Festive Rice Recipes

FESTIVE RICE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°. In a small saucepan, bring first 5 ingredients to a boil. Remove from heat. Pour over rice in a greased 8-in. square baking dish. Bake, covered, until all liquid is absorbed, 30-35 minutes., Meanwhile, in a small nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, cook pumpkin seeds, brown sugar and cayenne pepper, stirring constantly until sugar melts and cayenne coats pumpkin seeds, 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat; transfer to a plate, spreading out seeds to cool., Sprinkle cooked rice with feta, mint, cranberries and spiced pumpkin seeds.

FESTIVE RICE

Steps:

• Rinse jasmine rice thoroughly under cold water in a large strainer.
• Heat oil in a large frying pan with a lid. Cook the garlic, onion, and turmeric over low heat for 2-3 minutes until the onions have softened. Add the rice and stir well to coat in oil.
• Pour in the coconut milk and water and add the lemon grass. Bring to a boil and cook gently until all the liquid has been absorbed by the rice, about 12 minutes.
• Remove pan from heat and leave for 15 minutes.
• Remove lemongrass stalk and transfer to a serving platter, add garnishes.

CHRISTMAS RICE

Steps:

• In a skillet, saute onion, celery and peppers in butter over medium heat for 2 minutes or until crisp-tender. Remove from the heat; set aside. , In a saucepan, bring broth to a full boil. Remove from the heat. Quickly stir in rice, celery mixture, pepper, and, if desired, salt. Cover and let stand for 6-7 minutes. Stir before serving.

FESTIVE YELLOW RICE

Steps:

• If rice needs washing, wash well beforehand and allow to drain at least 1 hour.
• Heat oil in a large sauce pan with a well-fitting lid. Fry onions and garlic until onions are soft and golden, stirring frequently to prevent burning.
• Add rice and fry for a minute or two, then add coconut milk, salt, turmeric and elave for flavouring.
• Bring to the boil, stirring with a long spoon. As soon as liquid comes to the boil, turn heat very low, cover tightly with lid and allow to steam for 20 minutes.
• Uncover, quickly stir in with a fork any coconut mild that remains unabsorbed around edge of pan, replace lid and leave on same low heat for a further 3 minutes.
• Turn off heat, uncover and allow steam to escape and rice to cool slightly. Remove leaves used for flavouring and gently fork rice onto a large platter or a tray lined with well washed banana or bamboo leaves. Shape into a cone, pressing firmly. Use pieces of greased banana leaf or foil to do this. Sarround with marbled eggs, halved, sliced green cucumber and fresh chilies for decoration.