BROWN RICE and ROASTED VEGETABLES (a 2-3 banana difficulty level)

This is another 2 recipes in 1 set up.  Brown Rice usually takes just a little longer than the Roasted Vegetables, however the cook time can vary a bit depending on the Vegetable choices as well as the size of the Vegetable Pieces.

There's really not a whole lot to say about this recipe.  I think it makes good leftovers, so I usually double it!

Here we go!

WHAT YOU NEED:
1 c Medium Brown Rice - rinsed
2 c Chicken Broth
1/4 c Dried Cranberries

1-2 Sweet Potatoes - rinsed, dried, & cut into 3/4 inch pieces
5-6 (about 1/2 lb) Thick Stalks of Asparagus (bottom 1/3 discarded) - rinsed & cut into 3/4 inch pieces
Cloves from 1/2 Head of Garlic - peeled
2-3 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Kosher Salt to taste
Fresh Ground Pepper to taste

WHAT ELSE YOU NEED:
Mesh Strainer
2 Quart Pot
Chef's Knife & Cutting Board
Roasting Pan or Cookie Sheet
Large Bowl

WHAT YOU DO:  (please note that the photos are from a doubled recipe)
1.  Add the Chicken Broth to the Pot & bring to a boil.  Also Pre Heat Oven to 400 deg & start prepping the Vegetables.

2.  Add the Brown Rice to the boiling Broth, Reduce heat to Low, Cover & Simmer for 20-30 minutes.
3.  In batches, add your cut Vegetables & Whole Garlic Cloves, Drizzle with Olive Oil & Sprinkle with Kosher Salt, then shake or stir until well coated. 

4.  Add the Garlic Cloves & cut Vegetables to the Roasting Pan.  Roast in Oven for about 30 min until thoroughly Roasted.  (Be sure to remove & stir one time during the Roasting)

About to be Roasted

Just got roasted

5.  After the 20 minutes, remove Rice from heat & add the Dried Cranberries.  Cover the Pot with a clean Dish Towel, then Place the lid on top of the Towel & Pot.  Let sit for 10 minutes.  Then fluff the Rice & Cranberries.

6.  Serve by topping the Rice with the Roasted Vegetables.  Then Salt & Pepper to taste!

This is topped with Crushed Walnuts & Shredded Cheese

And there's dinner!

The chicken broth can be substituted by a different type of broth, or a type of tea, or just plain water.  Golden Raisins could replace the Dried Cranberries.  There is definitely some flexibility with the Roasted Vegetable selection.  Just do a quick web search to see if that vegetable roasts well.  Evidently carrots are NOT the easiest to roast, so choose wisely.  The towel technique is a tip from Cook's Illustrated.  It will absorb some of the steam while the Rice is resting & should produce fluffier rice.  I've also tried it with other grains such as Quinoa and it seems to work there as well!

Until next time,
your friendly neighborweb Monkey!

COLLARD GREENS AND RICE (a 2-3 banana difficulty level)

An interesting thing happens in your garden after the hottest summer ever in Texas.  After Winter passes and temperatures start to warm back up, things start growing in your garden that haven't been recently planted.  Hopefully notes were kept or the plants are recognized.  I started getting some Cauliflower & Broccoli, but I had 1 plant that had similar leaves to Cauliflower, but NO Cauliflower.  I was a bit perplexed until I looked back at my planting notes (yes, I make planting notes...) and discovered it was Collard Greens!  I've never cooked Collard Greens.  Heck, I don't think I've ever eaten Collard Greens.

So, 'this monkey' needed some guidance and "The Joy of Cooking" is a great place to start.

Today, 'this monkey' will show you how to make "Collard Greens & Rice!"

WHAT YOU NEED:
1 Bunch (about 12-16 oz) of Collard Greens (see recipe for prep work)
1 Bunch of Scallions - Chopped
4 Garlic Cloves - Minced
3-4 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 1/4 c Medium Grain Brown Rice
4 c Chicken Stock
4 T Fresh Fennel - Minced

Kosher Salt to taste
Freshly Ground Black Pepper to taste

Hot Sauce (Sriracha) to taste

WHAT ELSE YOU NEED:
Chef's Knife
Cutting Board
6 Quart Pot
2 Quart Pot
Large Spoon

WHAT YOU DO:
1.  Prepare the Collard Greens by washing & patting dry the Greens as well as stemming them & chopping them (see photos)

To remove the coarse stem make 1 slice along a side

and then make another slice along the other side.  Discard the stem and keep the leaf portions

2.  Take 4-5 Leaves and roll them up like a cigar, then chop the leaves

Set aside for now

3.  Heat the Olive Oil over Medium High heat in the Large Pot
4.  Add the Chopped Scallion & Saute for 5 min, then reduce heat to Medium & add the Garlic.  Saute for 3 min.

5.  In the smaller pot, bring the Chicken Broth to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to low to keep very hot. 
6.  Add the Collard Greens to the Onions & Garlic; cover, cook, & occasionally stir for 10 minutes

Collard Green just added

Cooked down for 5 min

Cooked down for the 10 minutes

7.  Add the Brown Rice & stir until well coated.  Cook for 3-5 min until the Rice starts to become opaque.

8.  Now add the Very Hot Chicken Broth, Chopped Fennel, Salt & Pepper.  Bring this to a Boil, then Reduce to Low heat & Simmer covered for 15 min.

9.  Remove from heat, Place a towel under the lid to absorb moisture, & let rest for 10 min

 10.  Stir to fluff up the Rice

11.  Serve as is or maybe mix in some Hot sauce and/or sauteed Red Peppers and Walnuts!

And there you have it, Collard Greens & Rice.  Honestly, I think the prep work to stem and cut the Collard Greens is the hardest part.

Enjoy and until next time,
Your favorite neighbor web Monkey!

BAKED SWEET POTATO WITH BROWN RICE (a 2 banana difficulty level)

Happy 2012 Monkey Nation!

Our Monkey Motto here at anymonkeycan.com is: 
"Proving that 'anymonkeycan' easily make great tasting food"

I think this dish is perfect to start the new year.  It exemplifies the 'anymonkecan' concept.

Let's jump in & get started!

WHAT YOU NEED:
Medium Sized Sweet Potatoes - (up to 6)
1 c Brown Rice
2/3 c Dried Cranberries
Crushed Walnuts
Unsalted Butter
Ground Cinnamon - to taste
Kosher Salt - to taste
Freshly Ground Pepper - to taste

WHAT ELSE YOU NEED:
Baking Sheet
Large Pot
Paring Knife

WHAT YOU DO:
1.  Pre Heat oven to 400 deg F.
2.  Thoroughly Rinse Sweet Potatoes & Rub Dry
3.  Carefully Poke the Potato a total of 5-6 times with the Paring Knife (Or Fork) on all sides
4.  Place on the Baking Sheet & into the Oven for 45-60 min (depends on size of the potato)

MEANWHILE...
5.  Add the Brown Rice & a "Pinch of Salt" to 2 c of Boiling Water & then reduce Heat to Low
6.  Cook Covered for 40-45 min
7.  Add the Dried Cranberries to the Rice & let rest 5 min (keep covered)

THE POTATOES ARE READY WHEN THEY ARE NICE & SOFT...
8.  Slice the Potato down the center starting & stopping 1 inch from the ends.  (Picture cutting down just the laces of a football)
9.  With your thumbs on 1 end & fingers on the other end, carefully squeeze towards the middle.  This will cause your Sweet Potato to nicely pop open.
10.  Dust with the Cinnamon, Sprinkle on 1 T Crushed Walnuts, & add a pat of Butter

FOR THE RICE...
11.  Dish up the Rice & Cranberries & add Salt, Pepper, & a pat of butter to taste.

12.  Enjoy!!

These 2 are nice to cook together because they have similar cook times & the prep time is minimal.  Try Dried Cherries or Golden Raisins in place of the Dried Cranberries.  Pecans could admirably stand in for the Walnuts.  Round out the dish with some Orange slices or even Apple Slices with Peanut Butter!

And that Monkey Nation is our start to 2012 where 'anymonkeycancook' because 'this one' just did!

Until next time,
your friendly neighborweb monkey!

MUSHROOM MARSALA RISOTTO (a 3-4 banana difficulty level)

Sometimes you decide to make something to impress someone.  Sometimes, you're sitting at a restaurant & the person across from you says, "I really like Chicken Marsala."

And you being 'anymonkeycan' decide to say, "I bet I can make a Mushroom Marsala Risotto."

And that other person say, "Wow!  That sounds great!!  I think you should make a Mushroom Marsala Risotto."

So guess what, today 'this monkey' will show you how to make a wonderful Mushroom Marsala Risotto.  This is basically 2 recipes in 1.  On 1 side, you make the Risotto & on the other side you make the Mushroom Marsala.

WHAT YOU NEED:
for the Risotto:
2 c Medium Brown Rice
4 c Vegetable Stock (can be chicken, mushroom etc)
**OPTIONAL 1/2 c Water (if you like your Risotta creamy)**
1 c White Wine
2 T Butter
2 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Shallots -Thinly sliced
Shredded Cheese to taste (Pecorino Romano was our choice)
Kosher Salt to taste
Freshly Ground Pepper to taste


for the Mushroom Marsala
16 oz of Sliced Mushrooms (I used a mix of baby bella, portobello, shiitake)
4-5 Sprigs of Rosemary - chopped
2-3 T of Butter
1-2 T of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 c of Marsala Wine (I use sweet, but lots of recipes call for dry)
Kosher Salt to taste
Freshly Ground Pepper to taste

WHAT YOU DO:
for the Risotto
1.  Pour the Stock (AND WATER IF YOU WANT CREAMY RISOTTO) into a Small Sauce pan, bring to a soft boil, then simmer over low heat.
2.  Melt the Butter & heat the Oil over MEDIUM heat in a large pan.  Add the Thinly Sliced Shallots & a sprinkle of salt, then "Sweat" them for about 4-5 minutes until they turn glassy.  Stir Frequently.

3.  Add the Rice & Stir Frequently for about 3-4 minutes

4.  Pour in the White wine, increase the heat to Medium High & stir occasionally for 5-7 minutes until most of the wine is absorbed.

5.  Pour ALL (RESERVE 1/2 C IF YOU WANT CREAMY RISOTTO) of the Stock from the Sauce Pan over the Rice; Reduce Heat to Medium Low; COVER, & cook for about 25-30 minutes.  Stir 2-3 times.

6.  **OPTIONAL STEP** For the CREAMY RISOTTA version, Add the Reserved 1/2 c of "Stock" into the Rice & stir Consistently for 2-3 minutes.

Meanwhile, for the Mushroom Marsala (BE SURE TO STIR THE RISOTTO OCCASIONALLY)
6.  Melt 1-2 T of Butter & Heat 1-2 T of Oil over MEDIUM heat in a large pot.
7.  Add just enough Mushrooms to form a single layer along the bottom of the pot.  YOU WILL PROBABLY NEED TO COOK THE MUSHROOMS IN AT LEAST 2 BATCHES.  Add a sprinkle of Salt & a pinch of the Chopped Rosemary.  Stir Occasionally.

8.  Cook the Mushrooms until, they absorb most of the Butter/Oil, then pour in some (or all if only 1 batch of 'shrooms) of the Marsala Wine

9.  Stir Occasionally & cook until the Marsala has reduced by about 1/2 (maybe 5-7 min)
10.  Combine your batches of 'shrooms if needed

11.  Dish up some of the Risotto, top with some of the Marsala Mushrooms, sprinkle with Cheese & enjoy!!

This REALLY isn't that difficult of a recipe.  The tricky part is managing 2 "recipes" then combining them at the end.  This is a GREAT tasting dish, but when you use Butter, Oil, & sweet Marsala Wine, it SHOULD be a great tasting dish!

I roughly follow the Cook's Illustrated Risotto Recipe that makes it a bit less, high maintenance.  Arboria Rice is frequently called for in Risotto Dishes.  I opted for the Medium Brown Rice.  I like the earthiness of it.  It probably added about 10 minutes extra to the Risotto cooking portion compared to using Arboria Rice.

Try different Herbs for the Rosemary.  I used Rosemary because I have a Rosemary Bush in my backyard.  I think Sage, Parsley, Thyme might work well with this.  Give it a go & see what happens!

Remember, 'anymonkeycan' make a great tasting 'Mushroom Marsala Risotto' because 'this one' just did!

Until next time, your favorite neighborweb monkey!

CUBAN BLACK BEANS & RICE (a 3 banana difficulty)

Or if your Traditional "Moros y Cristianos."

I really like Black Beans.  Whenever I go to a Mexican restaurant I ask if the refried beans can be replaced with Black Beans in hopes that they also have some Central American fare.  Mostly I just have to settle for "double rice", but that's ok.  I was glad to see a recent recipe of "Cook's Illustrated" had this dish in it.  I did some "monkey-ing around" (yeah, I said it) with it and REALLY like the outcome.  I have made it weekly for 3 of the 4 most recent weeks.  Only a trip to the Caribbean stopped a 4 for 4 performance.  However, it is getting a bit too hot here in Texas to continue making a dish that requires stove top simmering and oven baking.  My gas grill does have a side burner though...

Today 'this monkey' will show you how to make "Moros y Cristianos" Mono estilo (monkey style)! 

WHAT YOU NEED:
1 c Dried Black Beans (rinsed & picked over)
Kosher Salt
2 c low sodium Vegetable Broth
2 c Water
2 large Red Peppers (halved, seeded)
1 Jalapeno Pepper (halved, seeded)
1 large Onion (halved at equator, peeled)
1 head of Garlic (5 cloves removed & minced)
--remainder of head halved at equator with skin intact
2 Bay Leaves
1.5 c long grain Brown Rice (rinsed)
1 T Tomato Paste
4 t ground Cumin
2 T Red Wine Vinegar
2 medium Scallions (sliced thin)
1 Lime (sliced in 8 wedges)
1 Avocado (sliced)
4 oz Stella Fontinella Cheese (shredded)

FYI:  I usually double this recipe & freeze 1/2 of it.

WHAT ELSE DO YOU NEED:
Oven
Dutch Oven or Large pot with tight fitting lid
Large Mesh Strainer
Big Spoon
Colander
Large Bowl
Large Liquid Measuring Cup
Tongs
Food Processor (mini could work)

WHAT YOU DO:
1. Dissolve 2 T Salt in 2 quarts of cold water in the Large Pot.  Add the beans & soak overnight.  Drain & Rinse well.

2.  In the large Pot, stir in the drained Beans, Broth, Water, 1 Red Pepper half, 1 Jalapeno Pepper half, 1 Onion half (the root end), 1 Garlic head half, Bay Leaves, 1 t Salt.

3.  Cover & bring to Simmer over Medium-High heat, Reduce heat to Low & cook 30-40 min (until Beans are soft)  Congrats!  You just made the "Sofrito"!

4.  With Tongs, remove the Peppers, Onion, Garlic, & Bay Leaves.  Discard or compost.
5.  Drain the Beans in the Colander set over the Large Bowl.  Keep 2.5 c of the Bean Liquid (can supplement with water as needed.)  Set aside the Large pot (unwashed)

6.  Thoroughly rinse the Rice in the Large Mesh Strainer under cold water, shake out excess water & set aside.

7.  Cut the remaining Peppers & Onions into 2-3 inch pieces & pulse them in the Food Processor 8-10 times.  About the size of Pico de gallo.  Set aside.

8.  Pre-Heat the Oven to 350 deg with the middle rack available for the Large Pot (Don't Pre Heat the pot...)

9.  Take the unwashed Large Pot & Heat 2 T Olive Oil over Medium Heat.  Stirring frequently, add the chopped Peppers & Onions, Cumin, & Tomato Paste & cook for 10-15 min (until vegetables soften). 

10.  Add the minced Garlic & cook for 1 more min. Stirring Constantly.  Add Rice & stir just to thoroughly coat the Rice.

11.  Stir in the Beans, Reserved Bean Liquid (from step 5), Vinegar, 2 t Salt.  Increase heat to Medium-High until it begins to Simmer.
12.  Cover & cook in oven for 50 minutes.

13.  Remove (CAREFULLY) from oven & fluff with fork.  Let rest for 5-10 minutes.

YEOW!!  If you remove the lid with a hot pad, then be sure to replace the lid WITH A HOT PAD!!

14.  Serve with the Sliced Scallions, Avocado, a Lime Wedge, a sprinkle of salt, a sprinkle of cheese, and a splash of the Red Wine Vinegar.

There's a lot of goodness in this dish.  To say I like this recipe is a bit of an understatement.  The recipe is a little drawn out with the soaking over night, simmering on the stove top, sauteing, and finally the baking in the oven.  But it's a lot of setting a timer, then coming back to it.  Give this one a try, it won't disappoint!  "Cualquier mono puede hacer" (anymonkeycan make) "Moros y Cristianos" because this one just did!

*A special thanks to "Google Translator"
**Be Careful handling and chopping the Jalapeno.  I usually pour about 1 t of Kosher salt in the palm of my hand & then rub them thoroughly under running water.

Edamame, Walnuts & Dried Cranberries with Lemon-Ginger Scented Rice (2 Banana Difficulty)

So, normally when I stop into my local Asian market, I buy a plethora of Edamame.  Luckily, edamame also goes quite nicely in Rice dishes.  In this one, the Cranberries add a nice sweetness to the sauteed garlic and onions.  It is pretty straight forward, so let's get started!

HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED:

1.5 c Medium Brown Rice

3 c Boiling Water

3 teabags Lemon-Ginger Herbal Tea (optional)

16 oz Edamame Kernels

4 quarts Boiling Water
3 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 Red Onion - chopped

3 Cloves of Garlic - chopped

1/2 c Dried Cranberries

1/2 c Walnuts - coarsely chopped
Kosher Salt & Ground Black Pepper to taste

 HERE'S WHAT YOU DO:

*1.  Steep the 3 bags of Tea in 3 c of Very Hot (NOT BOILING) for 5 min, then remove the teabags*

2.  Bring the Tea infused water to boiling & add the Medium Brown Rice

3.  Reduce heat to low & Simmer COVERED for 20 min (or per instructions if using a different type of rice
4.  Add the Edamame Kernels to the 4 Quarts of Boiling water & Reduce heat to Medium

5.  Cook Covered for 5 min & drain in Colander

6.  Heat the Olive Oil to Medium High, add the Red onion & Saute for 5-7 min

7.  Reduce the heat to Medium, add the Garlic, Cranberries, & Walnuts.  Saute for 3-5 min.

8.  Combine Rice, Edamame, & Onion/Garlic/Cranberries/Walnut

9.  Salt & Pepper to taste

Viola!  There you have it.  An easy, creative Rice & Edamame dish that 'anymonkeycan' make!

 OTHER THOUGHTS:

Using the tea is totally optional.  It just adds another dimension to your rice and let's me refer to the rice as "Lemon-Ginger Scented" haha!  You could use other varieties of your favorite tea or perhaps just a green tea for an extra health benefit.

This tastes good as is, but sometimes I'll sprinkle some sort of Parmesan cheese on it, or drizzle some Olive oil or soy sauce etc on it before serving.

Use your imagination!