Green Goddess Rice with Broiled Trout

I came across this recipe as I was watching Food Network. Its basically something like pesto.  After reading the mixed review, I thought of making it since I had some avocados in the fridge.  It was pretty good. Slight tang from the lemon juice and creaminess from the avocado.  I served it with broiled trout fillets.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups Basmati rice
Salt
1 small avocado, peeled, pitted, and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves
1 lemon, juiced
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup water
Freshly ground black pepper

Method

• Bring the rice, 3 cups water, and a pinch of salt to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, stir, cover, and cook until water is completely absorbed, 15 to 18 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, put the avocado, basil, lemon juice, oil, and 1/4 cup water in the jar of a blender and puree; season generously with salt and pepper. Add more water and puree until the mixture is the consistency of sour cream.
• Fluff the rice with a fork and gently fold the green dressing into the warm rice. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if necessary. Serve immediately.

Broiled Trout Fillets

1 lb steelhead trout fillet, with or without skin

1 clove garlic, chopped fine

1 1/2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh rosemary

1 lemon, zest of

1/2 lemon, juice of

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil, plus

additional oil, for greasing baking pan

Method

• Prepare a baking or roasting pan by lining it with foil and brushing it with olive oil.
• Preheat broiler.
• Mix together all remaining ingredients except fish into a well-blended paste.
• Place fish skin-side down (if it has skin) on baking sheet, then spread seasoning over flesh.
• Broil fish at second rack away from heat for 5 minutes or less, just enough to sear flesh but not burn herbs.
• Lower fish to 3rd or 4th rack and lower oven heat to 325°F Bake for 10 additional minutes, or until fish is cooked through in the thickest portion.

When I bought this, I almost thought it was salmon when the fish monger told me its trout.

Fried Rice

Fried Rice is a versatile dish and uses any vegetables or any meat.  The key for a nice fried rice will be day old rice. You can add spice if you need it to be spicy. 

Note: The color of my rice will be off slightly because of lighting.  

Ingredients

Cooked Rice (3 cups)
Thumb size ginger - minced
1 shallot - sliced thinly
2 chicken boneless thigh - cut into strips / any meat or seafood
1 tsp fish sauce
1 tsp light soy sauce
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
Dash of white pepper
Celery - sliced thinly (optional)
Frozen mixed vegetable - 1/4 cup ( or as much as you like)
2 eggs - lightly beaten

• In a hot oiled wok, saute the garlic and ginger. Add the chicken meat and stir fry till lightly browned.
• Add the vegetables and all the sauce mix. Stir well and add the rice in.
• Taste for seasoning. At this point the beaten eggs can be added in and let it set awhile before turning and mixing it with the rice. ( The eggs can also be fried like an omelette and cut into strips and added on the rice once it is dished up, or added in before the rice is added to the wok, either way is fine) 

I hope you will enjoy the fried rice as much as I do......

Briyani

Chicken briyani is one of my favorite food. Chicken and rice cooked in a blend of spices. Eaten with yogurt cucumber.

Cinnamon stick, green chili, ginger garlic paste, mint leaf, cloves, cardamon

Briyani mix can be bought at the Indian grocery store

Ingredients


1 whole chicken ( cut in small pieces)
Yogurt
Ginger garlic paste
Cardamon - 4 
Cloves -3
Cinnamon stick - 1
1 big yellow onion - cut small
Green Chili - 2 (can use more) - slit in half
Tomato ( blanch and skin removed) - cubed
Mint - handful
Briyani mix - 3 tbsp
Chili powder - 1 tbsp
Basmati Rice - 3 cups
Water - 4 cup

1. Marinate chicken with yogurt and ginger garlic paste.
2. In a wok, grease with oil and put in the cardamon, cinnamon stick, cloves. Add in the onion, cook till its soft and brown. Put in the green chilli, tomato and mint. Cook well, taking care not to burn it.
3. Add in the briyani mix and chilli powder. Stir well and add then marinated chicken. Cook for 20 minutes.
4. Once chicken is cooked, pour in the water and let it come to a boil, add washed basmati rice. Stir to coat the rice with the mixture and cook covered with a foil for about 15 - 20 minutes in a very low heat.  Open foil to check the rice and if water has evaporated and rice still looks a little uncooked, u can either sprinkle more water and cover with foil or put them in a glass baking dish and cook it in an oven for couple of minute. As you can see, I have added boiled egg to my rice since my children love hard boiled egg.

Note:  I usually sprinkle extra water and cover with foil. There are many recipe and method for cooking briyani in the website but this is what I learned from a friend and it works well for me. Give it a try .....enjoy.

Rice Porridge

I know its been sometime since I have posted something.  Just had a visit to the dentist to do my tooth grafting.  Oh what a day I had...it was horrible and I could not eat anything except soft food.  Well, so I decided to make rice porridge which is both easy and tasty.

Recepi..

Uncooked rice

Ginger (cut into thinly slice)

Taufu (cubed)

Chicken bouillion

cabbage 

Garnishing...some onion leaves / fried onion

Put all in a pot with water and cook till rice is soft and breaks apart. Add more water if necessary.

Sushi

Tried another favorite of mine and my family's.....Sushi.  Well, for a starter I think I have done a good job with it.    Its pretty easy if you get the right type of rice and of course the rolling of the nori (seaweed).

Crab meat with mayonaise, spinach, pickle radish

Fish cake, radish, egg, carrot