Rice & Grains
2019 recipes found
Creamy Coconut-Lime Rice With Peanuts
Coconut milk does double duty here in this light yet hearty rice dish that straddles the line between side salad and pilaf-like main. First the rice is simmered in creamy coconut milk, then the remaining milk is used to make a soothing dressing spiked with lime juice, peanut butter, toasted peanuts and garlic, with a little added heat from chile sauce. Fresh cherry tomatoes and chopped herbs turn it all into a rice salad that can be a flavorful side for grilled chicken or the base for fried eggs.
Radish, Cucumber and White Bean Farro Salad
This colorful grain salad gains punchy acidity from pepperoncini and lightly pickled vegetables. While the nutty farro is cooking, the soaking begins: Scallions, radishes, cucumber, parsley and white beans are tossed in a sherry-Dijon dressing spiked with a spoonful of pepperoncini pickling liquid. The beans add a creamy texture to the dish in lieu of cheese, though a crumbled feta or torn mozzarella would work nicely. Swap these ingredients as the season changes, adding corn kernels or snap peas, or play with the herbs, mixing in cilantro or mint, too.
Aloo Tikki (Potato Cutlets)
Aloo tikki, or potato cutlets, are a popular South Asian street food perhaps due to the ease with which they travel and their versatility: They can be eaten as a quick, compact snack and also lend themselves to being slathered in chutney and wrapped up in naan for a full meal. The hearty, heavily spiced and textured tikki is commonly found on tea trolleys as well as at mealtimes in homes. They may be served as an appetizer, a side to many main courses or as the meal itself. Typically fried in a small amount of oil, this version calls for baking the cutlets to minimize mess and to efficiently entertain a large party or household. Make the potato mix a few days ahead, or freeze the cutlets for up to 3 months — perfect for spontaneous hosting.
Grain Bowl With Sardines and Sauce Moyo
A satisfying grain bowl doesn’t need to take a lot of time, especially if you start with a quick-cooking grain like fonio. Fonio, tinier than even couscous or quinoa, takes five minutes to cook and delivers a deep nutty taste. This ancient whole grain, which is also gluten-free, is prepared throughout West Africa, as is sauce moyo, a sauce of crisp onion and pepper, juicy tomatoes, chile and lime. Here, that sauce adds crunch to the tender, sandy grains, and tinned smoked fish delivers a savory richness. You can assemble the whole thing to enjoy at home or pack up to eat as a fresh and filling desk lunch.
Shrimp Pullao
When Madhur Jaffrey first published her cookbook, “An Invitation to Indian Cooking,” in 1973, Americans had a hard time finding Indian staples like garam masala and basmati rice in local supermarkets, and dishes like her fragrant shrimp pullao were considered special occasion fare. Much has changed, and these days pullaos are easy to throw together on any given weeknight, often straight from the pantry. This one is gently spiced, letting the delicate flavors of the rice and shrimp shine. Ms. Jaffrey suggests serving it with a yogurt-based vegetable dish. But even simpler, a little dollop of salted yogurt on the side adds a cool and creamy contrast.
Buttermilk Tres Leches Cake
The beauty of a tres leches cake is that it is perennial in its appeal. Cold, light and yet still decadent in the summer, comforting and familiar in the colder months, it is a cake for all occasions and seasons. Don’t be afraid to engage in a little experimentation and play. Adding rum or other seasonings or spices is perfectly acceptable. But don’t skimp on the refrigeration and soaking time. You’ll be glad when your cake is optimally chilled and moist to the core.
Roasted Shrimp Jambalaya
A savory rice dish with fuzzy origins, a strong Louisiana history and a number of influences (African, Spanish and French, to name a few), shrimp jambalaya is the ultimate comfort. Here, both rice and shrimp are cooked in the oven separately, not the stovetop, for a more hands-off approach. It’s a meal on its own but also wonderful as part of a spread.
Blueberry Spoon Cake
This recipe for a simple summer spoon cake draws the juices out of blueberries then pours them on top of a gluten-free cornmeal batter. As the cake bakes, some blueberries sink and form a stewy bottom, others bubble into chewy jam. The result looks like an upside down cobbler, or a muffin without its middle. It isn’t too sweet, and what it lacks in slice-ability and portability, it makes up for with tenderness and juiciness. Make sure to bake it on a tray to catch any batter or berries that rise over the rim — these are the cook’s midbake treat.
Couscous Risotto With Tomatoes and Mozzarella
This caprese-inspired “risotto” swaps in toothsome pearl couscous for the usual short grain rice, cutting the time spent stirring in half. The result is a pleasantly chewy, creamy one-pot dish that, like true risotto, is easy to adapt. The tomatoes caramelize and concentrate in flavor when roasted, but if you don’t feel like turning on the oven, try replacing them with a heaping cup of drained and chopped roasted red peppers or sliced sun-dried tomatoes (just pat them dry if they're oil-packed). And because pesto is so flavorful, there’s no need for chicken or vegetable broth: Plain old water is the cooking liquid of choice here.
Sheet-Pan Pizza al Taglio
Popular in Rome, pizza al taglio is a rectangular pizza that’s sold by the slice and is often eaten on the go as a salty, savory snack. The dough tends to be crisp-edged and light rather than chewy, and the toppings, which can vary widely, are often seasonal. This quick, untraditional version can be made on a sheet pan in less than three hours. It has a puffy, no-knead crust that’s imbued with olive oil (like focaccia) and extremely easy to make. Feel free to play with the toppings. Cooked vegetables (thinly sliced potatoes, artichokes, roasted peppers), sliced prosciutto or mortadella, olives, other cheeses, or tinned fish like anchovies or tuna can all be added after the pizza is baked.
Wild Rice Porridge
Wild rice, known as manoomin in the Anishinaabemowin language, has been central to the identity and history of Indigenous people in the Upper Midwest and Central Canada for thousands of years. Directly translated as the “good berry,” the sacred manoomin is found in tall green grasses of low-lying lakes and streams, where ricers of all ages use sticks to knock kernels from the grass stalks into the bed of a canoe. This recipe is adapted from Dwayne Jarman, a traditional ricer in Michigan and enrolled member of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians. For his son’s birthday every year, he makes a delightful breakfast porridge of hand-harvested manoomin simmered in cream and topped with dried fruit and nuts. A touch of maple syrup and plumped berries balance the nutty flavor of the rice with explosions of warm sweetness. You’re urged to seek out manoomin for this recipe (see Tip), but you could substitute store-bought, commercially cultivated wild rice if preferred.
Burnsie’s Cheesy Wild Rice and Chicken Soup
The Anishinaabeg have harvested manoomin, or wild rice, in the area now known as the Great Lakes for hundreds of years. Myron A. Burns Sr., who goes by Burnsie, a lifelong ricer and elder of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, combines hand-harvested manoomin, lean meat and rich dairy in a single pot to produce this hearty soup. Natural manoomin is knocked into canoe beds with wooden sticks, then dried, hulled and winnowed by community members, producing a soft, flavorful brown rice that cooks in 15 minutes. This differs from the commercially cultivated wild rice sold in supermarkets, which is grown in artificial paddies and processed by machine, producing a chewier black rice that takes at least 45 minutes to cook. You’re urged to seek out manoomin for this recipe (see Tip), but you could substitute store-bought, commercially cultivated wild rice if preferred. Top this soup with herbs and pair with crackers for a thoughtfully satisfying meal.
Clams Casino
The word “casino” in Italian translates to “mess.” In the world of baked stuffed clam dishes, this makes sense, as clams casino has a bit more going on than, say, the more understated clams oreganata. That bit, in fact, is mostly made up of bacon, cooked bell peppers and onions. They are joined by Parmesan, fresh parsley, dried oregano, garlic and plenty of butter. With so many delicious flavors involved, this mess of a dish is hardly a gamble.
Curry Chicken Fried Rice
Add this flavorful fried rice to your roster of quick weeknight dishes: Pieces of juicy chicken thighs, richer and more forgiving than breasts, are sautéed with sweet red onion and fragrant curry powder then mixed with leftover, fridge-cold rice for a meal ready in less than half an hour. (It’s also almost worth making for the smell alone.) While so many fried rice dishes involve a significant amount of chopping, this one opts for frozen vegetables, cutting back on prep time. To maximize flavor, mild curry powder is cooked in oil to bloom toward the start of the recipe, but if you’re craving heat, reach for a spicier blend.
Salmon Onigiri
Onigiri are a classic Japanese snack, the compact rice balls are a staple of the country’s convenience stores. They are portable, flavorful and filling — the ideal travel companion — and include dozens of variations. The technique is simple: The filling of choice (salmon, in this case) gets spooned into balls of rice that are shaped into triangles and wrapped in crispy seaweed. Wetting and salting your hands before working with the rice is key — it seasons the rice and prevents the grains from sticking to your palms.
Rice Pilaf
A fragrant, fluffy buttery rice pilaf is pure comfort. The word pilaf generally refers to a rice dish in which the grains are toasted in a fat like butter, ghee or oil before being cooked in broth or other liquid, and the dish’s many iterations span the globe from Central and South Asia, the Caucasus and Eastern Europe to the Caribbean. (Other grains like barley and bulgur, and noodles such as vermicelli or orzo – see Tip – can also be included.) In this simple version, onion and garlic are cooked in butter, which is then used to toast long-grain basmati rice until nutty and gently seasoned. The process of first rinsing the rice, then toasting in fat, prevents clumping. The amount of added liquid may vary slightly depending on the brand of rice, but do cut down on the salt if using a salted broth. With this base, you can get as creative as you like and add a variety of vegetables, herbs, spices, chopped nuts, dried fruit, ground meat or even shrimp. Or serve as is alongside chicken, fish or vegetables.
Chile Crisp Fried Rice With Tofu and Edamame
Chile crisp delivers spice, yes, but also carries impressive capabilities as a flavor base in weeknight cooking. The seasoned, textured oil can also be used strategically to fry foods. Most chile crisps on the market come loaded with aromatics such as garlic, ginger, fermented black soybeans, star anise, cinnamon and a host of other spices. Just a spoonful can deliver intense flavor with minimal effort. This hearty fried rice is vegan and comes with plenty of plant-based protein: The crumbled tofu offers the bouncy texture and hearty bite of egg, and the protein-rich edamame offer a hint of sweetness and nuttiness. If you don’t have edamame in the freezer, you could use frozen peas, corn or mixed vegetables.
Spanakorizo With Jammy Eggs
Bright and soulful, spanakorizo is a beloved Greek dish, with a name that reflects its combination of two key ingredients: spinach and rice. This version is fairly traditional in its essence, relying upon rice, spinach, lemon and herbs, but includes some flourishes. Though the addition of the jammy egg is not traditional, it injects a sunny burst of color, as well as added protein. For ease, this recipe calls for baby spinach (or chopped mature spinach), but frozen spinach can also be used (simply thaw it and squeeze out the water), or try a hardy green like chard or kale. A whole bunch of scallions delivers a richly aromatic base for the rice. Basmati is used here for its quick cooking time and light finish, but if you would like to use more traditional medium-grain rice, simply add an extra ½ cup of stock (2 cups total). As with any recipe, the timing is a guideline, but you should use your senses: Check your rice at the 15-minute mark, as some brands of rice will cook quicker than others.
Miso-Chile Asparagus With Tofu
Broiling asparagus gives it a charred exterior but still keeps the vegetables soft and sweet within. Here, the stalks share a pan with cubed tofu, and everything is glazed with a pungent miso sauce spiked with mirin, rice vinegar and a good hit of chile. Served over rice or noodles, it makes a salty, spicy and deeply flavored meal that’s ready in less than half an hour.
One-Pot Cabbage Roll Soup
Instead of tightly rolling and simmering dozens of cabbage rolls for hours, this recipe takes all the ingredients of a cabbage roll — meat, rice, cabbage and more — and turns them into a hearty weeknight meal. There are numerous ways to make cabbage rolls, therefore this recipe comes with multiple routes: The first method counts on sauerkraut (a tangy, fermented cabbage) for its main flavor source. The sauerkraut brings brightness and complexity to the final dish, but if sauerkraut is not a realistic option, fresh cabbage and a splash of vinegar offer a reliable alternative, with the vinegar replicating that pleasant sauerkraut brininess (see Tip). Taking the time to properly brown the meat, toast the rice, as well as properly seasoning the broth with salt will ensure maximal flavor in the final dish.
Spicy Shrimp Patties
Sweet, delicate shrimp, roughly chopped, make the base for these patties, flavored with spices typical in Desi cooking: chile powder, cumin, garam masala, ginger and garlic. Bread crumbs soak up any excess moisture, and, along with egg, help bind the ingredients together. The result: a sturdy patty that freezes well (see Tip) and can be pan-fried or even grilled, excellent for summer barbecues. Serve with dollops of mint or mango chutney or both.
Miso Broiled Tofu
For tofu with crisp edges and custardy middles, give it just 15 minutes under the broiler. The technique is inspired by Nobu Matsuhisa’s miso-broiled black cod, which combines miso and sugar to create a charred crust that also insulates the protein, preventing it from toughening. Tearing the tofu into jagged pieces — as opposed to sliced cubes or rectangles — creates more nooks and crannies for the broiler to singe, creating yet more texture. Eat any way you would enjoy baked tofu, perhaps with steamed rice and a green vegetable (broil green beans or asparagus for 5 to 8 minutes), or over salad greens (in which case you’ll want to make a double batch of the miso marinade to dress your lettuces).
Littleneck Clams With Cherry Tomatoes and Pearl Couscous
In this one-pot dish from Lidey Heuck’s cookbook, “Cooking in Real Life” (S&S/Simon Element, 2024), fresh clams cook together with garlic, white wine, shallots and tomatoes to form a deliciously fragrant sauce that’s perfect for mopping up with a piece of bread. As the clams open, they release their briny liquor, which gives the broth a salty, savory complexity. While this dish is particularly well-suited to a summer evening, you can make it any time of year; the tomatoes will sweeten and burst as they cook. The fregola or couscous gives this recipe enough heft to be a main course, but it can easily be stretched to serve 6 as a part of a larger spread.
Muufo (Corn Flatbread)
Fluffy and slightly sweet on the inside, with crunchy outer pockets, this cornmeal flatbread needs time to rise but cooks up quickly in a skillet. In Somalia, muufo is normally baked using a traditional tinaar (tandoor) clay oven. For many that are a part of the Somali diaspora, the cooking method has adapted from using a tinaar to pan-frying muufo or making it on a grill. Muufo’s texture is best when it's consumed right after it's freshly made, as it stiffens over time. If consuming on a different day, freeze the dough and pan fry when you’re ready to eat it. Pair muufo with chicken suqaar or suqaar hilib, or vegan fuul or cagaar. Muufo’s pillowy interior is great for soaking up all the delicious juices and flavors from any of these dishes.