Rice & Grains
2019 recipes found
Iwuk Edesi (One-Pot Rice With Chicken)
Preparing this rice and chicken one-pot meal from “My Everyday Lagos: Nigerian Cooking at Home and in the Diaspora” by Yewande Komolafe (Ten Speed Press, 2023) is an experience: the rich fragrances of these ingredients will slowly fill your kitchen as the rice softens. Iwuk edesi is a dish rooted in Efik and Ibibio cuisine, a gift from the southeastern region of the country. It is often found on buka menus and is sometimes called “native rice.” If you use another type of meat, the cooking times may differ, but the method essentially stays the same. This is a solid standalone meal, best enjoyed straight off the stove, but is equally satisfying the next day as leftovers.
Crispy Rice With Salmon And Avocado
This recipe for golden-crisp blocks of sushi rice topped with cool and creamy salmon and avocado is a riff on a spicy tuna and crispy rice dish created by Katsuya Uechi, a Los Angeles chef who was inspired by yaki onigiri. While the dish does require a number of steps and is best eaten right when it’s made, you can break up the work by cooking the rice and seasoning the salmon with lemon zest and jalapeño up to 24 hours ahead. (In fact, the results will be better if you do.) Right before serving, slice and fry the blocks and top with the salmon and avocado. These gorgeous two-bite treats make an excellent party hors d'oeuvres or full dinner with a cucumber salad.
Djon-Djon Rice (Black Mushroom Rice)
Throughout Haiti, djon-djon mushrooms grow in rotting wood during the island’s rainy seasons. They’re picked and dried to make this intensely flavorful black mushroom rice — called diri djon-djon by some — that is typically served on holidays and for special occasions. (In a pinch, some people also use mushroom-flavored bouillon cubes by Maggi to season their rice.) This recipe, from Natacha Gomez-Dupuy, the author of “Bak Fritay: Haitian Street Foods,” starts with soaking the mushrooms to create a broth, blending together a verdant, clove-scented epis seasoning, then cooking parboiled rice in both to make this dish, which is meaty and full of umami. Add seafood like blue crab, lobster or shrimp, or serve the rice with something saucy, like a Haitian chicken stew or these epis-braised short ribs.
Fast and Easy Focaccia
This is possibly the fastest start-to-finish yeasted bread you can make. Fluffy and rich with olive oil, this tender focaccia is great on its own or swiped through soups, stews and sauces, and it’s especially wonderful with delicate sandwich fillings, like mortadella and ricotta. Because it’s soft on the inside, a touch crackly on top and crisp on the bottom, it doesn’t squish or squeeze out fillings when you bite into it. Instead, it cradles them like bubble wrap, keeping the ribboned meat in distinct layers. This bread gets its airiness from a very wet dough, which bubbles in the rising and in the oven. Bread flour bakes into a slightly sturdier focaccia, but all-purpose flour works as well. The dough comes together in a minute in a food processor, but if you don’t have that machine, you can mix the dough in a mixer or by hand. The bread will end up a little less chewy, but is still delicious. It’s amazing the day it’s made, but still good the next day too. Stale leftovers can be toasted into croutons.
Arroz con Maiz y Crema (Cheesy Rice Casserole With Corn)
Sandra A. Gutierrez, the author of “Latinísimo: Home Recipes from the 21 Countries of Latin America” (Knopf, 2023), was born in Philadelphia and raised by her Guatemalan parents in their home country. This recipe, a classic from Guatemala City where she lived, has been made since the 1950s, when mayonnaise started gaining popularity in Latin America as it became available in grocery stores. Ms. Gutierrez says the dish is typically enjoyed alongside buffet dinners with roast chicken or beef tenderloin. A satisfyingly easy side dish that is rich, cheesy and tangy, this casserole can be prepared and assembled in advance, or easily halved for a smaller crowd.
Arepas
These chicken and avocado-stuffed arepas, which are known as reina pepiada (or curvy queen), were created in honor of Susana Dujim, a Venezuelan beauty queen who was crowned Miss World in 1955. The 1950s also marked the invention of precooked corn flour, now known as masarepa, by a Venezuelan engineer. But arepas were around for hundreds of years throughout Latin America before that, the corn patties sometimes served whole or split, then filled with countless combinations. Preparing them used to be labor-intensive, but masarepa gives arepas a light and creamy texture without a lot of effort. Unlike cornmeal used for cornbread or muffins, which is ground dried uncooked corn, masarepa is ground from cooked corn and conveniently sold as dried corn flour. Masa harina is ground uncooked corn treated with other ingredients and is used to make tortillas and other dishes. Neither cornmeal nor masa harina can be substituted for masarepa, which is available online and in many supermarkets.
Cabbage Rolls
Cabbage leaves stuffed with a mixture of meat, vegetables and rice have been eaten in Europe for centuries. While variations abound, the version most popular in the United States bears some resemblance to Polish gołąbki, in which the leaves are filled with a mixture of cooked ground beef, pork and rice, then rolled and baked in tomato sauce. The rolls are incredibly tender, lightly spiced, and topped with fresh dill. Serve with classic mashed potatoes for a comforting cold weather meal.
Tomato Pie
The Italian American tomato pie is an elemental dish that lets its simple components — a flatbread covered in tomato sauce — really sing. It comes in different forms in different cities. In Philadelphia, tomato pie is an institution unto itself, typically sold from old-school Italian bakeries. Joe Beddia of Pizzeria Beddia is among a younger generation of chefs in the city who are making their own version of tomato pie. His 24-hour fermented dough produces a focaccialike flatbread with a springy interior and a crunchy, golden-brown crust. He covers it with a thin spread of rich tomato sauce, and finishes it with a generous drizzle of fruity olive oil and restrained sprinkle of Sicilian oregano. Eat it at room temperature as they do in Philadelphia — it makes for an ideal, make-ahead buffet addition, especially on Eagles game days.
Easy Couscous
Because the couscous in American grocery stores is already steamed and dried, it just requires hydrating in hot liquid for about 5 minutes to transform the North African semolina pasta into fluffy beads. This recipe makes 4 cups of cooked couscous, but you can follow a one-to-one ratio of couscous to liquid to make any quantity you like. Couscous is the ultimate blank canvas: Eat with tagine or grilled meat, or toss into a salad.
Cumin and Cashew Yogurt Rice
Yogurt rice is a nostalgic dish for many South Asians, and especially South Indians. It’s the ultimate comfort food, and a no-fuss dinner that’s easy to put together. Cool, creamy yogurt and crunchy, warm spices create a dreamy contrast that makes this dish feel more whole meal-worthy than snack-friendly (though it’ll serve you well for both). Traditional versions include mustard seeds, curry leaves and urad dal, but this variation includes a different set of pantry staples: cumin seeds, cashews and red chile powder. The trio, plus fresh green chiles, gets sizzled in ghee, enhancing all the rich, smoky, spicy flavors, then gets poured directly over the yogurt rice. Add grated carrots and zucchini to give the rice more heft, or try it with a different combination of spices.
Green Salad With Warm Goat Cheese (Salade de Chèvre Chaud)
Some dishes are showstoppers, while others are ordinary, unfussy and exactly what you want on a slow evening when nothing need be achieved or sought after. This is a simple salad, with the smallest exalting touch: rounds of goat cheese coated in beaten egg and the sheerest veil of bread crumbs, then gently pressed in a hot pan until dark gold. They come served over a careless toss of greens — you can add fresh herbs like dill or parsley for featheriness and a bright lift — in a dressing that requires no more than oil, vinegar, mustard and a single shallot. Eat immediately, when the greens are fresh and cool, and the cheese is still warm, faintly crackly on the outside and oozy within.
Kimchi Chicken Lettuce Wraps
For the fastest path to deliciousness, select ingredients that punch above their weight. This weeknight recipe leans on just five primary ingredients — ground chicken, lettuce and rice form the foundation; kimchi adds depth and hoisin lends sweetness — for a fresh spread that cooks in just 15 minutes. Bracing and assertive, kimchi doesn’t slip into this dish; it dominates. Though each jar of kimchi is unique, its salty, spicy and tangy notes reign. You’ll cook off a portion of the chopped fermented cabbage with the chicken, taming its taste and texture, then use the remainder as a garnish. To offset kimchi’s assertiveness, the chicken is glazed with hoisin sauce, which adds sweetness, color and glossiness. Set the chicken mixture, kimchi, lettuce and rice in separate bowls for tableside assembly — less work for the cook, more fun for the guests.
Sanshoku-don (Three-Color Rice Bowls)
Sanshoku-don is a classic Japanese comfort food that is equally delicious served hot and fresh or at room temperature, making it a hugely popular choice for bento-style school lunches. The base recipe combines ground chicken (other meats or vegetarian alternatives like ground tofu or plant-based ground meat work just fine) seasoned with the classic Japanese savory-sweet combination of soy sauce, mirin, sake and sugar, and vigorously scrambled eggs served on top of Japanese short-grain rice. Add a simple green vegetable – frozen peas, steamed slivered snap peas or green beans, or simply sautéed spinach or kale – and you’ve got a full meal in a bowl.
Sushi Bake
Sushi bake is essentially a California roll casserole in which the main ingredients of the popular sushi roll are layered, then baked for an easy comfort dish. This recipe uses imitation crab, but feel free to use real crab meat, or equal amounts cooked or canned tuna or salmon. Furikake, the Japanese seasoning mix, flavors the rice, while Kewpie mayo and cream cheese bind and add richness. (Both furikake and Kewpie mayo can be found at Asian supermarkets and online.) A final drizzle of sriracha mayo brings it all to life. Once baked, everyone can assemble their own atop seaweed squares with a variety of toppings. Don’t forget a side of tamagoyaki, and sweet and savory unagi, or eel, sauce for drizzling.
Spicy Tuna Salad With Crispy Rice
This recipe transforms the sushi-restaurant specialty of spicy tuna crispy rice — raw spicy tuna balanced atop bricks of seared rice — into a straightforward, pantry-friendly, any-night meal. Instead of portioning and frying rice, you can cook seasoned rice in a skillet until it crisps, then scoop it onto plates. The tuna stays spicy and creamy, but this recipe calls for humble canned tuna instead of raw. Sliced cucumbers add freshness, but feel free to embellish further with sprouts, avocado, nori sheets or jalapeño slices.
Italian Wedding Soup
This name of this popular Italian-American soup comes from a mistranslation of “minestra maritata,” a Southern Italian soup in which meat and vegetables are “married” together. Wedding or no wedding, the appeal of this comforting and easy soup endures: The combination of mini meatballs, pasta and greens in savory chicken broth, topped with a sprinkling of Parmesan, is always a crowd pleaser.
Fresh Corn Pancakes With Blueberry Sauce
Corn and blueberries are a beloved, if slightly surprising summer combination. They partner up in this twist on classic buttermilk pancakes, perfect for a summer brunch or special leisurely breakfast. A mix of all-purpose flour and cornmeal gives the pancakes a wonderfully light texture and makes them the perfect vehicle for sweet, crunchy corn kernels. (Use in-season corn for best results.) The simple blueberry sauce comes together quickly, with only four ingredients. Try any leftover sauce reheated on vanilla ice cream, with crumbled oatmeal cookies, for a blueberry cobbler-like dessert.
Mochiko Chicken
“Mochiko chicken is Hawaii’s fried chicken,” said Relle Lum, a nurse practitioner and the founder of the Keeping It Relle cooking blog. Growing up on the island of Maui, she enjoyed the craggy chunks at home. Mrs. Lum watched her mother and grandmother throw mochiko chicken together without a recipe, but she’s written one down that ensures the right juicy-on-the-inside, crispy-on-the-outside balance and sweet-savory flavor. The key is to let the chicken sit in the punchy marinade of soy sauce, sugar and scallions for a good amount of time, ideally overnight, then to fry it in batches, in oil heated to 325 degrees.
Hush Puppies
Dipped in tartar sauce or an aioli, served with salted butter or on their own, hush puppies are the perfect starter or side for any meal, but especially seafood or barbecue. They symbolize prosperity with their golden color. The cornmeal batter here is studded with onion and chives, then fried in a couple of inches of hot oil, until the outsides become crispy and delectable and the insides are moist and tender.
Arroz Chaufa (Fried Rice With Chicken and Bell Pepper)
After laborers flocked from China to Peru in the mid-1800s, a blend of Chinese and Peruvian cuisine known as Chifa was born. This simple version of arroz chaufa (fried rice) focuses on chicken thighs and red bell pepper, but other varieties might embrace sliced hot dogs, shrimp or strips of meat. The key to this recipe, and other fried rice recipes, is keeping the cooking surface hot. This is easy to achieve when using a powerful wok burner in a professional kitchen, but at home, this means cooking things in smaller batches. If you need to serve more people, multiply the recipe as needed, but make sure to cook the rice in several batches to allow it to crisp rather than steam. (You can hold the prepared rice covered in foil in a warm oven.)
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Cantonese Clay Pot Rice With Velveted Chicken and Mushrooms (北菇滑雞煲仔飯)
When done properly, velveting can render a relatively lean cut of meat moist and tender—even after extended steaming.
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Cantonese Clay Pot Rice With Chinese Meatloaf (肉餅煲仔飯)
Pleasantly springy and fragrant with soy sauce, oyster sauce, and Shaoxing wine, Chinese meatloaf is delicious served on its own or atop Cantonese claypot rice.
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How to Make Cantonese Clay Pot Rice (煲仔飯)
This comforting meal of rice steamed and crisped within a Cantonese clay pot is a favorite in Hong Kong, where it’s served with an assortment of savory toppings and a seasoned soy sauce.
Fugazzeta (Cheese-Stuffed Pizza)
The influence of Italian immigrants is apparent in Argentinian pizza culture: Immigrants brought focaccia with them, which morphed into a focaccia-pizza hybrid known as fugazza, a thick pizza topped with cheese and shaved onions. This got dialed up a few notches to become fugazzeta. In a fugazzeta, two pizza crusts are sandwiched around cheese before being crimped shut and topped with a heap of thinly sliced onions. The onions may initially seem like overkill, but don’t skimp: They soften and char, providing a nice reprieve from the copious molten cheese.