Conference turris::cooks

    2 lbs. bulk pork sausage
    1 med. onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
    2 cups cooked wild rice
    2 cups cooked white rice
    1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese (2 oz.)
    1 1/2 cups milk
    1 small green pepper, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
    1 can (10 3/4 oz.) condensed cream of chicken soup
    1 can (4 oz.) mushroom stems and pieces, drained
    1 jar (2 oz.) pimiento, drained
    1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds
    
    
    Cook and stir sausage and onion in 4-qt. Dutch oven until sausage
    is brown; drain.  Stir in wild rice, white rice, cheese, milk, green
    pepper, soup, mushrooms and pimiento.  Pour into ungreased 3-qt.
    casserole.
    
    Cover and bake in 350 degree oven until center is bubbly, 45-50
    minutes.  Stir and sprinkle with almonds.  Garnish with cooked carrot
    slices and parsley if desired.
    
    (8 servings, 440 calories per serving)
    
      

The proportions on this recipe are variable to taste.  And there are lots of 
variations, but this is the one my dad always made:

Soak a vial of SPANISH safron in 1/2 cup boiling chicken/turkey stock (this 
stock better be homemade, using white wine!)

Chop a whole yellow onion, and sautee in olive oil.  

Add 1 lb sliced raw Italian sausage or sausage meat, may be hot or sweet,
according to taste. 

Sautee the sausage until lightly browned.

Stir in 2 cups long grain rice, NOT converted or minute, but REAL rice, until 
coated with oils, and sautee until slightly opaque about 5 minutes.

Add a total of 6 cups* of boiling chicken/turkey stock as follows: Add a cup, 
stir until absorbed, add a cup, stir until absorbed,...

	* The last cup is 1/2 cup stock plus 1/2 cup stock plus saffron

The rice will be slightly starchy and somewhat gooey.

Add 1 cup hand shredded imported Italian parmesan cheese (not the sawdust 
style cheese that the store will grate for you), stirring it in as you 
sprinkle on top.

Goes great with a dry white wine or a hearty Cianti classico.

						     
							- JP

I don't have a name for this, but my roomy and friends like it so much they
don'e miss the meat....I like it because I can get it together and in the
oven in less than 30 minutes.

For each two cups of cooked, short grain brown rice:

Saute in 4 Tablespoons olive oil:

	1 chopped zuchini (size approx. 7 inches long)
	1 medium onion
	handful small mushrooms, chopped
	2 small yellow crookneck squash chopped up
	1 small sweet red pepper chopped up    
	1 small sweet green pepper chopped up

until crisp tender.

Mix with rice, a good bottled marinara sauce (or homemade if you've got it),
1 bag frozen peas (or fresh shelled peas blanched for 4 minutes), approx.
1 cup parmesan or romano cheese.  Place in oiled casserole and bake approx.
1 hour. 

    Well, one of my favorites and favorites of others is what I call
    chicken rice. This dish goes wonderfully with baked chicken, or
    baked fish.
    
    Start with Uncle Ben's natural white rice. Measure rice according
    to dish size. I make enough for 4 servings. Boil water and add rice.
    Put in 2 chicken bouillon cubes, dash garlic powder and cook for
    15 mins. simmer uncovered. Add dash majoram, teaspoon or two of
    parsley, pat of butter, stir thoroughly, cook last 5 mins. or until
    right texture has formed.
    
    Enjoy!!!! P.S. Also good with a dash of Mrs. Dash on top.
    
    Kathleen
    

    I gather you like rice.  Why not try Indian Basmati rice or Thai
    Jasmine rice?  Both are white, long-grain rices.  Both smell lovely
    and nutty--like rice WOULD smell if it didn't usually smell like
    wallpaper paste.  Both are sold at Joyce Chen's in Acton.  You can
    also get basmati rice at most gourmet stores and at India Tea and
    Spice in Belmont.  Both must be washed, then presoaked for 15-30
    minutes.  For each cup of rice, use 1-1/4 cup of water.  Add a little
    butter to the basmati rice, or some chopped sauteed onion and green
    peas.  Stronger spices interfere with the lovely subtle taste.
    
    (Whoops, the directions are vague.  Rinse the rice thoroughly, then
    soak it, then drain it and THEN add 1-1/4 cups water for each cup
    of rice.  Bring to boil, reduce heat to lowest setting, cover, and
    cook 15 minutes.)
    
    Look in a good Indian cookbook (I recommend those by Madhur Jaffrey
    or Julie Sahni) for recipes for BIRYANI--meat, vegies, spices, and
    rice all cooked together.  Terrific and impressive for a crowd.
    

re < Note 1035.6 by BOXTOP::JANCOURTZ >
>    Both must be washed, then presoaked for 15-30 minutes.  

I've never washed or soaked Basmati rice and it always comes out perfect.  I 
use it as a 1-1 substitute for long grain carolina rice in all recipes.  
Usually, I cook it in the microwave.

By the way, does the Jasmine rice flavor resemble jasmine at all?

						     
							- JP

    re .6, .7
    
    What's all this about soaking rice? I've never soaked rice and it seems
    to come out perfect every time! Though I have seen it recommended
    that basmati rice be soaked. I have two favorite methods of
    preparation, pressure cooker or microwave. Lately I've been leaning to
    the pressure cooker because in essence you're steaming the rice under
    pressure which (personal opinion) keeps more of the flavor in. 
    
    Recently I ran out of Jasmine rice and found that I had some "premium"
    Carolina long grain rice, so I used that...Yuck, the closest
    approximation in taste has to be cardboard! I seriously doubt I'll ever
    use anything but Jasmine or Basmati (or similar)again! By the way good
    Jasmine runs around $0.45/pound, which is comparable to the common
    cardboard variety. Basmati, which comes from India, runs around
    $1.00/pound. The basmati has a nutty-like flavor, the jasmine a
    fragrant aroma and a subtle flavor, I'm not sure if jasmine flowers are
    used for the fragrance or its inherent in the variety. 
    
    
    -enjoy
    -john

I vaguely remember buying a basmati rice in Concord Spice and Grain that was 
labeled "Basmati Rice - Long Grain - California".  Never gave it a thought, 
cuz it tasted like the Real McCoy.  It was a while back, so I don't remember 
the price.  Can any of you Californians verify that Basmati rice is grown out 
there?  Or was the package just mislabeled?

						     
							- JP

    I think it's being grown in Ca and also Texas.
    

Does anyone have a good recipe for Saffron rice?  I've done a dir for rice and
saffron and come up blank.  No tumeric instead, please...it looks the same, but
the taste just isn't there!

Thanks in advance,

Laura

    Add a few strands of saffron along with the rice and cook as usual.

    
    The local supermarkets are advertising at .79 per pound.
    
    The local Turkey farm is $1.49-1.75 per pound.

Funny note to be asking about the price of turkeys in...and I hoped it would
be recipes for saffron rice!!

The saffron rice I've had seemed to be sauteed first, like a pilaf, with onions
and maybe some other spices.  Does anyone have a recipe for this?

Thanks again,

Laura

	Rep .15


	Here's how I make saffron rice,


	1 small onion finely minced
	2-4 cloves of garlic finely minced

	Saute the onions and garlic in about 2 TBsp of good olive oil until
	softened. Don't let them brown use a medium to low heat. Add 1 Cup 
	of rice to the pan and saute the rice until it turns opaque again 
	don't let the mixture brown. Add two cups of water or stock or a
	mixture of both. Bring to a boil and cover tightly reducing the heat
	to a bare simmer. After about 10 min add about 1/8 tsp of saffron
	strands to the rice mix well and continue cooking covered until the
	liquid is absorbed. The total time is around 20 minutes. I've found
	that if you cook the saffron too long it tends to turn very bitter
	and ruins the dish. 

	-mike

Thanks Mike,

Sounds just like what I was looking for!

    
    This makes a nice side dish, or can be served as a main dish with a 
    salad and veggies.
    
    3-4 chicken breasts,deboned,skin removed.
    1-2 medium to large yellow cooking onions
    1-1/2 tablespoons of sweet red Hungarian paprika.
    1 cup of fresh chopped parsley(or lesser measure of dried parsley)
    2-3 tablespoons oil          
    1-2 teaspoons salt depending on your tastes.
    
    
    Slice up the chicken breasts into small pieces. Dice onions and fry in 
    oil medium heat untill they are clear.
    Add the chicken pieces and brown lightly.add parsley at this time as
    well.
    Remove from heat and stir in paprika
    (If paprika is left to fry it becomes very bitter)
    
    Add sufficient water equivalent to the amount required for the amount
    of rice you wish to use..ie(5 cups water for 2 cups rice).Simmer the
    chicken in the water for approx 40 minutes..add rice..cover and reduce
    heat just as if you were making plain white rice. Follow cooking time
    of you particular brand of rice, remove from heat and let stand 5-10
    minutes.  
    
    Chicken breasts are nice to use but one can also make this with any
    chicken parts you wish. Wings are fine,legs,thighs and the bone may be
    left in as well. I've done it this way many times and remove the
    chicken pieces,take of the skin and meat and add the meat back to the
    rice after.
                                  

    This is easy and fairly healthy. I make it for dinner, but I suppose
    you could have it as a side dish...
    
    2 boxes Near East Rice Pilaf
    1 can LOW-FAT Cream of Mushroom Soup
    1/2 - 1 container NON FAT cottage cheese (the medium one)
    
    Cook the rice according to pkg directions, when the rice is just about
    done, add the soup and cottage cheese. Mix well. Turn off heat and let
    it sit for about 5 mins. The cheese gets a bit melty.
    
    It's really good if you like cassarole-y type things.
    
    ~beth

    I live in a veggie house and am responsible for cooking once/wk.  One
    of the favorites is a rice thing I whipped up one night on a whim.

    Chop up some onions and some garlic (lots of garlic!)
    Saute' the onions/garlic in olive oil until the onions are cooked.
    Add in the rice (I use this long grainbrowm stuff the others like) and
    stir that around a few minutes.  At this point, instead of adding just
    plain water, add the volume of orange juice the rice pkg recommends to
    cook the rice in.  Add a little curry powder (please use someting
    decent, like maybe Madras) and some sliced carrots.  Let the whole mess
    cook until the rice is done.  Throw in some raisins just for the heck
    of it.  Add more curry powder if you want it hotter.
                     
    No name for this monster but it's worth a shot.


    -dave