I get so many recipes in the mail that I could practically spend every waking minute typing up recipes to share.
When I received a letter from the USA Rice Federation the other day, however, I just couldn't help but pay attention to a few of the delicious-sounding recipes it contained.
Rice is incredibly versatile, as we all well know. But have any of you ever considered making rice cakes as a side dish? This recipe for Prosciutto and Asiago Rice Cakes reminds me of a potato cake recipe, and it is served with pesto aioli.
I'm a sucker for anything that contains coconut milk, too, so I'm going to pass along the recipe for Red Curry Coconut Rice, as well. Just last weekend, I fixed a pot of green curry, my favorite Thai dish, for dinner.
If I may step off subject for a moment, I'll tell you about the slight mishap that occurred.
At the Oriental Market on Williamson Road last Saturday, I shopped for the coconut milk to go in my curry dish. I already had some scallops and baby eggplant, but I wanted a few other ingredients, too. So I picked up a can of straw mushrooms and headed to the cooler to check out the hot peppers. Besides an overly large bag of what looked like authentic Thai chiles, they also had some jalapenos. Not what you would typically put in Thai food, but I picked up a red one anyway thinking it might be on the milder side. And I just didn't want to buy all those chiles and have them go to waste.
I put the whole jalapeno in my green curry and almost burned everyone's face off. I love spicy food, but we sweated through the entire meal and guzzled water, although it's pretty well known that water doesn't help much. After dinner, we had to pile into the car and go to 7-11 for ice cream cones.
So, as a side topic, I'm very interested to hear about others' experiences cooking with hot peppers. I have always been under the impression that red jalapenos are a bit more mellow than the green ones. Maybe they are milder, but I don't know if I'd use the word "mellow."
Next month is Rice Month, so now's a good time to whip up these dishes. Have a great weekend!
Prosciutto & Asiago Rice Cakes with Pesto Aioli
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. prepared basil pesto
3 cups cooked medium grain white rice
2/3 cup grated asiago cheese
2 eggs, lightly beaten
4 oz. thinly sliced prosciutto, chopped
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 Tbsp. olive oil
Combine mayonnaise and pesto in small bowl; refrigerate. Combine rice, cheese, eggs, prosciutto and pepper in large bowl and mix well. Shape into 20 patties, about 1 1/2-inches in diameter. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Saute half the patties 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Remove from pan. Cook remaining patties, using additional oil, if needed. Serve with pesto aioli sauce.
Red Curry Coconut Rice with Pork
1 cup canned coconut milk
2-3 tsp. Thai red curry paste (available at the grocery store)
1 Tbsp. canola oil
1 lb. pork tenderloin, trimmed, cut into 1/2-inch slices
1 tsp. salt
2 cups diced fresh pineapple or 1 20-oz. can pineapple tidbits, drained
4 cups cooked long grain white rice
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
Sliced red bell pepper
Whisk together coconut milk and curry paste in small bowl; set aside. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, 4 to 5 minutes until cooked through. Stir in pineapple and cook until heated. Add rice and coconut milk mixture; stir until well combined and heated through. Add basil and serve immediately. Garnish with bell pepper, if desired.
Comments
[August 24, 2007 3:59 PM]
HenryRed jalepenos are riper than green. They turn red when they get stressed. The taste seems the same to me. You can get the red ones just by leaving them on the plant. Sometimes they will turn purple instead.
If you want real heat, get serranos. They look like a small jalapeno but pack some real heat. The taste is really "peppery". The small Thai peppers are really good as well. Don't use the seeds.
For a real treat, buy fresh habaneros, cut them up and freeze them. Then use them in dishes you will cook for a long time like chili. Cooking them eliminates the "mouth burn". You get the flavor but the heat is postponed. You'll break a sweat but you won't lose your sense of taste from the burn. This works for all hot peppers as best I can tell.
[August 26, 2007 1:22 PM]
LindseyWell, I'm not sure if this is a good idea or not, Henry, but I've just bought another jalapeno. A green one this time, and I'm going to make some pico de gallo with fresh tomatoes my Dad just gave me. We'll see how it turns out. I'll be more judicious this time. The habanero idea you shared is an excellent one. I'll definitely be making some big pots of chili this winter (I can't wait!) so I'll have to give it a try. It probably adds more flavor than the "rooster sauce" I usually use.