Rumbi Rice

We had a very fast spring break last week -- it seemed like I blinked and it was over, and now we are having re-entry. It's so much harder to get into life after a break -- it makes me wonder if it's worth it...but the free time is so wonderful.

I have a backlog of recipes to share with you here. This one was a big hit, which is rather odd since it is veggie-packed. I saw the recipe at a new-to-me favorite website "Favorite Family Recipes." It's called Rumbi Rice and is apparently a popular dish at a popular restaurant in Utah. I've never been to Utah, and thus not the restaurant, but it just looked like a yummy dish with a funny name. 

I made it exactly as directed, using my rice cooker for the rice (good rice), except when it came to the Hawaiian sauce (Mr. Yoshida's). This sauce is an unknown in my neck of the woods, so I used Kikkoman which was super duper salty. I used the Hawaiian sauce sparingly, but the kids and my husband did not, and they had a hard time finishing their meals. I would highly recommend making a homemade teriyaki if you are not able to get a low-salt version, or using the sauce very sparingly. Oh...and I left out the celery (reluctantly) because of my celery haters.

And, by the way, I think it would be just as good without the chicken. My family disagrees.

This served my five with leftovers.

Rumbi Rice

1 T. vegetable oil

4 carrots, peeled and grated

3 celery stalks, washed and sliced

1 zucchini, chopped into small cubes

1 1/2 c. chopped broccoli florets

2 c. chicken, grilled and cut into small cubes

*Rumbi Rice (see recipe below)

**Spicy Hawaiian Teriyaki Sauce (see recipe below)

Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add carrots, celery, zucchini, and broccoli (pretty much equal parts of said vegetables.. you can add more or less veggies depending on your taste). Saute ONLY until vegetables are crisp tender. About 1-2 minutes tops.

Serve over Rumbi rice and top with chicken. Serve with Spicy Hawaiian Teriyaki Sauce on the side (about 3 Tbsp. per bowl.. you can add more or less depending on your taste).

*Hawaiian Coconut Rice with Red Beans (aka Rumbi Rice)
2 c. long grain white rice
2 1/2 c. water
1 (14oz) can coconut milk (about 1 1/2 c.)
1/2 Tbsp. sugar
1 can red beans, drained and rinsed

Combine all ingredients in a rice cooker. Gently stir it all together so the beans are all mixed. Place the lid on and start the rice cooker. Fluff rice with a fork before serving.
If you don’t have a rice cooker… Combine water, coconut milk, and sugar in a saucepan. Stir in rice and beans. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 18 to 20 minutes, until rice is tender. 

**Spicy Hawaiian Teriyaki Sauce:
3/4 c. Mr. Yoshida’s teriyaki sauce
1 t. soy sauce
2 tsp. chili garlic sauce (Sriracha)
1 tsp. fresh ginger
pinch of salt
pinch of brown sugar
1 T. cornstarch
2 T. cold water

Combine Yoshida’s, soy sauce, garlic sauce, ginger, salt, and brown sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Combine cornstarch and water and SLOWLY add to sauce for thickening. You want it to be slightly thicker than the Yoshida’s sauce. Allow to simmer for about a minute. Cool to room temperature and serve with your rice bowls.

Printer version

Tex-Mex Beef Enchiladas and Sour Cream Rice

.
I've been in the kitchen all day today preparing college boy's birthday dinner. I'll be sure to post the recipe for the awesome Lemon Meringue Pie we enjoyed, which was really good, but the entire day was exhausting. Between last Sunday and today, I think next Sunday we'll have cold cereal for supper.

But before I get to work on lesson plans tonight, I wanted to post this recipe -- the picture of which has been on my desk top since earlier in the week. There seem to be about as many recipes for enchiladas as there are days in the year, and to some degree you gotta know when to say when, but this one was just different enough to earn a spot in my cookbook. The chipotle peppers and adobo sauce turn what is usually a tangy red tomato sauce into a dark rich and smoky sauce. My men folk really enjoyed it, and when I mentioned I would like the enchiladas better with shredded beef, I was soundly rebuked by all the boys who said "don't change a thing."

The Sour Cream Rice was a nice compliment to the enchiladas and would actually, I think, be great with some grilled chicken or fajitas. I thought we had an awful lot of cheese going on in our meal, so I opted to not top the rice with cheese when I baked it. I would however, if I were serving it with grilled meat and a salad. The rice is just a little zippy (spicy), but the enchiladas were fairly hot -- not too hot for the kids though. I served the enchiladas with some guacamole (you kind find a recipe here or here).

Both recipes came from Taste of Home Cooking and I'm posting them here just as I found them, for safe keeping.

Tex-Mex Beef Enchiladas
serves 6-8

2 T. olive oil
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 can (14.5 ounces) chicken broth
1 1/2 T. chili powder
1 small canned chipotle chile in adobo, minced, plus 1 tablespoon adobo sauce from can
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb. ground beef
Coarse salt and ground pepper
8 flour tortillas (6-inch)
1 1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese (6 ounces)
1/4 c. chopped cilantro

Make sauce: In a medium saucepan, heat 1 1/2 tablespoons oil over medium. Add flour and cook, whisking occasionally, 1 minute. Add broth, chili powder, chipotle and adobo sauce, and 3/4 cup water; bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Reduce heat, and simmer until lightly thickened, about 10 minutes.

Make filling: In a 10-inch nonstick skillet, heat remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil over medium-high. Add onion, garlic, and beef; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until cooked through, about 8 minutes.

Preheat oven to 450°. (If freezing, don’t place any sauce in baking dish; see To Freeze, below left.) Spoon 1/4 cup sauce in bottom of an 8-inch square baking dish. Set aside.

Make enchiladas: Stack tortillas and wrap in a damp paper towel. Warm in microwave, 30 seconds or until pliable. Fill each with a heaping 1/4 cup beef mixture and 2 tablespoons cheese; tightly roll up. Arrange enchiladas, seam side down, in baking dish. Top with remaining sauce; sprinkle with cheese. Bake, uncovered, until hot and bubbly, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

Note: To freeze: Make sauce and enchiladas; arrange enchiladas in baking dish without sauce (so tortillas dont become soggy). Place sauce in an airtight container. Cover dish with plastic wrap and foil. Label, date, and freeze enchiladas and sauce. Use within 2 months; bake without thawing (see opposite page).

To bake from frozen: Thaw sauce in refrigerator overnight. Preheat oven to 450°. Remove foil and plastic wrap from baking dish. Pour sauce over top, and sprinkle with cheese; cover with foil. Bake 30 minutes. Uncover; bake until lightly browned and bubbly, about 15 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes; serve.

Printer version

Sour Cream Rice

1 c. uncooked long grain white rice
1 (14 ounce) can chicken broth
1 c. sour cream
1 (4 ounce) can diced green chile peppers
2 c. shredded pepper Jack cheese, divided
1 1/2 c. frozen corn
1/4 c. finely chopped fresh cilantro
salt and ground black pepper to taste

In a large pot, bring the rice and chicken broth to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a 1-1/2 quart casserole dish.

In the pot with the cooked rice, mix the sour cream, green chile peppers, 1 cup pepper Jack cheese, corn, and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to the prepared casserole dish, and top with remaining cheese. Bake uncovered 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until cheese is bubbly and lightly browned.

Printer version

Source: Taste of Home Cooking


.