Tag: rice

Cajun Jambalaya – courtesy of Emeril Lagasse


I’ve tried this recipe and love it. I make it quite often. It has a subtle spiciness that builds as you finish your serving. It is hot…but not immediately….its grows as you go. What I really like is the seasoning is its own stand alone Creole seasoning. The recipe makes far more than what is called for in the Jambalaya which makes it readily available to use in other creations. Enjoy!

Ingredients

  • 12 medium shrimp, peeled, deveined and chopped
  • 4 ounces chicken, diced
  • 1 tablespoon Creole seasoning, recipe follows
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/4 cup chopped onion
  • 1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
  • 1/4 cup chopped celery
  • 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
  • 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon hot sauce
  • 3/4 cup rice
  • 3 cups chicken stock
  • 5 ounces Andouille sausage, sliced
  • Salt and pepper

Directions

In a bowl combine shrimp, chicken and Creole seasoning, and work in seasoning well. In a large saucepan heat oil over high heat with onion, pepper and celery, 3 minutes. Add garlic, tomatoes, bay leaves, Worcestershire and hot sauces. Stir in rice and slowly add broth. Reduce heat to medium and cook until rice absorbs liquid and becomes tender, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. When rice is just tender add shrimp and chicken mixture and sausage. Cook until meat is done, about 10 minutes more. Season to taste with salt, pepper and Creole seasoning.

Per Serving: by RewardsArcade” href=”http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/cajun-jambalaya-recipe2/index.html#”>Calories: 402; Fat: 16g (Saturated Fat: 4 grams); Protein: 24g; Carbohydrates: 38g; Sugar: 4g; Fiber 0g; Cholesterol: 97mg; Sodium: 800mg

Emeril’s ESSENCE Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast):

  • 2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
  • 2 tablespoons salt
  • 2 tablespoons garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon onion powder
  • 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 1 tablespoon dried thyme
Combine all ingredients thoroughly.

Yield: 2/3 cup

Sushi – Go brown without a frown – tip for cooking brown rice


My understanding is that the benefit to brown rice is higher fiber due to the husk.  Lets admit it a carb is a carb…albeit a healthier one….   But we’re all for improvement right?  baby steps.

So how do we make a brown sticky rice that doesn’t taste and feel like you dragged your tongue through a dirt pile?

A lovely gentleman at an Asian market (that also sells prepared sushi) told me I basically could not afford a rice cooker (must have been looking really high class that day) but cooking the rice in a pressure cooker will seal the deal.  He mentioned it took several attempts and trial and error, but they perfected it.

He told me to use 1100 ml of water for 800 ml of rice.  Cook it at a safe pressure for between 15 – 20 minutes.  Turn off the heat and let it cook while cooling for another 15-20 minutes.  Well I have a pressure cooker that Dexter could cook an entire head in so it took a little tweaking, but worked fabulously in the end.  The technique may vary from pressure cooker to pressure cooker.

It kind of pops the rice like a kernel of pop corn would when cooked.  You still get the benefit of the husk, but the inside is exposed and light and fluffy…not crunchy or coarse.

No sushi is complete without the seasoning.  Now don’t go an dump seasoned rice vinegar on it and expect it to taste good.  Here is a little formula for seasoning your sushi rice:

Sushi Seasoning

1/2 cup of rice vinegar
1/3 cup of sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons of salt

(this mixture is for 4 cups of rice – adjust for the amount of rice you are cooking)

Mix ingredients (I warm them slightly in the microwave to speed things up) until the sugar and salt dissolve.  Slowly drizzle the mixture into the rice.  Remember not to “stir” the rice, but cut through it with a flat spatula.  Try to fan the rice while cutting into it.  (Ha…I use a little desk fan on my high bar pointed at the bowl)

Also if you want to cut back your rice intake try making cones (temaki) vs rolls (maki)  they require less rice keeping your ratio of healthy ingredients to carbs much closer.  A great video that helped me get the temaki technique down can be found at this link:

How to hand roll Temaki

Happy Sushi Making!!!!