Monday, January 23, 2012

Mexican Rice

Serves 8-10
Ingredients

1 15 oz can diced or whole tomatoes
1 medium white onion
3 medium jalapeños
2 cups long grain white rice
1/3 cup canola oil
4 minced garlic cloves
2 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth for vegan)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, minced
1 lime


Directions

Adjust rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350.

Process tomato and onion in processor or blender until pureed and thoroughly smooth. Transfer mixture to measuring cup and reserve exactly 2 cups. Discard excess.

Remove ribs and seeds from 2 jalapeños and discard. Mince flesh and set aside. Mince remaining jalapeño. Set aside.

Place rice in a fine mesh strainer and rinse under cold running water until water runs clear - about 1 1/2 minutes.  Shake rice vigorously to remove excess water.This step removes the starch from the rice so it will not stick.

Heat oil in heavy bottomed oven-safe 12 inch straight sided saute pan or Dutch oven with tight fitting lid over medium-high heat about 2 minutes. Drop a few rice grains in and if they sizzle then it is ready. Add rice and fry stirring until rice is light golden and translucent, about 6-8 minutes. Be careful that the oil doesn't get too hot too fast or the oil will splatter.

Reduce heat to medium, add garlic and 2 minced jalapeños and cook , stirring constantly until fragrant, about 1 1/2 minutes.

Stir in broth, pureed mixture,tomato paste, and salt. Increase heat to medium high, and bring to a boil.

Cover pan and transfer pan to oven to bake until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, 30-35 minutes.Stir well after 15 minutes.

Stir in cilantro, minced jalapeño to taste, and pass lime wedges separately.

Notes:  Be sure that the processed tomatoes and the one onion equals 2 cups.  If you find that after processing your tomatoes and onions that you have less than 2 cups, simply add enough bottled salsa to make up the difference.

Leftovers are just as delicious the next day so this is a perfect dish to make ahead time for potlucks. This rice also freezes well. For Freezing Ahead: Cool, portion and freeze in a ziploc bag. To reheat from frozen: Place in a pyrex dish and warm in the microwave, stirring every 2-3 minutes until heated through.

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Crispy Baked Potato Fans

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:

This stunning potato dish delivers a fluffy interior, a crisp exterior, and a cheesy bread crumb topping—if you can get the potatoes cooked right. For our Crispy Baked Potato Fans recipe, we found that using the right kind of potato is key. The russet, or Idaho, potato was the best choice because of its starchy flesh and fluffy texture. Taking the time to rinse the potatoes of surface starch after they were sliced prevented them from sticking together, while trimming off the end of each potato gave the remaining slices room to fan out. To prevent overcooking our spuds in the punishing oven heat, we precooked them in the microwave before baking. A topping of fresh bread crumbs, melted butter, two kinds of cheese, garlic powder, and paprika is the crowning touch on our Crispy Baked Potato Fans. As a final step in our Crispy Baked Potato Fans recipe, we broiled the potatoes to make the topping extra-crunchy.

Serves 4

To ensure that the potatoes fan out evenly, look for uniformly shaped potatoes.

INGREDIENTS

Bread Crumb Topping

1 slice hearty white sandwich bread, torn into pieces
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper


Potato Fans

4 russet potatoes, scrubbed
2tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper


INSTRUCTIONS

1. For the bread crumb topping: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees. Pulse bread in food processor until coarsely ground. Bake bread crumbs on rimmed baking sheet until dry, about 20 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes, then combine crumbs, butter, cheeses, paprika, garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in large bowl. (Bread crumb topping can be refrigerated in zipper-lock bag for 2 days.)

2. For the potato fans: Heat oven to 450 degrees. Following photos 1 to 3 at left, cut 1/4 inch from bottom and ends of potatoes, then slice potatoes crosswise at 1/4-inch intervals, leaving 1/4 inch of potato intact. Gently rinse potatoes under running water, let drain, and transfer, sliced-side down, to plate. Microwave until slightly soft to the touch, 6 to 12 minutes, flipping potatoes halfway through cooking.

3. Arrange potatoes, sliced-side up, on foil-lined baking sheet. Brush potatoes all over with oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake until skin is crisp and potatoes are beginning to brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove potatoes from oven and heat broiler.

4. Carefully top potatoes with stuffing mixture, pressing gently to adhere. Broil until bread crumbs are deep golden brown, about 3 minutes. Serve.