Munchy Monday #45: Garlic and parsley fried rice

This is a yummy accompaniment to many meals. I serve it with red meat, chicken and fish but also on its own. It's just so simple to prepare...

You will need:
Any type of white rice, boiled in salted water and allowed to cool.
Fresh or dried parsley, chopped.*
Fresh or frozen garlic, chopped or crushed*
Salt
Oil to fry

Method:
Pour oil into a frying pan (enough to almost cover the bottom of the pan) and place on a medium heat. Add garlic and parsley and fry very carefully for a few seconds. Add rice and gently stir fry for 5 to 7 minutes, adding a sprinkling of salt a couple of times during this process. Leave rice in pan until needed and re-heat if necessary.

This is a tasty way to serve leftover white rice from a previous meal.

*For every 500 g of rice I use 1 clove of garlic (or equivalent if using frozen garlic) and a heaped teaspoon of parsley. Bear in mind that fresh parsley has a stronger taste and therefore you might need a little less. I always use dried parsley.

Munchy Monday #43: Clear green veggie soup

This is a very delicious starter for any meal. I haven't indicated any quantities so that you can adapt it to your own needs, whether you are four to eat, or fourteen.

You will need:

Clear chicken stock, ideally, with the grease removed
Frozen green beans, cut into small pieces once slightly thawed
Fresh leek, finely sliced
Pieces of frozen broccoli, cut small
Potato, cut into small cubes
Rice or very fine noodles, a handful for every 3 or 4 people
Salt to taste

Method:

Bring stock to boil in a pan, add all other ingredients and simmer for 8 - 10 minutes.

Munchy Monday #23: Turkey and lentil curry

I understand this is by no means a real Indian curry, how it might be served in India or in a specialized restaurant. It is a recipe which I have invented for our family. We just love it and it can be made tasty or hot or anything in between, just by adding more or less curry powder. I  serve it with Basmati or long grain rice, "tortes" or pita bread, heaped on a jacket potato or even (horror of all horrors) served with chips, like I used to eat it in the college canteen! Serves 6 - 8 adults.

You will need:

1/2 kilo turkey or chicken pieces
Grated flesh of one big tomato
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
2 medium courgettes, peeled, seeded and roughly chopped
1/2 kilo green beans
150 g peeled orange lentils
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 medium onion, grated
1 heaped tsp. Sharwood's hot curry powder
Flour for frying
Salt
1/2 glass sunflower oil or similar
Water

Method:

Heat the oil in a pressure cooker, coat the meat in flour and gently fry for a few minutes. Add garlic, onion, curry powder and salt and stir fry another couple of minutes. Add tomato, carrot, courgette, green beans and lentils and stir fry again for another couple of minutes. Add enough water to almost cover the ingredients, cover and bring up to pressure. Simmer in pressure cooker for 12 minutes.

Note: Curry is much tastier if prepared some hours in advance or even one day for the next.

Another note: this can be adapted and made wheat free just by frying the meat directly without flouring.

Munchy Monday #1: 20 min. Rice pudding

Serves 4-6

You will need:

1 litre of whole or semi-skimmed milk
3 tblsp sugar
150 g short grain or pudding rice
1 small stick of cinnamon
2 or 3 pieces of orange or lemon skin, pared from the outside of the fruit.

Method:
Pour the milk into a milk pan or similar and add all the ingredients EXCEPT the rice. Stir to dissolve sugar and bring to boil. When almost boiling, stir, add rice, and stir again. Turn heat down to minimum and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Leave to cool.

Note: I make this in the evening, to eat the next morning for breakfast. This way the rice has much more flavour, as it has been allowed to "sit" with the other ingredients.

Arròs amb llet en 20 min.

4-6 racions

Es necessita:

1 litre de llet sencera o semi desnatada
3 cullerades soperes de sucre
150 g d'arròs de gra petit
1 bastonet de canyella
2 o 3 trossets de pell de llimona o de taronja, sense la fibra blanca

Instruccions:
Es posa la llet i la resta dels ingredients (EXCEPTE l'arròs) en una cassola, i es remena per dissoldre el sucre. S'escalfa la barrega fins que estigui a punt de bullir i s'afegeix l'arròs tot remenant. Es baixa el foc al mínim i es deixa coure uns 15 minuts. Cal remenar de tant en tant. 

Nota: Es pot menjar calent o fred. Jo ho preparo la nit anterior i ho mengem per l'esmorzar del dia següent. D'aquesta manera l'arròs és molt més gustós.