Rice & Grains « Je Mange la Ville

The Last Risotto of Winter 2007-08? Cauliflower Risotto with Saffron, Pancetta and Manchego

By mlb, on March 25th, 2008%

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I cannot believe I’ve only made risotto a handful of times this winter! That is crazy because I luuurve risotto. Maybe the weather is turning all crappy again to inspire me to make more risotto?

Anyway, this is the latest risotto experiment — sort of a Spanish-inspired theme. I’ve just started eating cauliflower and I am trying to throw it into as many dishes as possible. Cauliflower in 2007/2008 is like the spinach of 1995.

I think cauliflower is the last vegetable I have left to develop a liking for…er, okay, wait, still not crazy about beets. And I have tried…but that’s a different story.

So, cauliflower is very good roasted, which is how this recipe starts. Roasting is always a good place to start. After the roasting, there is sauteing, stirring, melting and then eating.

Cauliflower Risotto with Saffron, Pancetta and Manchego
1 head of cauliflower, cut into 2-inch-wide florets
2 . . . → Read More: The Last Risotto of Winter 2007-08? Cauliflower Risotto with Saffron, Pancetta and Manchego

Heart Healthy Oatmeal Green Tea Pancakes

By mlb, on January 8th, 2008%

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The original recipe called for vanilla soy milk. We didn’t have any so I used fat-free milk plus some vanilla and a bit of honey. I also messed up the ratio — I was doing a half recipe and I accidentally did not halve the whole wheat flour, which was actually no problem. The batter looked and worked just fine. In fact, if I had used the amount of flour that the recipe originally called for, I think the batter would have been too runny. So, the recipe below is exactly how I made my pancakes. Double the whole recipe to feed more than 2-3 people.

Taste-wise, I really enjoyed these. The ginger-peach green tea added just enough flavor in the background to make them interesting, while the texture was rather light and fluffy. These are, of course, healthy pancakes and you can kind of tell that while eating . . . → Read More: Heart Healthy Oatmeal Green Tea Pancakes

Forgotten Recipes from the Holidays or Things to do with Full-On-Fat Dairy Products: Vanilla-Orange Rice Pudding & Spinach Gratin

By mlb, on January 16th, 2007%

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Spinach Gratin on the holiday table

Looking for something to do with a gallon of whole milk? Well, today’s a two-fer. Sure, the holidays are over and so is the time for cream and non-non-fat milk, but if you do choose to splurge anytime soon, here are two really good recipes to make and enjoy. Add a roast chicken to the mix and you have a whole cold weather meal.

The Spinach Gratin is from Ina Garten and the rice pudding is from Giada Delaurentis aka: Little Big Head.

Spinach Gratin
(works well halved)
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
4 cups chopped yellow onions (2 large)
1/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 cup heavy cream
2 cups milk
3 pounds frozen chopped spinach, defrosted
1 package button mushrooms, sliced (10-12 mushrooms)
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup grated Gruyere cheese

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees . . . → Read More: Forgotten Recipes from the Holidays or Things to do with Full-On-Fat Dairy Products: Vanilla-Orange Rice Pudding & Spinach Gratin

Retro Recipe Challenge #4: Opulent Chicken with Wild Rice Pilaf

By mlb, on November 12th, 2006%

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I am really glad I came across this cooking event — Retro recipe Challenge (what a great idea for a monthly event, by the way), as I have in my collection, the perfect cookbook for an occasion such as this one. It’s the culinary classic, Saucepans & the Single Girl by Jinx Kragen and Judy Perry, 1965 (written before I was born — whee)! I purchased it used (duh), while going through an ironic housewife phase while in college, while being neither a housewife nor probably very ironic, as I liked to make casseroles in the dorm room kitchen during midterms (but that’s bedsides the point, I guess).

The inside cover proclaims, “A bright and bouncy new cookbook for the gal on the go — and on her own.” Huh. You can almost hear some sort of uplifting, Mary Tyler Moore-esque theme song in the background. Because you . . . → Read More: Retro Recipe Challenge #4: Opulent Chicken with Wild Rice Pilaf

SHF23: Hey! There’s Brown Rice in My Creme Brulee!

By mlb, on September 21st, 2006%

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Hello! I am back from Montana and will post about that soon. But, Sugar High Friday is due so that will have to come first. Oh, well — I can’t resist, here’s a quick picture.

Yellowstone River, Livingston, MT.

Okay, fine. Twist my arm. One more.

jwa and I in Sacajawea Park.

It was a great trip and it was nice to see my mom and my aunt. We ate at 2nd Street Bistro one night and I made Paula Deen’s insanely good pesto/sun dried tomato cheese ball (my name for it, not hers).

Now for the creme brulee…

This month’s Sugar Hight Friday is hosted by A Veggie Venture and the theme is a surprise inside. I came across this Emeril recipe and thought rice (in this case brown rice) in a creme brulee was a bit of a surprise. The surprise is also inside. Ha!

In . . . → Read More: SHF23: Hey! There’s Brown Rice in My Creme Brulee!