Even Dirtier Rice

Dirty Rice is one of my favorite side dishes. You can try that recipe some other time. This recipe is for Even Dirtier Rice. The addition of shrimp, chicken and sausage makes this an entrée. Also, the technique for cooking rice is different. I think it adds more flavor.

The idea for Even Dirtier Rice blew in on a storm. Really. A hurricane is headed our way. I needed to use up the odds and ends in the fridge before the storm came. I had a chicken breast, 2 sausages and ½ pound of shrimp thawing out. They were going to be three meals for the two of us, but I was worried that we might be without power, so I cooked them all together. How to do that? We ate at an Italian restaurant the night before, so pasta was not a choice. The minute I thought of rice, I thought of Dirty Rice, but with all this extra stuff it is even dirtier.

This is very good if you choose to follow this recipe exactly. However, I always give suggestions for making this you own. You can cut up the holy trinity yourself. It is made up of equal parts of onion, green peppers and celery. Holy trinity creates the base of most Creole/Cajun cooking. I find with just the two of us eating, it is cheaper to buy it already sliced. If you have a large family and will use the extra pepper and celery, then do it yourself. Also, all the people I know who live in Louisiana use Tony Chachere’s Seasoning. Be aware that it is salty, so either get the low sodium or be careful. Know, too, that most andouille sausage is spicy. If you prefer milder dishes, you can substitute a smoked sausage like kielbasa.

 

Even Dirtier Rice

Servings: 4-5 cups of rice, serves 4-6

Hardware:  A cutting board and knives, measuring spoons and cups, a strainer (sieve,) a deep skillet with a lid, a large bowl, a slotted spoon, tongs and a fork

Time:  Active time 20 minutes; Cook: 30 minutes, rice in about 45 minutes

Ingredients:

• Olive oil for the bottom of the pan
• ½ pound medium shrimp (peeled and de-veined)
• ½ pound chicken breast
• ½ pound andouille sausage
• 8 ounces holy trinity (can be found, sliced in the produce section)
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon chicken base (I use Better than Bullion)
• 1¾ cups boiling water
• 2 cups long-grain, white rice
• 2 teaspoons Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning
• Salt and pepper

1. Rinse the rice in the sieve until the water runs clear. Roughly chop the chicken and slice the sausage. Set aside.
2. Cover the bottom of the skillet in oil and heat on medium high. When the oil is shimmery, cook the shrimp until it is just beginning to turn opaque. You will finish cooking in the rice. Remove it to the large bowl. Add the chicken and sausage to the same pan. Remove when the chicken is lightly browned on both sides.
3. Add the butter to the same skillet, when it has melted, add the veggies, Tony Chachere’s and rice. Stir until the rice begins to toast (about two minutes.) Add the boiling water and chicken base and stir until the base dissolves. Return the meat to the skillet. Bring to a boil.
4. Turn the rice down to simmer and cover with the lid. Simmer for exactly 18 minutes. Remove from the heat, but do not remove the lid. Allow the rice to rest for 10 minutes. It is still cooking so it is important to leave it alone.
5. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper. Serve warm.

Spanish Rice

Spanish Rice

Spanish Rice, also called Mexican rice or arroz rojo, is a popular side dish in Mexico. I don’t know why it is called Spanish rice. Spanish it is not. Rice dishes in Spain are usually yellow because they have saffron in them. Mexican rice is red because it is often cooked with tomato paste. I used taco sauce instead. Taco sauce has a bolder flavor and can be used to add variety. You can use spicy sauce or chunky sauce, depending upon your preference. I usually enjoy spicy food, but I make this mild because I use it as a backdrop for other dishes. Serve Spanish Rice with tacos or burritos. You can also top this dish with black beans to make a complete meal.

You can make this vegetarian by using veggie broth as your liquid.

Servings: 3 cups of rice, serves 4-6

Hardware:  A cutting board and knives, measuring spoons and cups, a strainer (sieve,) a pot with a lid, a wooden spoon, and a fork

Time:  Active time 15 minutes; Cook: 25 minutes, rice in about 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 4+1 tablespoons butter
• 1 small onion (4 ounces)
• 1 medium tomato (8 ounces)
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 cup of your favorite taco sauce
• ¾ cups liquid (water, chicken broth or veggie broth)
• ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 bay leaves
• Long grain white rice
• 1 tablespoon of chopped cilantro (optional)
• Salt

1. Rinse the rice in the sieve until the water runs clear.
2. Dice the onion. Seed and chop the tomato, mince the garlic. Set aside.
3. In the pot with the lid, melt four tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and cumin. Sauté until the aromatics become translucent. Watch them and stir often because you don’t want them to burn.
4. Add the rice to the butter and stir until the rice begins to toast and the edges begin to turn brown (about two minutes.)
5. Stir in the tomato, liquid, taco sauce and bay leaves. Bring to a boil.
6. Stir. Turn the rice down to simmer and cover with the lid. Simmer for exactly 18 minutes. Remove from the heat, but do not remove the lid. Allow the rice to rest for 10 minutes. It is still cooking so it is important to leave it alone.
7. Remove the bay leaves. Using a fork, fluff the rice with the extra butter. Add the cilantro if you are using it. Taste and adjust the salt. Serve warm.

Garlic and Herb Rice

Garlic Herb Rice

Rice makes a tasty and simple side dish. Some people have trouble making rice. I was one of those people for a long time. My husband taught me the easiest method. He showed me to just make sure I had three times as much water as I did rice, bring the water to a boil, add the rice and boil for 20 minutes and then drain. This works, but you cannot really flavor the rice. And sometimes you want flavor.

So, I practiced and practiced and threw away or choked down as much rice as I happily ate. I can now make a pot of wonderful, fluffy, tender separate grains of joy every time. Follow these instructions exactly and you will have success, too. 

If you want to change this up a bit, I have a few suggestions. You can substitute any herb for the chives. If you use thyme or basil use ½ tablespoon. If you are using rosemary, just throw in a whole sprig with the garlic and remove before serving. You could also toss in a tablespoon of toasted, chopped pecans or slivered almonds with the herbs.

Servings: 3 cups of rice, serves 4-6

Hardware:  A cutting board and knives, measuring spoons and cups, a strainer (sieve,) a pot with a lid, a sauce pot, a paper towel covered plate, a slotted spoon and a fork

Time:  Active time 20 minutes; Cook: 30 minutes, rice in about 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 4+1 tablespoons butter
• 6 cloves garlic
• 1 tablespoon chicken base (I use Better than Bullion)
• 1 ¾ cups water
• 1 cup long-grain white rice
• 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh chives
• Salt

1. Rinse the rice in the sieve until the water runs clear. Slice the garlic into thin slivers. Dice the chives, the smaller the better. Set aside
2. Put the water onto boil in the sauce pan.
3. In the pot with the lid, melt 4 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add the garlic slices and sauté until they just begin to turn golden. Watch them and stir often because they can easily burn. Use the slotted spoon to place them on the paper towel covered plate. Make sure you have removed them all. Set the garlic aside.
4. Add the rice to butter and stir until the rice begins to toast (about two minutes.) Add the boiling water and chicken base and stir until the base dissolves.
5. Turn the rice down to simmer and cover with the lid. Simmer for exactly 18 minutes. Remove from the heat, but do not remove the lid. Allow the rice to rest for 10 minutes. It is still cooking so it is important to leave it alone.
6. Using a fork, stir in the herbs, toasted garlic and extra butter. Taste and adjust the salt. Serve warm.