Miso Orange Rice w/Tofu

Recipe from Julia Maiten
Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen
Makes 2 generous servings 

I enjoy watching and learning from Julia Maiten’s fabulous YouTube channel.  This recipe came from an episode that she filmed while she was feeling under the weather.  The theme was nourish bowls. (This goes to show you that this recipe is super easy to make and nourishing since she prepared it while not feeling her best.) While watching this particular episode, I realized I had all the ingredients to make this quick dish.  I followed the recipe to the letter with two exceptions.  The original recipe called for two blocks of tofu.  I just used one block and it was plenty for two generous servings. I didn’t use leftover rice, but she did say that any grain would work in the recipe.  I had some leftover farro in the fridge and it worked perfectly fine. We thought this nourish bowl was quite yummy.  I think it will make a delicious addition to my lunchbox food prep rotation.

Miso Orange Sauce: 
1 teaspoon miso paste
Zest and juice from 1 large orange 
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1 small clove of garlic, finely minced 
1 cm fresh ginger, grated or 1 heaping teaspoon minced ginger from a jar
1 Tablespoon toasted sesame oil

Salad:
1 block extra firm or super firm tofu, pressed
1¼ cabbage, thinly shredded
½ cucumber, cut on a bias
2 scallions, thinly sliced
Small handful of parsley, roughly chopped
About 2 cups cooked basmati rice or cooked farro or cooked quinoa (leftovers work well here)
Kosher salt, to taste 
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 425F. Start by making the sauce. Mix together all of the ingredients in a small bowl or jar. 
Cube or tear the tofu and add to a baking dish along with about 1/3 of the sauce. Mix to combine, then bake at 425F for 20 minutes. 
In the meantime, prepare the vegetables: shred the cabbage and cut the cucumber, scallions and parsley. 
Once the tofu is crispy and golden brown, put the salad together in a large bowl: cabbage, cucumber, scallions, parsley, basmati rice, tofu and the remaining dressing.
Season to taste and enjoy.

White Bean, Pesto, and Lemon Soup with Rice (Vegan)

Recipe by Jenn Lueke
Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen
4 servings

We thought this soup was delightfully lemony, delicious and warming, especially on a cold evening. The original recipe included a kale pesto that must be made to add to the soup, but I cheated a bit and used a store-bought pesto, Trader Joe’s Kale Cashew and Basil Pesto, which made preparing the soup quite quick and easy. (I’ve included the kale pesto recipe at the end.) Kale is also added towards the end of the cooking, but I think any green would be perfectly fine. 

2 Tablespoons olive oil 
3-4 garlic cloves, peeled & minced 
2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus additional to taste 
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional) 
1 cup dry basmati or jasmine rice, rinsed  (I used jasmine rice.)
1½ cups water, plus additional as needed 
2 cans great northern, navy, or cannellini beans, drained and rinsed (I used great northern.)
1/3 cup fresh basil leaves, packed 
Juice of ½ lemon 
½ large shallot, finely chopped
2 teaspoons dried oregano
½ teaspoon black pepper
2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
2½ cups veggie broth (I used Better Than Bouillon No-Chicken Broth.)
¾ cup canned coconut milk, about ½ of a can
3 cups shredded kale, packed
¼ cup nut-free kale pesto (¼ cup of recipe below) (I used Trader Joe’s Kale Cashew and Basil Pesto.)
1-2 Tablespoons lemon zest, plus additional for garnish

Zest the lemon and set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven with a lid over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the shallot and let cook until translucent, 1 to 2 minutes.
Add the garlic, oregano, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes and continue cooking, stirring continuously, for another minute. Incorporate the nutritional yeast and stir again.
Add in the rice and stir to coat in the spices. Let toast while stirring for 1 to 2 minutes. Pour in the broth, water, and coconut milk, place the lid on the pot, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and let cook, covered, until the rice is just about fully cooked, 9 to 12 minutes. (You can add additional water if the soup is thicker than your preference. Cook for another 3 to 5 minutes to soften the beans and finish cooking the rice.)
Add the beans and kale to the pot, stir, and place the lid back on. 
Remove the lid and stir in the pesto, lemon juice, lemon zest, and basil. Salt to taste and simmer on low to let the flavors combine for about 5 minutes, then serve immediately for best results.

Nutritional Information: (1 of 6 servings; 1½ cups per serving) 503 calories; 19 g protein; 72 g carbohydrates; 17 g fat (8 g saturated fat); 13 g fiber; 2 g sugars; 930 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 922 mg potassium/20% DV; 122 mg magnesium/29% DV; 5 mg iron/26% DV; 178 mg calcium/14% DV; 25 mg vitamin C/28% DV; Excellent Source of Vitamins A, B1, K, Folate, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Copper, Manganese, and Selenium

Nut-Free Kale Pesto (yields 1 cup)
1½ cups fresh basil leaves, packed 
¼ cup nutritional yeast (can sub grated parmesan) 
1 garlic clove, peeled & minced 
1½ cup shredded kale, tightly packed
Juice of ½ lemon
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup olive oil, plus additional as needed to yield 1 full cup of pesto
½ teaspoon black pepper
Prepare the pesto by combining all ingredients except the olive oil in a food processor or blender and process until the basil and kale are in very small pieces. Scrape the sides, then while continuing to process slowly stream in the olive oil until fully incorporated into the pesto. Measure out ¼ cup for the recipe above, set aside, and store the rest in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Rice Cooker Mexican Rice

Recipe from The Ultimate Rice Cooker Cookbook by Beth Hensperger and Julie Kaufmann
Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen
Makes 4 servings

This was a delicious way to serve rice in a more interesting way.  It would make a great dish to  prepare on meal prep day.  I think adding black beans and pimento stuffed green olives at the end would also be quite yummy.  Serve it along other dishes (as shown above) or make it to serve alongside tacos for for taco night.  

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1/3 cup finely chopped onion

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 cup long grain rice (I used white basmati rice.)

1/2 cup peeled and chopped fresh tomato (I used 1/2 cup salsa.)

1 3/4 cup water

2 teaspoons chili powder

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

Set the rice cooker for the Quick Cook or Regular Cycle.  Place the oil in the rice bowl.  When hot, add the onion and garlic.  Cook until softened, about 2 minutes.  Add the rice and cook, stirring a few times, until it turns ever-so-slightly golden, about 10 minutes.  Add the tomatoes (or salsa) and sauté a bit longer.  Add the water, chili powder and salt.  Stir just to combine.  Cancel the cooker.  Remove the bowl from the rice cooker and set aside for 15 minutes.  (This is to allow it to cool enough so that the Too Hot message will not happen.) Place the rice cooker bowl back in place, close the lid and hit the Regular Cycle.  When the machine switches to the Keep Warm Cycle, let the rice steam for 10 minutes.  Fluff the rice with the rice paddle or a wooden spoon.  This will hold on Keep warm for 1-2 hours.  Serve hot.

Lemon Rice (6-cup Rice Cooker**)

Recipe from The Ultimate Rice Cooker Cookbook
Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen
Makes 3-4 servings

I have to say that this was one of the best meals of the year 2022  in our household. I was going for the traditional black-eyed peas and greens to up our chances for a prosperous 2023.  I decided to give this Lemon Rice recipe a go and, man, oh man, was this a winner of a side dish!  We usually eat brown basmati rice because of the flavor and health benefits, but it was New Year’s Day after all.  

1 cup long grain white rice, such as basmati

1 ½ cups vegetable broth or No-Chicken Broth

Pinch of salt

1 large clove garlic, peeled

2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest

2 Tablespoons unsalted vegan butter

2 Tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley

Place the basmati rice in a fine strainer or bowl.  Rinse with cold water at least twice until the rinse water is clear.  Drain.

Place the rice in the rice cooker bowl.  Add the broth and salt.  Stir to combine.  Place the garlic clove in the center on top of the rice.  Close the cover and set for the regular cycle.

When the machine switches to the Keep Warm cycle, add the lemon zest, butter, and parsley; stir to combine.  Close the cover and let the rice steam for 10 minutes.  Fluff the rice with a wooden spoon or plastic rice paddle.  This rice will hold on Keep Warm for 1-2 hours.  Before serving, remove the garlic clove and discard.  Serve the rice hot.

**The rice can be prepared per package instructions on top of the stove or even in the Instant Pot, using broth and adding the garlic.  When the rice is cooked, add the zest, butter and parsley.

Sesame Tempeh Bowls (Vegan)

Servings: 4

Recipe from Budget Bytes 

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

This was a real treat and made the hubster very happy.  We really like tempeh for a few reasons.  It's a fermented food, which means it's good for the gut.  We really like the texture... chewy, in a good way.  It's also economical.  When I first tried cooking with tempeh, I made the mistake of not steaming or simmering the tempeh in water before proceeding.  This very important step takes away any bitterness.  Be sure not to skip that step in the recipe.  

1/4 cup soy sauce (I used low sodium soy sauce.)

2 Tablespoons water 

1 Tablespoon sesame oil 

3 Tablespoons brown sugar 

1 Tablespoon rice vinegar 

1 tsp grated fresh ginger 

2 cloves garlic, minced 

1 Tablespoon sesame seeds 

1/2 Tablespoon cornstarch 

8 oz. tempeh 

2 green onions, sliced (I didn't have green onions, so I used 1/4 red onion.)

4 cups cooked jasmine rice*

1 lb. fresh or frozen broccoli florets, cooked** (I used fresh.)

Begin by mixing together the sesame sauce. In a medium bowl, stir together the soy sauce, 2 Tablespoons water, sesame oil, brown sugar, rice vinegar, grated ginger, minced garlic, sesame seeds, and cornstarch until the cornstarch is dissolved. Set the sauce aside.

Cut the brick of tempeh into 8 squares, then cut each square diagonally into a triangle. Turn each triangle on its side and slice it in half so you have two thinner triangles. To achieve the proper tempeh to sauce ratio, you don't want thick pieces. 

Place the tempeh in a large skillet and add 1/2 cup water. Place the skillet over medium-high heat and let the tempeh simmer until all of the water evaporates (about 5-8 minutes). Flip the tempeh a couple times as it simmers.

Once the water has evaporated, turn the heat down to medium and pour in the sesame sauce. The skillet will still be quite hot, so the sauce may begin to thicken immediately. Stir the tempeh in the sauce until the sauce has thickened (1-2 minutes), then remove it from the heat immediately to prevent further evaporation and thickening.

To build the bowls, place one cup of rice in each dish, top with 1/4 of the sesame tempeh, 1/4 of the broccoli florets, and a sprinkle of green onion.

Notes

*You can sub brown rice or plain white rice if desired.

**To cook the broccoli (fresh), add some water with a pinch of salt to a saucepan.  Bring the water to a boil.  Add the broccoli and cover with a lid.  Cook for 2 minutes.  Drain and proceed with the recipe.

Nutritional Information for Original Recipe: Calories: 441.63kcal | Carbohydrates: 68.25g | Protein: 20.83g | Fat: 11.18g | Sodium: 909.33mg | Fiber: 5.03g

 

Coconut Brown Rice

Here is the Coconut  Brown Rice served with Spicy Buddha Bowl

Recipe by Gluten-Free Girl

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Makes about 8 servings

The directions here are for a rice cooker. That’s how I cook our rice now. I haven’t made a pot of rice on the stove in ages. If you would like to make this on the stove, then use whatever method you traditionally use or buy a rice cooker**.

2 cups brown basmati rice
½ can (7 ounces) coconut milk 
Juice of 1 medium-sized lime 
2 Tablespoons coconut oil 
½ teaspoon curry powder
½ teaspoon powdered ginger 
½ teaspoon Kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 ½ cups water (for cooking) 

Soak the rice in 4 cups of cool, fresh water. Let it sit for at least 1 hour, preferably longer, if you can. This helps to remove some of the starchiness from the rice. Pour the rice into a large strainer, draining out all the water.  (You can also just place the rice in a fine strainer and place the strainer in a bowl of water.  Swirl it around with your fingers and then drain.  Repeat this process by adding water to the bowl and swirling until the water is clear and not murky with the starch from the rice.  Then the rice is ready for cooking.)

Pour the soaked or rinsed rice into the rice cooker. Add the coconut milk, lime juice, coconut oil, curry powder, ginger, salt, and pepper. Stir it all well. Add 3 ½ cups cool, fresh water. Stir it all up. Close the lid. Turn the rice cooker to the brown rice setting, and then turn it on.

When the rice cooker says it is done cooking, you may eat.

**When I retired 9 years ago, I bought a 10-cup Zojirushi Rice Cooker as a present to myself.  I have to say it was a great gift!  It was expensive, but I use it several times a week and it’s one of the appliances I would not give up easily!  It cooks rice and other grains (millet, wheat berries, etc.…) perfectly and keeps them warm for up to 2 hours.  You just measure the ingredients and hit the button and then you can focus your time and energy on other dishes (or pursuits.) If you decide to buy a rice cooker, I would highly recommend the book The Ultimate Rice Cooker Cookbook by Beth Hensperger and Julie Kaufman.  All the recipes I’ve tested from their book have turned out great!

*Another reviewer of this recipe made this suggestion:  Try making a similar version of this dish by using brown basmati rice, coconut milk, diced jalapeno, turmeric, ginger, onion and garlic.

Spring Vegetable Pasta with Lemon-Cream Sauce

6 Side Dish Servings

Recipe from Cooking Light 
MAY 2013

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

To celebrate the morel season, I served this as a special side dish for some friends using morels my hubby found.  This recipe got an enthusiastic thumbs-up from all at the table.  This would also be delicious using cremini or button mushrooms. To make this a vegetarian dish for Meatless Monday, use vegetable broth.  All the ingredients can be found at our local food co-op, Lost River Market & Deli.

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

¾ cup chopped Vidalia or other sweet onion

4 ounces mushrooms, sliced

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

1 garlic clove, minced

1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour

½ cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth (Use vegetable broth to make this meatless.)

½ cup half-and-half (You could also use heavy cream.)

3/4 cup frozen green peas

3 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, divided

½ teaspoon freshly grated lemon rind

1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

8 ounces uncooked penne or other short pasta (I used whole-wheat.)

1 pound (1-inch) diagonally cut asparagus

1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil; swirl to coat. Add onion and mushrooms; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Add thyme and garlic; sauté 1 minute. Sprinkle mushroom mixture evenly with flour; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in broth and half-and-half; cook 2 minutes or until slightly thickened. Add peas, 2 tablespoons cheese, rind, and next 3 ingredients (through pepper); cook 1 minute or until peas are thoroughly heated.

2. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. During the last 3 minutes of cooking, add asparagus to pan; drain. Add pasta mixture to mushroom mixture; toss gently to coat. Sprinkle with remaining 1 Tablespoon cheese.

Amount per serving (If using whole-wheat pasta, there will be more fiber and fewer carbs per serving.)

Calories: 363; Fat: 9.2g; Saturated fat: 3.6g; Monounsaturated fat: 3.8g; Polyunsaturated fat: 0.7g; Protein: 15.5g; Carbohydrate: 57.6g; Fiber: 6.3g; Cholesterol: 14mg; Iron: 5.1mg; Sodium: 507mg; Calcium: 130mg

Greek Lemon and Dill Rice with Feta

Serves 6

Recipe from The Ultimate Rice Cooker Cookbook

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

When I retired, I made a gift of a really nice rice cooker to myself.  Besides my stand mixer, I find the rice cooker to be one of the most useful appliances I own.  I make several batches of brown rice each week in it.  I just rinse the rice, measure out the liquid, hit the button and voila, I have brown rice.  For this recipe, I used white rice**, which we rarely eat anymore, but this dish is quite wonderful with Greek flavors of lemon, dill and feta. Now that I know how yummy this dish is, I will try it with brown rice so we can have it more often.

Cooking spray or olive oil

1 ½ cups white basmati rice**

2 cups chicken broth

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 small onions, chopped

¼ cup pine nuts or slivered almonds, toasted

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

1 Tablespoon minced fresh dill

1 ½ teaspoons minced fresh mint

1 cup crumbled feta cheese

1 lemon, cut in 8 wedges (for garnish)

Coat the rice bowl with cooking spray or a bit of olive oil.  Add the rice and broth to the bowl.  Set the rice cooker for the regular white rice cycle and start.  When the machine switches to keep warm, let it steam for 10 minutes.  While the rice steams, heat the olive oil in a small skillet, then add the onions and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until soft.

When the 10 minutes of steaming are up, add the onions and pine nuts (or almonds) to the rice, along with the lemon juice, dill, and mint.  Stir with a plastic rice paddle or a wooden spoon to combine.  Close the cover and continue on 'keep warm' for 10 more minutes.  Transfer the rice to a serving dish, and top with the feta and lemon wedges.

Notes: 

**This can also be made with brown rice- just increase the chicken stock to 2 2/3 cups.

**To make this without a rice cooker, cook the rice according to the package directions using broth for the water.  When the rice is done, add the rest of the ingredients, place a lid on the pot and allow the rice to steam for 10 more minutes.

**This rice will hold on the Keep Warm Cycle (on the rice cooker) for 1 to 2 hours, if necessary, but don’t add the lemon juice, dill and mint until 10 minutes before you plan to serve.

Here is Greek Lemon and Dill Rice with Feta, served along side 

Turkey Meatloaf, Quick Pickled Cucumbers and golden tomatoes.