Ingredients

• 6 roma tomatoes
• 2 habañero chiles (optional)
• 1/4 c. vegetable oil
• 500 g meat (beef, chicken, or lamb)
• 4 large onions, sliced
• 6 cloves garlic, pressed
• 1.5 l of water or appropriate stock
• 2 tbsp. tomato paste
• 800 g long grain rice
• 2 carrots, steamed, chopped in large pieces

Preparation

Put tomatoes and chiles (if using) into the blender and blend until smooth.

Brown your meat, which should be already cooked (best seems to be leftover stew meat) in the oil, and set aside.

Add onions to the oil, and fry until soft, then add garlic and fry briefly. Add the tomato mixture, the stock, the tomato paste, and 1 tsp. each of salt and pepper. The seasoning should be strong, since the rice will cook in this. Continue simmering the liquid for around 10 minutes on medium heat. If it’s still under-seasoned, you can add some more of a stock cube.

Rinse the rice and add it to the pot, stir, cover, and cook on low heat for 20 minutes. It shouldn’t be entirely dried out yet. Add the meat and carrots and mix well. Add 1 c. more of water, and continue to cook on low heat until the rice is cooked.

My African Food Map, adapted

Ingredients

• 1.5 L chicken stock
• 80 g butter
• 1 onion
• 350g risotto rice
• 1 glass dry white wine
• 1/2 tsp. saffron threads
• 80g Parmesan cheese, grated

Preparation

Bring the stock to the boil. Melt 2/3rds of the butter in a saucepan and add the finely chopped onion, stirring occasionally on a low heat for 5 minutes. Stir in the risotto rice so it’s evenly coated in butter and starts to turn translucent. Pour in the wine and cook until it has evaporated.

Then start to add the broth, one ladle at a time, so the rice slowly absorbs the liquid. Add more stock as the saucepan goes dry. This will take about 20-25 minutes. The rice should be tender with a pleasant bit of bite in the middle.

Before you add the last ladle of stock, stir in the saffron threads and a pinch of salt. After all the stock has been absorbed take the pan off the heat and stir in the remaining butter and the grated parmesan. Serve.

Nudo

Ingredients

• 450 grams (1 pound) veal cut into cubes
• 1 medium onion
• 100 ml (1/2 cup) olive oil
• Nutmeg (to taste)
• Pepper (to taste)
• Coriander (to taste)
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 100 ml (1/2 cup) white wine
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 200 grams (1 cup) rice
• 3 bay leaves
• Salt (to taste)

Preparation

Season the meat with salt, nutmeg, pepper, paprika, two chopped garlic cloves, white wine, Worcestershire sauce and bay leaf. Let marinate for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, place 50 ml (1/4 cup) olive oil and one chopped garlic clove in a saucepan and saute over low heat for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the rice and season with a little salt. Stir and fry the rice for 1 minute. Pour the water (twice the rice volume) and boil over medium high heat. When starts boiling, reduce to low heat and cook for about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and set aside.

In a frying pan, place the remaining olive oil, a chopped onion and saute over low heat until the onion start to turn golden brown. Add the meat together with the marinade and fry over medium-low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the rice to the frying pan, mix everything nicely and turn off the heat. Sprinkle with chopped coriander and serve.

Food From Portugal

Ingredients

• 1 small butternut squash, halved
• 3 small leeks, cut into rings
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 slices bacon, diced (optional)
• 1 1/4 c. risotto rice
• 1 c. heavy cream, plus extra if needed
• 1/2 c. Parmesan, grated, plus extra for serving
• 4 c. vegetable stock, warm
• 1/4 c. white wine
• 3 springs thyme
• 6-10 sage leaves
• olive oil (can be flavored, e.g. thyme)

Preparation

Add squash halves to a dish, drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 45 minutes at 375F, or until the squash is soft.

Meanwhile, add the bacon to a pot and render on medium-low heat until crispy. Reserve the bacon bits. Alternatively, replace with oil to make the recipe vegetarian. Fry the sage leaves in oil until crispy, about 1 minute. Set aside.

Add the leeks and cook for 5 minutes, then garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add rice and thyme, and cook for 2–3 minutes. Deglaze with the wine. Add the vegetable stock, one ladle at a time, making sure that it is mostly absorbed before adding more. Cook until no stock remains, stirring often.

Scoop out the flesh of the squash and add to a food processor with the cream. Blend until smooth and season with more salt and pepper.

When the risotto is almost ready, add the squash and the parmesan. Season again, and add more cream if needed to thin the risotto. Serve topped with sage, bacon, more parmesan, and olive oil.

Nudo

Ingredients

• Brown & wild rice combo (to make ~6 cups)
• fresh sausage (e.g., bratwurst)
• butter
• 1 lg. onion
• 1-2 cloves garlic
• 8 oz box sliced mushrooms
• a fresh spice that matches the sausage (e.g., thyme)
• 2–3 tbsp. plus 1/4 c. parmesan

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cook the rice mix according to the package directions. Either cut the sausage into rounds and sautée, or sautée first and then slice, depending on the kind of sausage. Reserve. In the same skillet, add butter, onions, garlic, mushrooms, and spice. Sautée. Mix with the sausage, rice, and 2–3 tbsp. parmesan, and pour into a buttered 13x9" casserole. Dot with more butter. Bake for 45 minutes, covered. Sprinkle top with the remaining parmesan, and bake for another 15 minutes, uncovered.

Ingredients

• 1 medium eggplant (1 pound)
• Salt
• 3 ½ pounds bone-in chicken pieces
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 6 cloves
• 6 green cardamom pods
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 ½ cups long-grain rice, rinsed well and drained
• 1 small onion, cut into large wedges
• Vegetable or olive oil, as needed
• 3 to 5 medium carrots, 2-or-3-inch pieces
• 1 medium potato, 1/2-inch slices
• ½ medium-head cauliflower, in florets
• ¾ cup broken vermicelli noodles (see note)
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground allspice
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• ½ teaspoon Goya Sazón seasoning (optional)
• 3 garlic cloves, grated
• ⅓ cup pine nuts
• Plain yogurt, for serving (optional)
• Chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, parsley, lemon juice and olive oil, for serving (optional)

Preparation

Cut the eggplant into 1/2-inch-thick half-moons. Season well with salt, and let sit 30 minutes. Place the chicken in a large pot (a 10-inch, 5-quart size is ideal), and season well with salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper, ground cumin, cloves, cardamom pods and bay leaves (ideally, do this the day before). Pour 3 cups of boiling water over the rice. Soak for 10 minutes, then drain well.

To the chicken, add the onion wedges, 1 tablespoon salt and 4 1/2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, covered, over high heat, then turn down to a simmer, and cook for 20 minutes. Drain the chicken, keeping the broth and discarding the onion and spices.

Heat 1/2 inch of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering hot, then fry the carrots, in batches if necessary, turning occasionally until browned, about 4 minutes. Drain on paper towels, then season lightly with salt. Repeat with the potato, about 3 minutes per side. Repeat with the cauliflower, about 7 minutes per batch. Finally, press the eggplant with paper towel until dry, then fry the eggplant in one layer until browned, about 4 minutes per batch. Drain on paper towels, but don’t season. (If the eggplant is too oily, press on it with paper towels.)

Pour out the oil, keeping 2 1/2 tablespoons in the pan. Heat it over medium-high heat and add the vermicelli, stirring until browned, about 2 minutes. Add the drained rice and cook, stirring, to dry it out, about 4 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, the turmeric, cinnamon, allspice, ground cloves, Sazón and garlic, and cook, stirring, until very fragrant.

Place the chicken back in the pot, skin side down. Place the vegetables on top, then rice. Pour in 4 cups of the chicken broth. Press down on the rice; add more broth or water if needed to bring the liquid barely to the level of the rice. Cover the pot and bring to a boil over high heat, then turn it down to medium low. After 10 minutes, carefully stir just the rice to evenly combine the harder rice on top. Repeat after another 10 minutes. After a total of 30 minutes, the rice should be cooked, but not soft, and the liquid should be absorbed.

Place a very large serving dish on top of the pot, then, protecting your hands (and maybe with a partner), invert the pot onto the dish in one smooth motion. If there is liquid seeping out, spoon it out or soak it up with paper towels. Let the pot rest at least 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a small pan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Fry the pine nuts, stirring constantly, until browned, about 1 minute. Drain on paper towels.

Lift off the pot to reveal the maqluba, and scatter the pine nuts all over. Serve with yogurt and chopped tomatoes, cucumbers and parsley on the side, seasoned with lemon, salt and olive oil.

New York Times

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil or butter
• ½ cup finely chopped onions
• 1 ½ cups arborio rice
• ½ cup dry white wine or dry vermouth
• 3 to 3 ½ cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 ounce dried porcini, broken into bits
• 1 cup frozen peas
• ½ cup grated Parmesan, plus more to pass at the table
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley, for garnish

Preparation

Heat the oil in a 2 1/2-quart or larger pressure cooker. Add the onions, and cook over high heat for 1 minute, stirring frequently. Stir in the rice, taking care to coat it with the oil. Cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.

Stir in the wine. Cook over high heat until the rice has absorbed the wine, about 30 seconds. Stir in 3 cups of the broth and the porcini, taking care to scrape up any rice that might be sticking to the bottom of the cooker.

Lock the lid in place. Over high heat, bring to high pressure. Reduce the heat just enough to maintain high pressure, and cook for 4 minutes. Turn off the heat. Quick-release the pressure by setting the cooker under cold running water. Remove the lid, tilting it away from you to allow the steam to escape.

Set the cooker over medium-high heat, and stir vigorously. The risotto will look fairly soupy at this point. Boil while stirring every minute or so, until the mixture thickens and the rice is tender but still chewy, 1 to 4 minutes. Stir in the peas when the rice is almost done. (If the mixture becomes dry before the rice is done, stir in the extra ½ cup of broth. The finished risotto should be slightly runny; it will continue to thicken as it sits on the plate.)

Turn off the heat. Stir in the Parmesan, and salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately, garnished with a little parsley. Pass extra Parmesan at the table.

New York Times

Ingredients

For the gremolata:

• 2 tbsp minced parsley, stems reserved
• 2 tbsp minced mint, stems reserved
• ½ tsp. lemon zest

For the risotto:

• 1 lb. asparagus, reserving ends, cut into 1/2" pieces
• 2 leeks, white and light green parts sliced thin, green parts reserved
• 4 c. chicken broth
• 3 c. water
• 5 tbsp. butter
• Salt and pepper
• ½ c. peas
• 2 garlic cloves, pressed
• 1½ c. risotto rice
• 1 c. white wine
• 1½ oz. grated Parmesan
• 2 tsp. lemon juice

Preparation

1. For the Gremolata: Combine ingredients in small bowl and set aside.

2. For the Risotto: Chop tough asparagus ends and leek greens into rough 1/2-inch pieces. Bring chopped vegetables, reserved parsley and mint stems, broth, and water to boil in large saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover, and simmer 20 minutes. Strain broth through fine-mesh strainer into medium bowl, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Return strained broth to saucepan; cover and set over low heat to keep broth warm.

3. . Heat 1 tablespoon butter in large Dutch oven over medium heat. When foaming subsides, add asparagus spears, pinch of salt, and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring occasionally, until asparagus is crisp-tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Add peas and continue to cook 1 minute. Transfer vegetables to plate and set aside.

4. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in now-empty Dutch oven over medium heat. When foaming subsides, add leeks, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until leeks are softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add rice and cook, stirring frequently, until grains are translucent around edges, about 3 minutes. Add wine and cook, stirring frequently, until fully absorbed, 2 to 3 minutes.

5. When wine is fully absorbed, add 3 cups hot broth to rice. Simmer, stirring every 3 to 4 minutes, until liquid is absorbed and bottom of pan is almost dry, about 12 minutes.

6. Stir in about 1/2 cup hot broth and cook, stirring constantly, until absorbed, about 3 minutes; repeat with additional broth 3 or 4 times until rice is al dente. Off heat, stir in remaining tablespoon butter, Parmesan, and lemon juice; gently fold in asparagus and peas. If desired, add up to 1/4 cup additional hot broth to loosen texture of risotto. Serve immediately, sprinkling each serving with gremolata and passing Parmesan separately.

CI

Ingredients

• 16 oz. long grain/wild rice mix
• 1/2 c. mayonnaise
• 1/4 c. yogurt
• 1 c. chopped celery (around 2 stalks)
• 1 c. chopped tomatoes (around 1 lg.)
• 1/2 c. diced cucumber
• 2 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/8-1/2 tsp. salt (or seasoned salt)
• 1/8-1/2 tsp. pepper
• 1/4 c. peanuts, chopped, optional

Preparation

Cook the rice according to package directions, omitting any butter or oil. Let cool. Put in a bowl with all the remaining ingredients but the peanuts. Stir to combine. Can serve right away, or cover and serve cold. Garnish with the peanuts right before serving.

Penzey’s Spices

Ingredients

• 2 pounds onions, halved and sliced crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick pieces
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
• 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 8 1/2 ounces (1 1/4 cups) green or brown lentils, picked over and rinsed
• Salt and pepper
• 1 1/4 cups rice
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro

Preparation

Toss onions and salt together in large bowl. Microwave for 5 minutes. Rinse thoroughly, transfer to paper towel–lined baking sheet, and dry well. Heat onions and oil in Dutch oven over high heat, stirring frequently, until onions are golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Reserve 3 tbsp. of the oil from cooking the onions. Drain onions in colander set in large bowl. Transfer onions to paper towel–lined baking sheet to drain.

Whisk the next four ingredients together in bowl. Refrigerate while preparing rice and lentils.

Bring lentils, 4 cups water, and 1 teaspoon salt to boil in medium saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to low and cook until lentils are tender, 15 to 17 minutes. Drain and set aside. While lentils cook, place rice in medium bowl and cover by 2 inches with hot tap water; let stand for 15 minutes.

Using your hands, gently swish rice grains to release excess starch. Carefully pour off water, leaving rice in bowl. Add cold tap water to rice and pour off water. Repeat adding and pouring off cold tap water 4 to 5 times, until water runs almost clear. Drain rice in fine-mesh strainer.

Heat reserved onion oil, garlic, coriander, cumin, cinnamon, allspice, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and cayenne in Dutch oven over medium heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add rice and cook, stirring occasionally, until edges of rice begin to turn translucent, about 3 minutes. Add 2 1/4 cups water, sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt and bring to boil. Stir in lentils, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until all liquid is absorbed, about 12 minutes.

Off heat, remove lid, fold dish towel in half, and place over pot; replace lid. Let stand for 10 minutes. Fluff rice and lentils with fork and stir in cilantro and half of crispy onions. Transfer to serving platter, top with remaining crispy onions, and serve, passing yogurt sauce separately.

CI