Almond Mushroom Rice Pilaf

Growing up, we ate a lot (as in everyday!) of rice but only after moving out on our own did we realize that there is a world beyond Korean sticky rice! Basmati rice, jasmine rice, wild rice, saffron rice, the list goes on! The only remix to white sticky rice in our household was to add assorted beans, barley, and maybe even some sweet rice which made for a healthy alternative but nothing to write home about. Well, now we have found reason to write as we discover recipes where the rice can take the forefront for a change! This particular recipe is one of our favorites to accompany most American-fare (eg. rack of lamb or stuffed salmon). The orzo pasta (which looks like rice to the untrained eye) adds a chewy texture to this visually appealing rice dish.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup uncooked long grain white rice

1/4 cup uncooked wild rice

1/4 cup uncooked orzo pasta

1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms (assortment of choice)

1/2 cup diced onions

1/4 cup minced celery

2 cups chicken broth

2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1/2 cup slivered almonds

1/4 cup dried cranberries (optional)

Directions:

1. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter and sauté the “green ingredients.” Stir constantly until the rice is lightly browned.

2. Mix in “brown ingredients.” Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low, cover skillet and allow to simmer 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

As for the beans…

I just sauté them in a wok with sesame oil, minced garlic, a tiny splash of soy sauce, and red pepper flakes (to taste) then I garnish with a sprinkle of sesame seeds.

And the asparagus…

After chopping off the bitter ends of the stalk, I sauté the asparagus in a generous amount of butter (I am always an advocate of delicious cooking over waist-conscious cooking!) OR you can grill them for a yummy and pretty outcome. Then season with garlic, salt, and pepper. Remove from heat onto an oven safe plate then sprinkle with coarsely chopped flakes of a cheese of your choice (I use parmesan or gruyere) and let it melt in the oven for a few minutes. Easy peasy!

Fancy Lookin’ ~ Easy Cookin’

Rack of lamb is one of those dishes that exudes “gourmet” and is often reserved for restaurant dining. However, it is fairly simple to cook at home and it needs only a minor accompaniment to look stellar. The next time you want to host a dinner party with some pizazz, try this one out! Despite not having to slave in the kitchen all day, this dish definitely has a WOW factor! A note of caution: check ahead with your guests to make sure they eat lamb, as it is one of those meats that not everyone can handle (but oh boy, are they missing out!). Serve it with some spicy green beans or grilled asparagus and a starch (we prefer browned butter mashed potatoes OR almond mushroom rice pilaf) ~ recipes to be posted subsequently.

Rack of lamb was one of my personal favorites growing up.  My father “embraced” the Western culture upon immigrating and taught me to appreciate many aspects of life that I enjoy today like food and the arts. However, we didn’t often get a chance to eat home cooked lamb as there is a stigma in the Korean community that lamb is a rather difficult meat to cook. I don’t think people understood that lamb naturally tastes a little gamey. As a result, my only opportunity to eat it would be when our family dined out. But now as an adult, I have discovered how simple it is to cook lamb, and N and I love cooking it at home (not to mention that it saves a few bucks). As N suggested, it’s very easy to prepare and the finished product is comparable to restaurant quality. One of our favorite accompaniments to lamb is mint sauce and if you haven’t tried it, we highly recommend it! Alternately, you can drizzle the lamb with a balsamic glaze (as is pictured above).

Ingredients:

 

rack of lamb (2 racks feed 4 people), we get ours from Costco

grainy Dijon mustard, enough to rub all over your rack of lamb

chopped rosemary (4 tbsp)

garlic, minced (4 tbsp)

breadcrumbs (1/3 Cup)

pecans, crushed (1/4 Cup)

olive oil, as needed

salt (1/2 tbsp)

pepper (1/2 tbsp)

 

 

 

 

 

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).

2) Chop up garlic, rosemary, crushed pecans (use a rolling pin to crush the pecans almost like powder) and add to a bowl already containing the breadcrumbs, salt, and pepper.

3) Sprinkle some olive oil to the dry mix to give it a little texture .

4) Turn the stove on high heat and pour a couple drops of olive oil in a pan and lightly sear each side of the rack  for 1-2 minutes.

5) Set aside the lamb and let it cool down for 3-5 minutes.

6) Rub the grainy Dijon all over the the lamb and then lightly cover it with the prepared mixture of dry ingredients (from step 3).

7) Cover the exposed bones of the lamb with foil to avoid charring/burning.

8 ) Put the lamb on a roasting pan (bones facing down) and stick in the oven for about 20 min or until the meat is 135 degrees (medium rare).

9) Take out the lamb and let it sit for about 5 minutes. (We let the lamb sit to keep the juices in as when it is cut right out of the oven, the juices will run out of the meat. Also note that the lamb will continue to cook once removed from the oven for a few minutes as well.  By now the temperature will be about 140 (pink hue) and although they say that medium rare should be 130-135 degrees, we have found that most of the time, the recommended temperature is too low and will turn out to be too rare.

10) Remove the foil from the bones and cut the lamb into serviceable pieces and plate.

 

 

 

FIN

 

 

 

For those that like rack of lamb and other roasts such as prime rib and turkey, we highly recommend a meat thermometer. We use this one from Williams Sonoma and absolutely love it! The wires enable us to keep the over door shut throughout the cooking process  while leaving the display on the counter to check the temperature with ease.

 

 

 

 

Photo Courtesy of williamsonoma.com (click for meat thermometer details)

 

 

Stay tuned next week when N will share her recipe for the rice pilaf and veggies that go superbly with the lamb!