Cilantro & Lime Rice

Cilantro and Lime Rice by Closet Cooking
(makes 4+ side dish servings)

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon oil
1/2 onion (chopped)
1 clove garlic (chopped)
1 cup long grained rice (I like to use brown)
2 cups water
1 handful cilantro (chopped)
1 lime (juice and zest)

Directions:
1. Heat the oil in a pan.
2. Add the onion and saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes.
3. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about a minute.
4. Add the rice and toast in the oil for a few minutes.
5. Add the water, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, covered until tender, about 20 minutes for white rice or 40-50 minutes for brown.
6. Remove from the heat and mix in the cilantro, lime juice and zest.

Veggies By George Weekly Challenge #5

Say hello to Jack at Veggies By George!
Okay - I got my basket, but I'm not sure what I was supposed to use, so I've created recipes this week using greens and radishes.

Radically Roasted Radishes - pics to follow

I am generally not a raving fan of radishes, but after trying a dish featuring what appeared to be poached radishes at the Athlone Inn here in Gananoque, I thought I'd try roasting them.  The result was a starchy, slightly peppery and sweet (almost caramelized) treat that my hubby mistook for potatoes!

Ingredients:

4 extra large radishes, washed and sliced into eighths

1/8 C grapeseed oil

1tsp umeboshi (or apple cider) vinegar

1/2 tsp each ground sea salt AND pepper

1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme

2 cloves garlic, pressed

Preheat oven to 400 F.  Arrange radish wedges in a baking dish (I used a pie plate).  Mix remaining ingredients together, pour over radishes and toss to coat.  Roast for 30-45 minutes or until radishes are slightly golden and have lost their crunch.  Enjoy!

Coconut Braised Greens

1 bunch swiss chard, washed and chopped with stems and leaves separated

1 bunch kale, washed and chopped with stems and leaves separated

1 bunch bok choy, washed and chopped with stems and leaves separated

1 tbsp oil of choice, I used peanut

1 onion, chopped

1 C coconut milk

Juice of 1 small lime

salt and pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Add chopped stems and cook for 2 minutes.  Add chopped leaves and boil 3 minutes more.  Strain and set aside.  In same pot, heat oil over medium flame and add onion.  Saute until translucent.  Add greens to pot with coconut oil and lime juice and simmer for 5 minutes.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Veggies by George Challenge #3, Part 2

On the green in two!  A creamy pasta dish with a bold splash of green never fails to please at my house, so here goes. . . a second kale dish that I actually enjoy!

Fusili & Kale in Creamy Garlic Scape Sauce

Ingredients:

350g fusili pasta

EVOO and sea salt for boiling

1 large bunch of kale, leaves and stems separated

1 can white kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 vegetable stock

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 bulb roasted garlic

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 C EVOO

1 small white onion, coarsely chopped

1 C garlic scape, bulb and tough ends removed, coarsely chopped 

Put large pot of water on to boil.  Chop kale stems and add to boiling water with the pasta, along with a dash of EVOO and a pinch of salt.  Cook for 3 minutes and then add chopped kale leaves.  Cook until pasta reaches desired consistency and kale stems are tender.

In a blender or food processor, combine the beans, stock, balsamic, garlic, salt & pepper.  Process until smooth.   In a skillet, heat 1/4 C olive oil and saute onion and scape until onions are translucent.  Add onion mixture to bean mixture and process until smooth and creamy.  Toss into pasta and add sea salt to taste.  Serve immediately with a garnish of fresh tomatoes and balsamic vinegar for seasoning.

Stinky Soup and Beer Bread

Yum!  Garlic, onions, leeks. . . stinky AND tasty!  I made a batch of Beer Bread using a mix from the Invisible Chef.

Sooo good.  Warm and crunchy, it was a real complement to the soup.

Stinky Soup Ingredients:

    2 cups cooked white kidney beans 
    1 bulb garlic, roasted
    EVOO

    1 cooking onion, thinly sliced
    1 large leek, thinly sliced

    1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced

    1 tsp dried thyme

    1 tsp dried basil

    2 tsp dried parsley

    salt & black pepper to taste

    1 cup dry white wine

    2 cups miso broth
 
Directions:

To roast the garlic bulb, peel away excess skin and slice off the top of the bulb so that the tips of the cloves are cut off. Drizzle some olive oil over the top of the bulb and wrap tightly in aluminum foil. Roast in a preheated 400F oven for 25-30 minutes. The cloves should be browned and soft and you can squeeze the roasted garlic out from the peel easily.

In a large saucepot, heat about 1 tbsp EVOO.  Add onions and saute until they have become very soft. Add the leeks, scallions and roasted garlic (I let mine cool and put it through a garlic press) and saute for 5 minutes.  Add seaonings and saute another minute.  Add wine and cook until you can no longer smell any alcohol.  Add the miso broth and stir. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool a bit. Puree half the soup in a blender, or with an immersion blender. Add to leftover soup. Add additional broth or water if the soup becomes too thick. Reheat slightly and serve, preferably with a slice of warm bread.

Makes: 4-6 servings