¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons chicken stock
Pinch of salt
VINAIGRETTE
½ cup olive oil
¼ cup cider vinegar
1 clove garlic, flattened
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
SALAD
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 large carrot, coarsely grated
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 medium-size red onion, finely chopped
1 bunch radishes, ends trimmed and thinly sliced
¼ cup chopped fresh dill
¼ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
1. Prepare the barley: Place the barley in the rice cooker bowl. Add the water, stock, and salt; swirl to combine. Close the cover and set for the regular cycle. When the machine switches to the Keep Warm cycle, let the barley steam for 15 minutes. Fluff the barley with a wooden or plastic rice paddle or wooden spoon. Unplug the machine, keep the cover open, and let the barley cool to room temperature right in the cooker bowl.
2. Make the vinaigrette: In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste. Let stand at room temperature.
3. Assemble the salad: Place the barley in a medium-size salad bowl or a decorative refrigerator bowl with a plastic cover. Add the vegetables, dill, and parsley. Remove the garlic from the dressing. Toss the salad ingredients with the dressing to lightly coat. Store the salad, covered, in the refrigerator and serve it chilled. Though this salad tastes best the day it is made, you can refrigerate it overnight.
quinoa tabboulé
In conversation with a friend in France, Beth was surprised one day when she mentioned tabboulé—the Middle Eastern salad made with bulgur—and said that it was very popular in Paris for school lunches. Having made so many variations of the satisfying staple salad over the years, here is one with quinoa sub stituted for the bulgur. You can also make this recipe substituting the same amount of bulgur cracked wheat for the quinoa.
YIELD: Serves 6
SALAD
1 recipe Basic Quinoa, cooled to room temperature
½ pound ripe tomatoes, seeded, if desired, and diced
½ pound cucumber, peeled, seeded if the seeds are watery, and diced
½ small red onion, thinly sliced and cut into ½-inch-wide strips
½ cup minced fresh Italian parsley leaves
DRESSING
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
⅓ cup olive oil
Few drops of Tabasco sauce
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1. Assemble the salad: Place the quinoa in a large salad bowl. Add the tomatoes, cucumber, and onion; toss together.
2. Make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, Tabasco, and pepper. Pour the dressing over the salad, add the parsley, and stir with a large spoon to combine. Refrigerate the salad, covered, until ready to serve. Serve the tabboulé at room temperature. It is best served the day it is made.
japanese rice and cabbage salad
Beth’s friend Susie Korngold has been making some version or another of this salad for decades. It consistently shows up at family potlucks and is always a welcome addition. When asked for the recipe, Beth received a card with just the ingredients, no measurements. “You know, I never wrote that down, so I will try to give you an idea from memory,” said Susie. “Each time I make it, I change it a little bit.” New additions include toasted peanuts, mung bean sprouts, some grated daikon radish, or carrot. Luckily, Beth wrote down the version she had at Susie’s parents’ 40th wedding anniversary party and here it is. You can use Japanese-style medium-grain white rice or brown jasmine, if you like, instead of the short-grain brown.
YIELD: Serves 6
SALAD
4 cups room temperature cooked medium-grain brown rice
½ head Napa cabbage, cored and shredded
1 bunch green onions, white parts and some of the green parts, chopped
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 or 2 fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and caps very thinly sliced
2 heaping tablespoons toasted Japanese sesame seeds
DRESSING
¼ cup cold-pressed sesame or vegetable oil (sesame is best)
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice or rice vinegar
One 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and pressed through a garlic press
2 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons tamari (a thick, strong soy sauce)
1. Make the salad: Place the rice in a medium-size salad bowl. Add the cabbage, green onions, cilantro, and mushrooms and mix well to combine.
2. Make the dressing: In a small bowl whisk together all the dressing ingredients. Pour the dressing over the rice and vegetables, add the sesame seeds, and stir with a large spoon to combine. Store the salad, covered, in the refrigerator and serve chilled or at room temperature. You can make this a day ahead and refrigerate it overnight, but it tastes best the day it is made.
wild rice salad with cranberries and berry vinaigrette
This is Beth’s most requested salad for catering. It has been made for 10 and for 100, with equal success. The fresh berries in the dressing make it thicker and help it coat the rice. You will be preparing two batches of rice, so plan accordingly; we just make extra basmati, jasmine, or converted rice (the white rice mellows the flavor of the wild rice) and keep it in the freezer, ready to be defrosted and tossed with the other salad ingredients. This can be made the day before to give time to meld the flavors.
MACHINE: Medium (6-cup) rice cooker ;
fuzzy logic or on/off
CYCLE: Regular
YIELD: Serves 8
RICE
1½ cups wild rice
3 cups water
¾ teaspoon salt
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
VINAIGRETTE
½ cup canola or vegetable oil
½ cup red or black raspberry vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
4 to 5 fresh strawberries, rinsed and hulled
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
SALAD
1½ cups room temperature cooked white or brown rice
1 bunch green onions, white parts and some of the green parts, chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
1½ cups dried cranberries
Two 12-ounce packages frozen petite peas, thawed
1. Prepare the rice: Place the wild rice in the rice cooker bowl. Add the water and salt; swirl to combine. Close the cover and set for the regular cycle. When the machine switches to the Keep Warm cycle, let the rice steam for 20 minutes. Fluff the rice with a wooden or plastic rice paddle or wooden spoon. Unplug the machine, keep the cover open, and let the rice cool to room temperature right in the cooker bowl.
2. Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
3. Place the walnuts on a baking sheet and toast until they just begin to color, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove from the oven, let cool to room temperature, and set aside.
4. Make the vinaigrette: In a food processor, combine the oil, vinegar, mustard, and strawberries. Process until smooth and slightly thick; if too thin, add another berry or two. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Scrape into a bowl, cover, and refrigerate.
5. Assemble the salad: Place the wild rice in a medium-size salad bowl. Add the white or brown rice, green onions, celery, cranberries, peas, and walnuts, stirring to in corporate. With a large spatula, combine the salad ingredients with enough of the vinaigrette to lightly coat, reserving any extra vinaigrette in the refrigerator. Store the salad, covered, in the refrigerator and serve at room temperature. This can be prepared up to a day ahead.
creamy rice salad with fresh fruits
Back in the early 1970s, a friend of Beth’s was involved with the Vedanta Society, one of the first meditation groups in the United States based on ancient orthodox Indian
Hindu philosophy. At the time, the group was based in Berkeley, California. They had evening lectures at different people’s homes and after the swami spoke and told parable-like stories based on the principles of Eastern thought, they had tea and dessert. At one of these gatherings, this sweet rice salad was served, almost a simple uncooked rice pudding, a favorite of the swami’s. What a delight! It was fresh cooked white rice with whipped cream and mixed fresh fruit—that night a combination of fresh pineapple, mandarin oranges, bananas, and papayas—folded in to make it a delightful and ever-so-slightly heavenly dessert.
YIELD: Serves 6
3 cups room temperature cooked basmati rice
2 cups cold heavy cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 cups chopped or sliced ripe fruits, such as mangos, papayas, bananas, raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, pineapple, kiwifruit, Fuyu persimmons, Comice pears, or fresh or canned mandarin oranges (any seasonal combination)
1. Place the rice in a large serving bowl.
2. In a chilled large bowl, whip the heavy cream and vanilla together with an electric mixer set at high speed until soft peaks form and just hold their shape. Fold the whipped cream into the rice with a large rubber spatula until evenly combined. Add the fruit (you want about equal amounts of fruit and rice) and gently fold in. Cover the salad and refrigerate for a few hours. It is best served the day it is made.
PANCAKES
Pancakes are one of the oldest foods, since they can be baked on a griddle rather than in an oven. Often thought of as only breakfast food, they make a wonderful grain-rich side dish or substitute for a sandwich. Pancakes are a perfect vehicle for leftover rice; you just stir in some leftover rice for flavor and texture. Here are four of our favorite renditions, all simple beyond belief, and very tasty and filling.
rice pancakes
Our dear friend, Washington, D.C. writer Joyce Gemperlein, created these nutritious and savory cakes for her young daughter Jocelyn’s breakfast or lunch box. They are tasty hot or cold, and they can even be finger food (that is how Jocelyn eats them).
YIELD: 12 to 14 three-inch pancakes;
serves 2 to 4
2 cups cold cooked white or brown rice
2 large eggs
2 to 3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan or other cheese
¼ teaspoon salt, or more to taste
⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or splash of hot pepper sauce, or more to taste
1. In a medium-size bowl, using a fork, combine all the ingredients until evenly moistened with the egg.
2. Coat a large skillet or griddle with a bit of oil or nonstick cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Drop the batter into the skillet by tablespoonfuls, making pancakes about 3 inches in diameter and smoothing them out with the back of the spoon, if needed. Cook until golden brown and crisp, 3 to 4 minutes per side, turning once. Serve the pancakes hot or cold.
savory wild rice pancakes
The husky flavor and rustic texture of wild rice are delightful in these savory dinner pancakes. Beth makes these by the hundreds for special catering dinners and there is never a one left over. Serve with some chutney on the side or gravy drizzled over.
YIELD: 20 three-inch pancakes;
serves 4 to 6
¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter
2 small to medium-size shallots, minced
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour or whole wheat pastry flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
1 cup milk
1½ cups room temperature or cold cooked wild rice
1. Melt the butter in a medium-size skillet over medium heat, add the shallots, and cook, stirring, until softened. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl or food processor, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt, and whisk or process or blend. Add the shallots, eggs, and milk; beat or process just until smooth. The batter will be thin, yet thicker than crepe batter. Stir in the wild rice.
3. Heat a griddle or heavy skillet over medium heat until a drop of water skates over the surface, then lightly grease with butter. Pour the batter onto the griddle, using 2 tablespoons batter for each pancake. Cook until bubbles form on the surface, the edges are dry, and the bottoms are golden brown, about 2 minutes. Turn once, cooking the second side until golden, about 1 minute. The second side will take half the amount of time to cook as the first side. Serve the pancakes immediately or keep warm in a preheated 200ºF oven until ready to serve.
leftover risotto pancakes
Risotto does not reheat well, so if you have any left over, the best way to eat the day-old Italian rice dish is to make a pancake. Known as risotto al salto in Milan, it is traditionally made into one large pancake, then cut into wedges to serve. This recipe makes two oversized six-inch pancakes.
You can make the one pancake if you wish in a larger skillet, but the cooking time will increase slightly. The best risotto pancake is cooked slowly to create a nice crust on both sides, so don’t rush. Risotto pancakes are good for breakfast or lunch right out of the skillet, or as a room temperature picnic food or snack.
YIELD: 2 pancakes; serves 2
1 or 2 large eggs, beaten
1¾ cups cold cooked risotto
1 to 2 tablespoons tomato paste or tomato sauce, or pinch of minced fresh herb leaves, such as basil, Italian parsley, or marjoram (optional)
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons unsalted butter or olive oil, or a combination
3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan or other cheese, for serving
Freshly ground black pepper, for serving
1. Depending on the consistency of the risotto, if you like a dry pancake, use 1 egg; if you want more of a frittata, use 2 eggs. Combine the egg and risotto in a medium size bowl and mix well. Add the tomato paste, sauce, or herbs if you want to add some complementary flavoring to the risotto.
2. Heat a small, heavy 6-inch skillet until a drop of water skates over the surface, then add 2 teaspoons of the butter or olive oil, coating the entire surface. Place half of the mixture in the skillet, flattening with the back of the spoon or spatula to make an even pancake that fills the bottom of the skillet. Cook over medium heat until the edges are dry and the bottom turns golden and crusty, about 5 minutes. Loosen the bottom with a spatula and turn once by flipping with the spatula or sliding the pancake onto a small plate and sliding it off the plate to retain the large size.
Add the remaining 2 teaspoons butter or olive oil to the pan, return the pancake to the pan, and cook the second side until golden and crusty, about 5 minute longer. Remove from the pan and cook the second pancake using 2 teaspoons butter for each side.
3. Serve the pancakes immediately, sprinkled with the cheese and some black pepper, keep warm in a preheated 200ºF oven until ready to serve, or let cool to eat later.
buttermilk rice breakfast pancakes
Leftover rice makes a great American-style breakfast pancake. If you are a pancake lover, consider investing in an electric griddle, so you can cook all the pancakes at one time. We like our pancakes served simply, with luscious grade B pure maple syrup and butter dripping down the sides, but sliced fruit, cottage cheese, or hot applesauce works as well. If you wish to make rice waffles, simply cut back the buttermilk by ¼ cup to make a slightly thicker batter.
YIELD: 12 four-inch pancakes;
serves 2 to 4
2¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
Large pinch of salt
2½ cups buttermilk
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, or vegetable oil
1 cup cold cooked white or brown rice
1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the butter milk, eggs, and butter. Add the butter milk mixture to the dry ingredients, stirring just until combined. Do not ove
rmix; the batter should have small lumps. Stir in the rice. Let the batter rest at room temperature for 5 minutes.
2. Heat a griddle or heavy skillet over medium-high heat until a drop of water skates over the surface, then lightly grease with butter. Pour the batter onto the griddle, using a ¼-cup measure for each pancake. Cook until bubbles form on the surface, the edges are dry, and the bottom is golden brown, about 2 minutes. Turn once, cooking the second side until golden, about 1 minute. The second side will take half the amount of time to cook as the first side. Serve the pancakes immediately or keep warm in a preheated 200ºF oven until ready to serve.
THE BASICS : FRIED RICE
The pan: You don’t need a wok to make good fried rice; a good sauté pan or cast-iron skillet will do just as well, maybe better. We find a large nonstick skillet the best tool for making fried rice. A 10-inch skillet is large enough to make fried rice for one or two hungry people; a 12-inch skillet is needed to serve three or more.
Nonstick cooking spray or vegetable oil: A thorough spray of Pam or a similar product is generally enough to keep the rice from sticking to the pan. We usually spray the pan twice. (If you encounter sticking during the cooking, you can always add a few drops of oil.) The more traditional method is to use oil. Let your conscience be your guide, but if your pan has a good nonstick coating, 1 to 2 teaspoons of oil per serving is really enough. If you don’t have a nonstick pan, you’ll need 2 tablespoons or more.
The rice: Fried rice was invented for leftover cooked rice. Cold cooked rice works best in fried rice dishes because the grains remain separated You can use almost any kind of plain cooked rice. While we recommend the type of rice to use in the ingredient lists, any variety of leftover rice can be substituted.
Cold, hard rice straight from the refrigerator is just fine and, in fact, is less likely to stick together than fresh cooked rice. One of the secrets to good fried rice is the rice itself: the colder the rice, the better. Use it directly out of the refrigerator or use just-thawed frozen rice that you let rest on the counter for an hour. (Some people freeze cooked rice just for fried rice.) When using cold rice, be sure to break up any clumps with your fingers as you add it to the skillet.
The Ultimate Rice Cooker Page 46