Syrian Rice

So, you have probably noticed by now that we eat A LOT of rice, well my kids do!

My kids LOVE rice.

I was raised on it and being Lebanese, syrian rice is kind of a staple.

Also, fun little fact- where my family is from

Crowley, Louisiana

is also known as the Rice Capitol of the world.

Those marshes make yummy rice!

So being lebanese and from south Louisiana- we serve everything over rice!

 

If you have eaten over at my house or my families, more than likely you have had our rice.

We are pretty picky about our rice and there is no Such thing as eating bagged rice or uncle bens!

Seriously it grosses me out-sorry to those that eat it...

But that is like sooo faux pas in my house!

But there is kind of an art to making good rice.

My advice is to find a specific pot in your kitchen that you will always make your rice in and learn and perfect how to make it in that pot! I know that sounds wierd but eventually it will make sense to you!.

 

 

Syrian Rice

 

Start by putting a little olive oil on medium heat

Add a handful of crunched up vermicelli

I crunch it by the fists as I put it in the pot.

Stand there and brown it, by stirring it constantly

First it will turn white, then brown REALLy fast and you do not want to burn it!

If you burn it, then your whole pot of rice will taste burnt and you will need to start over!

So stand there, stirr constantly until it is golden brown

Then grab your rice and add it to the pot

Stir your rice in so it gets mixed well.

Now- I DO not measure how much rice I put in

BUT if you are making rice for the first time, do, so  you know how much water to add in a minute.

Then take notice of how much rice is in your pot and where you water comes up over the rice.

Then eventually, you will be able to recognize those levels and be able to eyeball it.

To me, the more you do it, you eventually remember it and then you dont have to measure and its much easier cooking without measuring-and its faster!

That is why I say always cook it in the same pot!

So once you add your rice and stir it together

Add your water.

So rice cooks on a 1:2 ratio of rice:water

if you put 1/2 cup of rice you will need 1 cup of water

Again, I can cook rice with my eyes closed bc I have cooked it so much and in this pot that I dont measure my rice or water.

I know how much water to add based on the level in my pot.

So once you add your water, bring your fire up to medium and let it come up to a boil

Let the water cook out a little bit, then when the water level is just under the rice-there is still quite a bit of water, but you can see the top layer of rice, turn your fire down, to low and put the lid on cracked.

Then once you can't see the water at all and its almost all cooked out, cover it completely and turn it all the way down to the lowest setting and let it kind of steam for a good 10 minutes or so.

Then turn it off until you are ready to serve and "fluff" it before you dish.

Ligthly stirring it and fluffing it up.

 

*if the rice is not cooked all the way through, you can add a little more water and let it steam.

or if it turns out too mushy-then you put too much water

best advice is practice.

try and remember if you put too much or not enough water that way next time you adjust.

eventually you will learn how much water and can make perfect rice everytime.

 

Tonight, my girls had rice with the basil chicken and green beans that they are OBSESSED with and I cook at least once a week right now. So if you are wondering why im not posting new recipes its bc im cooking freaking chicken and green beans bc its all they want to eat! I guess I shouldn't complain though!

Oh and I love rice and haven't eaten it in a few months...willpower!

Changing it Up

Do you cook the samethings over and over? Do you get stuck in cooking ruts? I sure do! Maybe becuase I sometimes just want to cook something easy, something that I know the girls will eat good or just plain laziness or can't think of something new? I feel like this happens to me all the time. Lately, its been stir fry rut. Been cooking a lot of my basil chicken type suppers. The girls love it, its fast and easy. Have I mentioned Jacquelyn is obsessed with green beans lately but for some reason she calls them green carrots? Dont know why....my logic is that carrots were her favorite but now green beans our....so she has renamed them green carrots...who knows...the mind of a 2 year old!

 

So tonight it was time to cook something different! Something new...

For the girls plates....

Baked lemon chicken, potato sacks and succatash

 

For us, baked lemon chicken, salad, and zucchini with red onions

 

My mom used to make us these and we always thought they were fun.

Potato sacks.

Just chop up a potato with onion and bellpeppers(i was out so didnt put them)

Put them in little foil pouches, season with a little olive oil, lemon juice and tony's

Bake at 350 until potatoes are soft, about 45 mins

These are also fun to do with having a BBQ, you can throw them on the grill, then everybody just grabs their own little sack!

 

Succatash

Confession, this is one of my favorite side dishes, probably because my love of lima beans

Seriously underrated side dish!

 

Sautee onion in a little olive oil, add frozen corn and lima beans

Toss and season with salt, pepper and little red pepper

Add milk until it covers the vegetables like this

Bring up to boil, then turn down to medium, cover with crack and let milk cook out slowly

Finished product.

 

Hopefully this is some inspiration to break up the rut and try something new!

 

In case you were wondering the baked lemon chicken was super simple

4 boneless chicken breasts

olive oil

lemon juice

worteshire

salt

lemon pepper

garlic powder

oregano

basil

Bake 350 for about 1 1/2

It will fall apart

This is probably the girls favorite

 

Rice Dressing

Do certain foods and their smells bring back special memories like the do for me? The smell of rice dressing cooking in the kitchen definitely does for me! Rice dressing is another lebanese dish, usually a side dish. It is a staple at our family holidays and is usually paired with our turkeys on Thanksgiving and Christmas or with our BBQ chicken at Easter. The smell puts me back as a little girl in my Sittee's kitchen, sitting on the coveted orange stool my sisters and I would fight over watching my mom and Sittee cook and prepare for all of our Big FAT LEBANESE Holidays! Those were the days....Miss my Sittee everyday...
Rice dressing has become a staple in my house for my girls. THEY Love it. It is one of those things I like to make a big batch of at the beginning of the week and have in the fridge for the girls to eat on.
Recipe-
Sautee onion in olive oil until soft
Add 1 lb of your choice of ground meat (I do grass fed beef or lamb)
Break up meat and brown your meat all the way through
Once meat is cooked pour Kitchen Bouqet (liquid browning sauce you buy at the store) once around the pot (sorry, everything I cook is not by recipe but learned by watching so I never know measurements)
Season with salt, red pepper, garlic powder, and good amount of cinnamon
Stir so everything is mixed well
Add 1/2 cup of rice
Add water 3/4  way up the rice/meat mixture
Cook on med to let water cook out and cook the rice
Once the water is almost all the way cooked out, turn on low and cover pot and let finish cooking.
Top with chopped finely italian parsley

***Most of my family adds toasted pine nuts before adding water but since Jacquelyn has a nut allergy I do not add the pine nuts. But the true recipe calls for them.

This is what I served the girls for lunch. They love it with avocado and of course cucumbers!
You can always make a bigger batch, just use the 1 lb meat to 1/2 cup rice ratio.