Moosewood Restaurant Simple Suppers by Moosewood Collective (summer reads TXT) 📕

pinch of black pepper

Rinse and drain the rice. In a saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, on high heat briefly sauté the rice in 1 teaspoon of the oil, stirring to coat each grain. Add the water and salt, bring to a boil, cover, and reduce the heat to very low. Cook until the water is absorbed, about 12 to 15 minutes.

While the rice cooks, coarsely chop the scallions and rinse the spinach. In a large skillet, sauté the scallions in 2 teaspoons of the oil for a minute or two. Add the spinach and pepper, cover, and cook until just wilted and still bright green, about 2 minutes. In a blender, purée the spinach and scallions until smooth, adding a little water, if necessary.

When the rice is done, fluff it with a fork, stir in the spinach purée, and serve.

INGREDIENT NOTES This recipe is just fine with brown rice, but it will take a bit longer to cook and the green color will be muted.

Add fresh herbs to the blender: about 2 tablespoons of dill, basil, or tarragon.

serving & menu ideas

Green Rice is pretty served under Scrambled Tofu with Greens & Raspberry Chipotle Sauce, Baked Stuffed Tomatoes, or Shrimp Curry with Snow Peas. Or top it with Easy Baked Tofu or sautéed shrimp. Leftovers can become tomorrow’s Green Fried Rice.

lemongrass rice

SERVES 4

TIME: 30 MINUTES

SIMMERING TIME: 15 MINUTES

1 stalk fresh lemongrass

1½ cups jasmine or white basmati rice

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

2½ cups water

1 Keiffer lime leaf (optional)

½ teaspoon salt

Remove any dried outer leaves from the lemongrass stalk, cut it in half lengthwise, and mash the halves a bit with a mallet or the flat side of a large knife blade cut into lengths that fit in your pan and set aside.

Rinse and drain the rice. In a heavy saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, sauté the rice in the oil for a minute, stirring to coat the grains. Add the water, lime leaf, mashed lemongrass, and salt and bring to a boil on high heat. Reduce the heat to very low, cover, and simmer until the water is absorbed, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove and discard the lemongrass and lime leaf. Fluff the rice with a fork.

serving & menu ideas

Great with curries, sautés, and fish or tofu dishes, or as the base for fried rice. Serve this fragrant rice under Curried Tofu with Tomatoes, or Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Easy Baked Tofu. Turn leftovers into Pineapple Fried Rice with Tofu.

coconut rice

SERVES 4 TO 6

TIME: 25 MINUTES

SIMMERING TIME: 15 TO 20 MINUTES

1½ cups white rice

½ teaspoon turmeric

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

1½ cups water

¾ cup coconut milk

Rinse and drain the rice. In a saucepan on medium-high heat, sauté the rice, turmeric, and salt in the oil for a minute or two, stirring constantly. Add the water and coconut milk, bring to a boil, cover, and reduce the heat to low. Simmer until the rice is tender and the liquid absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes.

serving & menu ideas

This sweet rice perfectly complements West Indian Red Beans, Sesame Tofu with Spinach, or Spicy Potatoes & Spinach with Cranberry Chutney on the side.

cranberry bulghur pilaf

SERVES 4 TO 6

TIME: 30 MINUTES

2 tablespoons olive oil

1½ cups chopped onions

3 garlic cloves, pressed or minced

dash of salt

1 orange

½ teaspoon crumbled dried rosemary (1½ teaspoons chopped fresh)

1½ cups medium to light bulghur

1½ cups water or vegetable broth

½ cup dried cranberries (or currants or raisins)

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon lemon juice

⅔ cup chopped toasted pecans, walnuts, or almonds (optional)

In a saucepan on medium heat, warm the oil, add the onions and garlic, sprinkle with salt, and cook until softened, about 10 minutes. While the onions cook, grate the orange peel and juice the orange.

Add the rosemary, orange zest, and bulghur to the onions and cook for a minute, stirring. Add the orange juice, water or vegetable broth, and dried cranberries, cover, and cook on low heat until all the liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes. If the bulghur is still crunchy, add ¼ cup of hot water and cook for a few minutes longer. Remove from the heat. Stir in the soy sauce and lemon juice. Add nuts if you like, and more soy sauce and/or lemon juice to taste.

INGREDIENT NOTE If you don’t have a fresh orange, you could use ½ cup of prepared orange juice.

serving & menu ideas

Serve with Easy Baked Tofu or Seared Scallops.

polenta

Polenta can be made with any grind of cornmeal. We call for polenta cornmeal because it makes a particularly smooth and creamy polenta that also cooks quickly.

SERVES 4 TO 6

TIME: 10 MINUTES

4 cups water

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup polenta cornmeal

1 or 2 tablespoons olive oil or butter

Bring the water and salt to a rapid boil in a heavy-bottomed pot. Slowly pour in the cornmeal, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Lower the heat and simmer, stirring often, until the polenta thickens and tastes done, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the oil or butter.

variations

The mild corn flavor of polenta makes it a good vehicle for other flavors. Add any of these to the boiling water: 4 or 5 chopped sun-dried tomatoes, a teaspoon of ground fennel seeds or dried thyme or rosemary, ¼ teaspoon of red pepper flakes, 2 teaspoons of ground cumin, or a tablespoon of chopped garlic. At the end, whisk in grated cheese and/or chopped fresh herbs.

POLENTA CUTLETS Polenta thickens as it cools, making it great for baked breaded “cutlets” that are crisp on the outside and creamy on the inside, good topped with tomato sauce. To make cutlets, pour hot polenta into an oiled baking dish to a depth of about an inch. Refrigerate until cold. Cut into squares, rectangles, or triangles. Dip each piece into beaten eggs, milk, or water and then coat with plain or seasoned fine bread crumbs. Bake at 400° for 10 or 15 minutes on each side.

serving & menu ideas