cook for 20 minutes (this will vary by cooker, check the manufacturer’s instructions).

While the rice cooks, add

1T canola or peanut oil

To an enormous skillet or wok on rocket-hot high heat. Then add, one at a time:

6 green onions, white part only
2 carrots, diced
8 ounces shiitake mushrooms, sliced
2 cups snow pea pods, strung and cut into thirds (or sub 1 cup green peas)

After each addition, stir and allow the vegetable to sauté to dark golden. In the meantime, in a glass measuring cup, add

2T corn starch
1/3 cup soy sauce
1t toasted sesame oil
1T freshly grated ginger
1T finely minced garlic
2t five spice powder
1t hot chili flakes
1 1/3 cups water
.

Stir vigorously to combine.  Put in microwave on high for two minutes.  Remove; stir.  Put back in microwave 2 more minutes; remove and stir.  Repeat until the mixture is no longer cloudy and starch has gelled.

Now that veggies are nicely seared, deglaze the pan with

½ c sake or 1/3 c Coca-Cola (no I’m not kidding).

Add the finished rice to the vegetables.  Stire to combine; push aside and, with the pot still on very high heat, add

3 eggs, lightly beaten.

Stir to scramble.  When eggs are loosely scrambled, turn off heat, stir to combine, and add the soy glaze to the rice and vegetables.  Serve immediately, garnished with the green parts of the onions.

This recipe is a meal in itself.  I add tofu to crank the protein on occasion.  The first time I made this, it was a mess, trying to manage a rice, sauce, and veggies.  The best advice is make-ahead to start: the rice can be pre-cooked a day ahead, and the veggies should all be chopped well in advance.  You can even pre-scramble the eggs if you like.  But once you have done this a few times, you will see that it is a fun and easy meal, full of vitamins and flavor!

A note on the Coca-Cola: don’t laugh.  It is a fantastic way to deglaze a pan for a stir-fry of any kind, especially if you want to avoid alcohol.  It’s basically sugar, citrus, and spices; these are core elements of teriyaki anyway.

Per 1 ½ cup serving (please note these are estimates, not a diet plan):

Calories: 314
Fat: 6.9 g
Carbohydrates: 52.6 g
Protein 9.5 g
Fiber: 2.6 g
Prep time: 25 min (most in advance)
Cook time: 25 min
Taste: [rate 5]
Ease: [rate 2]

A Summary of My Week – 2010-03-21

  • I spent 4 hours doing house cleaning. 552 calories burned. #LoseIt #
  • is Spring-cleansing her mind, her house, her body, and her soul. Except for coffee. Yeah, I'm keeping that one. #
  • I weighed in and gained 1 lb. #LoseIt #
  • I spent 1 hour and 30 minutes doing house cleaning. 209 calories burned. #LoseIt #
  • I spent 15 minutes dancing. 61 calories burned. #LoseIt #
  • has a good kid and a sweet houseguest. http://yfrog.com/1rn92aj #
  • I spent 30 minutes on an elliptical machine. 278 calories burned. #LoseIt #
  • I weighed in and lost 1 lb. #LoseIt #
  • I spent 30 minutes running. 242 calories burned. #LoseIt #

Nicola Masala (my own chana masala)

Nicola Masala and Spice Caddy (hot chilli, turmeric, cumin, custom masala, cumin/coriander blend)

In a small capacity pressure cooker, add

1 ½ cups dried chickpeas
4 cups water.

Allow to soak for eight hours.  Close the cooker and turn heat to medium high.  After the first blast of steam, turn the heat to medium low and cook for 25 minutes (this will vary by cooker, check the manufacturer’s instructions).

While the chickpeas cook, add

1T canola oil

To a skillet on medium-high heat. While the oil shimmers, add

1t iodized salt
2t black mustard seeds
4t cumin/coriander, ground
2t whole cumin
1t chilli powder
3t chana masala

The spices will darken and turn fragrant.  Chop finely and add

1/2 small yellow onion.

After onion has started to turn golden, add

One can petite dice tomatoes, or 4 finely diced roma tomatoes.

Reduce heat to medium and stir occasionally until mixture has thickened. Drain the chickpease and reserve the liquid.  Add the now-cooked chickpeas to the spices and tomatoes; stir to combine.  Use the reserved cooking liquid to thin the sauce if needed.

Stir to combine; serve immediately, with brown basmati rice and papad.

I start with authentic spices from India, no exceptions.  I used to cook Indian food from recipes and supermarket curry powders.  It tasted like decent spicy food, but not like Indian food, until I started using Khyati’s special blends.  Buy the chana masala blend prepackaged at any Indian grocer.  Chana Masala is a huge favorite of my daughter’s.  To cut the spiciness, mix the rice and chana with plenty of full-fat yogurt.  Ainsley enjoys adding her own yogurt and adjusting the “spicy mouth.”

Per 1 ½ cup serving (please note these are estimates, not a diet plan):

Calories: 520
Fat: 14 g
Carbohydrates: 78.6 g
Protein 23.7 g
Fiber: 20.3 g
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 55 min
Taste: [rate 5]
Ease: [rate 3]

A Summary of My Week – 2010-03-14

  • I weighed in and lost 1 lb. #LoseIt #
  • I spent 30 minutes on an elliptical machine. 276 calories burned. #LoseIt #
  • went home sick. Migraine. Hope the meds work; Ainsley & I can go running tonight. I am so stretched at work it's literally making me ill. #
  • I spent 25 minutes on an elliptical machine. 201 calories burned. #LoseIt #
  • I spent 5 minutes stretching. 9 calories burned. #LoseIt #
  • I spent 2 hours doing house cleaning. 278 calories burned. #LoseIt #
  • Top, down: check.
    Sun, setting: check.
    Wine, free: check.
    Music, cranked: check.
    Lavishing in solitude and company. #
  • is having a wild and crazy home-alone bachelorette weekend: taking naps and sorting old baby clothes. Try to keep up. #
  • This song reminds me of the theme for Gen Con Indy this year! #
  • If that was a cryptic status…this is evocative of the Gen Con Indy theme! Écoute de Teeth de Lady Gaga sur mon #Sonos dans toute la maison #

Asparagus and Mushroom Risotto

Asparagus and Mushroom Risotto

Add

2T butter and
1T olive oil

To a skillet on medium-high heat. While the butter foams, chop and add

1/2 small yellow onion.

After onion has started to turn golden, add

Eight ounces porcini or other mushrooms, chunked into quarters

Reduce heat to medium and stir occasionally until mushrooms have given up their water and all vegetables are golden. If pan is small, remove from pan and add a little more oil. Crank the heat to high and add

15 skinny stalks asparagus, cut into slices ¼ inch thick

and stir occasionally until brown. Deglaze the pan with

4T good white wine (I used Buck Creek Sauvignon Blanc). Remove veggies from pan.  Over medium-low heat, toast

1 ½ cups risotto rice (Vialone nano or arborio)

until barely golden.  Using risotto technique, slowly add

1 ½ cups mushroom base
2 cups good white wine

Stir frequently. Add the vegetables back to the pan.  Warm and add

1/2t black pepper
2t coarsely chopped parsley
½ cup shredded parmesan.

Stir to combine; serve immediately.

I made this before but didn’t sear the asparagus enough, and the pieces were too large.  The mushroom base has plenty of salt; salt to taste if needed.  This time I “graduated” from arborio to vialone nano and I’m not sure I know what I’m doing.  I will stick to arborio until I figure out the new, less forgiving ingredient.

Per 1 ½ cup serving (please note these are estimates, not a diet plan):

Calories: 468
Fat: 10.4 g
Carbohydrates: 62.5 g
Protein 12.1 g
Fiber: 4.6 g
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 55 min
Taste: [rate 4]
Ease: [rate 4]

A Summary of My Week – 2010-03-07

  • I spent 10 minutes stretching. 18 calories burned. #LoseIt #
  • I spent 20 minutes walking. 66 calories burned. #LoseIt #
  • I spent 20 minutes walking. 54 calories burned. #LoseIt #
  • I spent 30 minutes running. 247 calories burned. #LoseIt #
  • I weighed in and lost 2 lbs. #LoseIt #
  • I spent 15 minutes walking. 70 calories burned. #LoseIt #
  • misses Amy already. Why do all my best friends move overseas? Maybe I am the common cause here……… #
  • did three more loads of dishes, two of laundry, chopped 12 different veggies for the week's cooking, cleaned the kitchen and bar. I'm spent. #
  • I spent 2 hours doing house cleaning. 278 calories burned. #LoseIt #