spice your rice series ~ 3: Riz bi Hummous or Rice with Chickpeas

Hummous, also known as chickpeas or garbanzo beans, is another one of my favorite cooking staples. There is always either a can of it in my pantry or bagfuls in the freezer just asking to be eaten.

While the common misunderstanding in the US is that hummous is synomemous with dip, the word really refers to the actual legume. As versatile as eggplant, hummous can be eaten by itself, dressed with garlic, lemon juice and olive oil; mashed into hummous bi tahini, the dip everyone knows, with tahini, lemon juice, garlic and olive oil; added to salads, main dishes as in Maghmour, or rice such as this one.

Once you have the hummous ready, either boiled through if using dried and thawed out if frozen, or drained and rinsed if using canned, riz bi hummous is really a one pot dish and can be thrown together in less than 30 minutes. All you need is a medium sized yellow onion, chopped; chicken broth, home-made or store bought; white rice; and the beans. Sautee the onions until tender, add the hummous, rice and broth. Season with salt and cumin, which is the key secret ingredient in this dish, and simmer until rice is cooked through. You can add cooked chicken legs or breasts to the final dish, and serve it with my go to plain whole milk yogurt.

For a family of four, you need:

• 1 cup of rice;
• 1 can garbanzo beans, or about 14 ounces;
• 1 medium sized yellow onion;
• 2 cups chicken broth;
• 1 tablespoon olive oil;
• salt and cumin, to taste.

spice your rice series ~ 2: turmeric rice with corn

Yellow rice! Think of fun that would be to eat. And, with corn in the mix, it is even more appealing to the littlest taste buds.

Growing up, rice was a staple in our house. It was served at almost every dinner meal I can remember. Only on weekends did we have meals that did not include rice. So, my mom had to get creative with her cooking. One day she started making turmeric rice with chicken and corn. I do not know the origins of the recipe, but I have since adopted it in my own kitchen and make it for family and dinner guests alike.

To make it all you need is one pot, 30 minutes of cooking time and a handful of ingredients;

• 1 cup of rice
• 1 can of corn
• 1 small onion; diced
• 1 cup of homemade chicken broth
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons turmeric
• salt

Heat olive oil and sautee onions until soft but not brown. Add rice, corn, water and broth. When the liquids start boiling, add turmeric and season with salt. Turn heat to low and cook until rice is done.

Enjoy with plain yogurt on the side, or on top.

Now, wasn't that easy!

 

 

 

cook's note: to make it more wholesome, you can shred cooked chicken and add it to the rice once it has finished cooking.

spice your rice series ~ 1: Riz bi Lahme or Rice with Ground Beef

There are lots of things I love about Lebanese food. One of them is how simple some dishes can be. Rice with ground beef may not be a "traditional" Lebanese dish, but it is served in many of the households I grew up with, and it was always the meal of choice at my Teta's house whenever there was a large lunch gathering. Served warm, topped with pine nuts and almonds sauteed in butter, with huge chunks of chicken hiding among the rice, it was always a satisfying meal. Garlic-mint yogurt is always this meal's trusted companion. It is not complete without a bowl of the yogurt sitting on the side, waiting to be drizzled on top.

To make this at your home, here is what you need:

• 1 cup of white rice
• 1 pound of ground beef
• 1 medium onion
• 2.5 cups of chicken broth; I use homemade
• salt, pepper and cinnamon
• olive oil

Finely chop the onion, and add it to the olive oil that is heating on a medium high heat. Once the onion begins to soften add the meat, salt, pepper and cinnamon; all to tatste. Brown the meat thoroughly, then add the rice and the broth. Once the broth has come to a boil, lower the heat and simmer the rice until cooked through, around 20 minutes. Adjust seasoning as needed.

To serve, as above, cook the pine nuts and slivered almonds in melted butter until brown. Do this on low heat and keep a close eye on the nuts as they brown quickly. Shred some cooked chicken on top of the rice, add the nuts and serve with the side of yogurt. Enjoy!

 

 

cook's note: if you want to change it up a little, you can add 3/4 cup frozen peas to the rice while its cooking; that way you get your protein, veggies, and carbs in one dish. With the diary in the yogurt you have one completely balanced meal.