This fried rice is a delicious blend of sweet (pineapple), salty and savory (soy sauce and hoisin sauce). Plus, it’s super fast to make so it’s a perfect weeknight meal.

I used pork tenderloin instead of pork chops, and two cups of leftover steamed jasmine rice. The Asian chili-garlic sauce I used says “Sweet Chilli Sauce” on the label. It’s the sweet-hot kind with little flecks of chili and chili seeds in the sauce.

The recipe says it serves 4 but I’d double the recipe if you’re serving it as a one-dish meal to 4 big eaters.

Pineapple Pork Fried Rice
-recipe from America’s Test Kitchen 30-Minute Suppers (Winter 2010)

Sauteing the pork with soy sauce and chili-garlic sauce gives the lean meat a rich flavor. Serves 4.

2 boneless center cut pork chops (about 1 pound), cut into ½-inch pieces
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon Asian chili-garlic sauce
4 teaspoons vegetable oil
6 scallions, white parts sliced thin, green parts cut into ½-inch pieces
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
¼ cup hoisin sauce
1 8-ounce can pineapple chunks, drained and chopped, 3 tablespoons juice reserved
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
2 (8.8-ounce) packages Uncle Ben’s Ready Rice (see note below)

Combine pork, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, and chili-garlic sauce in bowl.  Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking.  Add pork mixture and cook, stirring occasionally, until well browned, about 3 minutes.  Transfer to bowl.

Add remaining oil to pan and cook scallion whites until just softened, about one minute.  Add eggs and cook, stirring vigorously, until scrambled, about one minute.  Transfer to bowl with pork.

Add hoisin sauce, pineapple chunks, reserved pineapple juice, sesame oil, remaining soy sauce, and rice to empty pan and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes.  Stir in scallion greens and pork and egg mixture and toss until heated through, about 1 minute.  Serve.

Test Kitchen Note: Two cups of leftover white or brown rice can be substituted for the Uncle Ben’s.

Tags: Asian, chili-garlic sauce, Eggs, fried rice, hoisin sauce, pineapple, pork, rice, soy sauce

If you’re looking for a twist on traditional chicken soup, then you should try this recipe for Chicken and Vegetable Chowder. It’s simple, easy to make and comforting.

For the blending of the chowder, I used an immersion blender (stick blender) instead of transferring the soup in batches to a blender. If you do use a regular blender, let the chowder cool off a bit before blending. Also, remember to only fill the blender about 1/3 full and hold the lid down tightly with a towel (this is to prevent hot soup from spraying all over you and your kitchen when you turn the blender on). I used whole milk for the chowder, but I’m sure 2% would work fine, too. I would definitely not use nonfat milk, though. Serve the chowder with crusty bread and a salad.  

Chicken & Vegetable Chowder
-recipe from The Big Book of Soups & Stews byMaryana Vollstedt

Pureed vegetables and rice are the thickening agents in this delicious soup. It is made without cream but is still rich tasting. This will be a family favorite. Serves 4-6.

1 cup chopped yellow onion
1 medium russet potato (about 1/2 pound), peeled and cubed
1 carrot, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 clove garlic, sliced
1/4 cup uncooked long-grain white rice
4 cups chicken stock or broth
1 cup buttermilk or milk
2 cups cubed cooked chicken breast
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
freshly ground pepper to taste

In a large pot over high heat, bring vegetables, garlic, rice, and 3 cups of the stock to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, until vegetables and rice are tender, about 20 minutes.

Transfer in batches to a food processor or blender and blend the soup until slightly chunky. Return to pot. Stir in remaining 1 cup stock, buttermilk or milk, chicken, cheese, salt, thyme and pepper. Simmer, uncovered, until cheese melts and flavors are blended, about 10 minutes. Serve.

Tags: carrots, Chicken, Chicken and Vegetable Chowder, potatoes, rice

This is a great salad…delicious, beautiful, and perfect for summer! I used leftover regrigerated cooked rice (about 3 cups), substituted 1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano for the 1 teaspoon of fresh, used both red onion and green onion, added a splash of red wine vinegar and some sliced sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil.  I used jasmine rice but basmati rice would also be really good. Be sure to scoop the seeds out of the cuke or you’ll end up with a watery salad. Also, go easy on the salt because both the feta cheese and kalamata olives are salty; mix it all together than season to taste. For a mexi version, add corn, black beans, sliced pimento-stuffed green olives, a little cumin and cilantro; omit the cuke, spinach, kalamata olives and feta. Enjoy!

Mediterranean Rice Salad
-recipe from Sunset Magazine
 
The bright flavors of this dish make it the perfect side dish for anything grilled.

Yield:  Makes 6 to 8 servings

1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups long-grain rice
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fresh oregano, minced
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 to 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
2 cups chopped spinach leaves
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded, and finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1/2 cup chopped kalamata olives
1 cup crumbled feta cheese

In a medium saucepan, bring 2 1/2 cups water to a boil. Add 1/2 tsp. salt and the rice. Turn heat to low, cover, and simmer 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit 5 minutes. Uncover and fluff with a fork.

In a large bowl, whisk lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, oregano, pepper, pepper flakes, and remaining teaspoon of salt.

Add rice to dressing and toss to combine. Add spinach, toss, and let sit until no longer steaming, about 20 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and toss to combine. Serve at room temperature or cold.

Tags: cucumber, kalamata olives, Mediterranean, red pepper, rice, rice salad, Side Dish

Egg fried rice is a great way to use up leftover rice or a good reason to make it in the first place. Using cold streamed rice (rice that’s been cooled then refrigerated) is the key to making this dish because freshly cooked rice can get mushy. I used a large non-stick pan instead of a wok and it worked perfectly. I used jasmine rice, a long-grained variety originally from Thailand, because I love it’s fragrance and flavor. After I mixed in the scallions and sesame oil, I also added 1 cup of frozen peas and 1 tablespoon each of soy sauce and seasoned rice vinegar, drizzling it over the rice and stirring it until well combined. Garnish with a little (or a lot) of hot sauce and you’ve got a quick light dinner or late night snack, or serve it as a side dish with Asian-flavored chicken or pork.

Egg Fried Rice
-recipe from epicurious.com 

Yield: Makes 4 side-dish or light main-course servings
Active Time: 10 min
Total Time: 10 min (does not include making steamed rice)
 
1 tablespoon peanut oil
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
4 cups cold unsalted steamed white rice
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup thinly sliced scallion greens (3 to 4 scallions)
1 to 2 teaspoons Asian sesame oil

Special equipment: a well-seasoned 14-inch flat-bottomed wok
 
Heat wok over high heat until a drop of water vaporizes instantly upon contact. Add peanut oil, swirling to coat wok evenly, and heat until hot and just smoking. Add eggs, tilting wok and swirling eggs to form a thin even layer on cooking surface, and cook 30 seconds, then add rice and salt and stir-fry, breaking up eggs and letting rice rest several seconds between stirs, until rice is hot, 2 to 3 minutes. Add scallion greens and sesame oil (to taste) and stir-fry until combined well.

Tags: Eggs, fried rice, rice

In my book, risotto is comfort food…kind of like mashed potatoes or mac & cheese. I love just about any version of this creamy rice dish. One night recently when Husband was busy and the kids were engrossed in a movie, I decided to make some risotto just for me.

I took stock of what I had on hand and decided to make Fresh Corn Risotto, which is basically just arborio rice (a starchy, Italian short-grain rice), corn and a few other simple ingredients. Seeing as we’re at the end of January, I substituted Trader Joe’s Frozen White Corn for the off-the-cob variety (way out of season). I waited on adding the thawed frozen corn until the very end of cooking, stirring it in to the risotto then adding the butter and Parmesan cheese. Now if you’ve never made risotto before, you have to know that this is not a dish you can multi-task with. You pretty much have to devote the time to standing at the stove while you stir the rice and add the stock. It’s not difficult but it does demand your attention. A steaming bowl of hot risotto is worth every ounce of effort, in my opinion, and this Friday night corn risotto did not disappoint.

Fresh Corn Risotto
-recipe from foodandwine.com

SERVINGS: 6

6 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth
1 bay leaf
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, very finely chopped
1 1/2 cups arborio rice (12 ounces)
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup white corn kernels (from 2 ears)
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed
Salt and freshly ground pepper

In a medium saucepan, bring the chicken stock to a boil with the bay leaf. Keep the stock warm over very low heat.

In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the rice and cook, stirring until opaque, about 3 minutes. Add the white wine and cook, stirring, until completely absorbed, about 1 minute. Add 1 cup of the warm stock and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until nearly absorbed. Continue adding the stock 1 cup at a time and stirring until it is absorbed
between additions. After about half of the stock has been added, stir in the corn, then add the remaining stock. The rice is done when it’s al dente and creamy, about 25 minutes total. Stir in the cheese and butter; season with salt and pepper. Discard the bay leaf and serve.

Tags: corn, rice, risotto

One of my favorite Seinfeld episodes is the one with the Soup Nazi. In the show, everyone is making a huge deal about how good the Soup Nazi’s soups are. In fact, Elaine’s knees actually buckle after she tastes his mulligatawny, a curry-flavored soup. Even though it had been years since seeing this famous Seinfeld episode, I was still intrigued with wanting to try my hand at making mulligatawny soup. I decided it was time to make it myself. I sauteed cut up chicken breast and thighs (skinless, boneless) instead of the turkey, used basmati rice in place of regular long-grain white rice, and replaced some of the yogurt with coconut milk (about a half cup of each). I also added about a half cup or so of chopped canned tomatoes and a heaping handful of fresh baby spinach leaves for added flavor, texture and color. I don’t know how close this is to the real thing but it sure tasted good! I served the soup with crusty bread. This recipe is definitely a keeper!

Turkey Mulligatawny Soup
-recipe from williams-sonoma.com

In place of the fresh turkey breast, you can use leftover cooked turkey or a purchased rotisserie chicken. Remove and discard the skin and bones, and cut the meat into bite-size pieces. Add the cooked turkey or chicken to the soup along with the yogurt.

Ingredients:
3 Tbs. unsalted butter
1 boneless, skinless turkey breast half, about 1 1/2 lb., cut into bite-size cubes
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
3 celery stalks, finely chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 Tbs. curry powder
4 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup long-grain white rice
1 cup plain yogurt
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro (optional)

Directions:
In a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the turkey and sauté until lightly browned on all sides, about 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a plate and set aside.

Add the onion, celery, carrots and garlic to the pot and sauté until the onion is translucent, about 7 minutes. Stir in the curry powder and cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes more to blend the flavors.

Add the broth and browned turkey to the pot, increase the heat to high and bring just to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium, add the rice and cook, uncovered, until the rice is tender and the turkey is cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in the yogurt and simmer for 10 minutes to blend the flavors. Season with salt and pepper.

Ladle the soup into bowls, garnish with the cilantro and serve immediately. Serves 4.

Tags: curry, rice, Soup/Stew, turkey