Lamb And Rice Pilaf With Dried Apricots And Pine Nuts Recipes

LAMB AND RICE PILAF WITH DRIED APRICOTS AND PINE NUTS

Steps:

• Sprinkle lamb with salt and pepper. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add lamb, carrot and halved onion; sauté until lamb browns, about 10 minutes. Add 8 cups water, quartered tomato, and bay leaf. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium and boil gently, uncovered, until liquid is reduced to 4 cups, turning lamb often, about 45 minutes. Transfer lamb to cutting board; cool slightly. Strain lamb cooking liquid into bowl; spoon off any fat from surface. Discard lamb bone and vegetables. Cut lamb into 1-inch pieces.
• Combine chopped onion and remaining 1 teaspoon oil in same pot. Sauté over medium-high heat until onion is golden, about 4 minutes. Add rice, apricots, and garlic; stir 1 minute. Stir in reserved lamb cooking liquid, lamb pieces, and chopped tomato. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmr until rice is tender and most liquid is absorbed, about 25 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl; sprinkle with cilantro and pine nuts and serve.

BASMATI RICE PILAF WITH APRICOTS

Steps:

• Put the apricots and lemon zest in the 2 cups of cold water. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the garam masala, and toast, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the onion and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is tender and translucent, about 6 minutes.
• Stir in the rice and cook, stirring occasionally, until it begins to brown, about 4 minutes. Stir in the water along with the apricots, lemon zest, the remaining 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low, wrap a clean dish towel around the saucepan lid, and cover saucepan. Cook for 10 minutes, set aside for 5 minutes undisturbed, then remove lid and fluff with a fork. Mound the pilaf on a serving platter or in a shallow bowl, tear the mint over, and top with the nuts.
• Game Plan: Toast the nuts while the rice cooks.

RICE PILAF WITH PISTACHIOS AND ALMONDS

Steps:

• Place rice in a bowl in the sink and rinse several times with water, or soak for 30 minutes to an hour. Drain.
• Heat water or stock to a bare simmer in a saucepan or in microwave.
• Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil, butter or ghee in a wide, heavy skillet or saucepan over medium heat and add onion and salt to taste. Cook, stirring, until the onion begins to soften, about 3 minutes, and add rice. Cook, stirring, until the grains of rice are separate, dry and beginning to crackle. Add hot water or stock, rose water and salt to taste and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 15 minutes, until all of the liquid has been absorbed.
• Uncover rice and place a clean towel over the top of the pan (it should not be touching the rice). Replace lid and allow to sit for 10 minutes, undisturbed.
• Meanwhile, heat remaining tablespoon of oil, butter or ghee over medium heat in a medium frying pan or saucepan and add the nuts. Cook, stirring, until lightly toasted, and add spices and barberries or dried apricots. Continue to cook for another minute, until the spices smell fragrant, and remove from the heat. Immediately scrape over the rice.
• Pile the pilaf onto a platter or into a wide bowl and toss to incorporate the nut and spice mixture. Serve.

DRIED APRICOT PINE NUT PILAF

Steps:

• In a saucepan cook the onion in the oil over moderately low heat, stirring, until it is softened, add the rice, and cook the mixture over moderate heat, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in the salt, the water, and the broth, bring the liquid to a boil, and cook the mixture, covered, over low heat for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed. Add the apricots, fluff the rice with a fork, and let the mixture stand, covered, off the heat for 5 minutes. Stir in the pine nuts, the parsley, and pepper to taste. Serve the pilaf with pot roast, lamb, or poultry.

RICE PILAF WITH LAMB

Steps:

• Important:You will need a 5 quart roaster or Dutch oven with a well fitting lid to hold in heat & moisture.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Melt butter in roaster over medium high heat.
• Add onions,bell pepper & salt & sweat (not brown) for a few minutes.
• Stir in rice & pine nuts & gently toast while stirring until rice smells nutty.
• Add Saffron & water, bay leaf & chicken broth. Increase heat to high, when broth starts to boil, stir ingredients once, place lid on roaster & place in oven for 15 minutes.
• When oven time is up, remove roaster from oven & rest for another 15 minutes but DO NOT remove lid (rice is still cooking).
• When rice is in oven, prepare the lamb by mixing with thyme & rosemary.
• Season & brown lamb gently & break it into pieces about the size of a clove of garlic. When rice is rested, add lamb & peas & mix through with a fork, fluffing rice as you look to remove the bay leaf.
• Serve onto a warm platter or plates.

RICE PILAF WITH PINE NUTS

Steps:

• Heat oil in small saucepan over medium-high heat. Saute onion until soft, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in uncooked rice.
• Add broth and bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer until rice is done, about 20 minutes.
• Fluff rice with fork and add pine nuts.
• Season with salt and pepper.

MOROCCAN RICE WITH APRICOTS AND PINE NUTS

Steps:

• Place the apricots in a heatproof bowl; cover them with boiling water and set aside to soften, about 30 minutes.
• Chop and set aside.
• Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat; add in the pine nuts, stirring for 2 minutes, or until lightly browned.
• Add in the scallions, rice, reserved apricots, parsley, salt, saffron, cayenne, cardamom, and cumin.
• Cook, stirring until well mixed and heated through, about 10 minutes; taste and adjust seasonings.
• Serve.

LAMB AND APRICOT PILAF

Steps:

• In a large skillet, sauté one of the onions in the oil and 1 tblsp of the butter over moderate-high heat until browned lightly and transfer it with a slotted spoon to a bowl.
• Brown the lamb in batches, transferring it to the bowl.
• Return lamb mixture to skillet, add the apricots and stock, and simmer the mixture, covered, for 1 hour, or until lamb is very tender.
• In another skillet, sauté the remaining onion, green pepper and the garlic in the remaining 4 tblsps butter over moderate-high heat until the onion begins to brown.
• Stir in the almonds, tomato, raisins and the rice and cook over moderate heat, stirring, for 2 minutes, or until rice is slightly translucent.
• Add salt and pepper to taste and 4 cups of water.
• Bring to the boil and simmer, covered, 12 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.
• In a large casserole, spread 1/3 of the rice mixture in an even layer.
• Spoon ½ the lamb mixture over rice.
• Top with half the remaining rice, the lamb and what’s left of the rice (5 layers in all).
• Cook, covered, in 350F (175C) oven until heated through, about 20 minutes.
• Serve with yoghurt.