# January 2021 Challenge - rice!



## teamfat (Nov 5, 2007)

Rice made an appearance in the monthly challenges back in September, 2014.

Challenge List

I figured this grain known around around the world was worth revisiting. So have at it. Paella, risotto, arroz con pollo, sushi, Rice Krispies treats. Middle East, India, many different countries and cuisines to explore. Rice noodles, forbidden rice, gluten free baking with rice flour. Perhaps wild rice and mushroom stuffed quail. Yes, for the sake of this challenge wild rice counts.

One thing I happen to like probably more than it deserves is plain old white rice with butter and soy sauce.

mjb.


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## teamfat (Nov 5, 2007)

Oops. Forgot the standard rules info.


The challenge begins on the 1st of every month. The last entry must be made by the last day of the month.
You may post multiple entries.
All entries must be cooked during the month of the challenge.
If you use a documented recipe, please cite your source.
Entries should include the name of your dish and a picture of the final product. Sharing personal recipes and pictures of the process are not mandatory but extremely helpful.
The winner is chosen by the person who posted the challenge, and is announced after the last day of submissions. The decision is final and falls entirely at the discretion of the challenger.
Submitting an entry makes you eligible to win. If you do not wish to be considered for the win you may still participate in the challenge, but make your wishes known to the challenger.
The winner's bounty includes praise, virtual high-fives, and the responsibility of posting the next month's challenge. That entails choosing a theme, posting a Challenge thread that includes the guidelines, checking in on the submissions regularly during the month, and promptly choosing a winner at the end of the challenge.
Have fun kids!

mjb.


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## butzy (Jan 8, 2010)

I can do rice!
No problem.
Just need to find a way to make a decent photograph of white rice


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## butzy (Jan 8, 2010)

Very simple dish.
Local jasmine rice.
And fried onion, fish, tomato with sweet soy and a little fish sauce.
Actually, there were some more spices as I made a green sambal earlier in the same pan, and some of it was left in the wok


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## sgsvirgil (Mar 1, 2017)

Great idea, @teamfat ! Rice is a lot of fun!


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## mike9 (Jul 13, 2012)

Oh yes rice is a fun ingredient. Since it's New Years I made "Hoppin' John" as it's a traditional New Years Low Country food. bacon, sausage, ham, Trinity, garlic, spices and 1/2lb. of brined black eyed peas. Start with lardon, then the trinity, deglaze pot with some leftover prosecco, add the peas and cover with water. As soon as the peas were just tender I added I removed all but 2 cups of liquid and added my rinsed jasmine rice, adding a little liquid as needed till tender. Oh my it was very satisfying.










As it tradition we left three peas in the bowls for Health, Wealth and Love in the new year.


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## brianshaw (Dec 18, 2010)

FORBIDDEN RICE PUDDING

This is not the rice pudding of my youth... adapted from a recipe of Sherry Yard, this features both Forbidden and Basmati rices. Rather than coconut milk I use cream to satisfy the tastebuds of my family. Also, rather than vanilla extract I use vanilla sugar (even though the extract is depicted in the photo).



















FROM THIS:









TO THIS:


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## Hank (Sep 8, 2015)

Fun choice. Mts. Hank fist pump approves.


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## teamfat (Nov 5, 2007)

I should check. Wondering if Quaker still makes puffed rice, the cereal shot from guns?

mjb.


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## mike9 (Jul 13, 2012)

Sadly I had a reaction to the beans in my Hoppin John. Same as any soy, or peanut product. Looks like legumes are off my ingredient list.


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## brianshaw (Dec 18, 2010)

teamfat said:


> One thing I happen to like probably more than it deserves is plain old white rice with butter and soy sauce.


Not an entry, but my blushing bride - she's not much of a cook - was thinking similarly. I just can't do the butter or soy sauce. 

Parmesan-crusted chicken, cauliflower, and WHITE RICE.


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## loomchick (Jun 11, 2013)

I know wild rice is really a grass as opposed to a rice, but would that be acceptable? Or would it be an ingredient for a future challenge?


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## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

Teamfat said in the first post that wild rice counts.


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## brianshaw (Dec 18, 2010)

... but probably not orzo.


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## loomchick (Jun 11, 2013)

phatch said:


> Teamfat said in the first post that wild rice counts.


Thanks! My apologies for the oversight.


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## singularity6 (Dec 30, 2020)

*Jerk Chicken* (a la Gordon Ramsay, but I added the zest and juice from one orange to the marinade)

*Pistachio Rice Pilaf* (my own creation - schmaltz, shallot, carrot, celery, store-bought wild rice blend, crushed pistachios, chicken stock, salt, pepper, thyme)

*Bellavitano Caesar Salad* (fresh romaine, shredded Bellavitano, black pepper, *homemade dressing* - mayo, garlic, meyer lemon, black pepper, grated Bellavitano, Worcestershire),

*Ragazza di Sole* from _Northern Sun Winery_


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## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

I still haven't mastered these. Banh xeo. These were a little soft and didn't want to hold together.









1 cup rice flour
2 teaspoon turmeric
2 teaspon curry
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt







Clean out the fridge and use up some zucchini and onion. The bean sprouts and herbs are from the pho in last months challenge. Pork is fresh for this challenge entry.







Test crepe. Seemed a bit thick








And I got some strange condensation making for soggy edges. That was a first. Might be from the zucchini.







A later one cooking longer to help with the sogginess. Still really fragile







Wrap in lettuce. Drizzle with peanut sauce and nuoc cham. Forgot herbs for the photo.


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## millionsknives (Apr 25, 2014)

@phatch I would add cornstarch


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## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

I'll keep that in mind for the next time


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## cheflayne (Aug 21, 2004)

Let the batter rest overnight in fridge. Starch will relax. Will hold together better and crisp up better.


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## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

brianshaw said:


> FORBIDDEN RICE PUDDING
> 
> This is not the rice pudding of my youth... adapted from a recipe of Sherry Yard, this features both Forbidden and Basmati rices. Rather than coconut milk I use cream to satisfy the tastebuds of my family. Also, rather than vanilla extract I use vanilla sugar (even though the extract is depicted in the photo).
> 
> ...


That's really special well done!
Do you make your own vanilla sugar? How long would you say that lasts?


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## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

mike9 said:


> Sadly I had a reaction to the beans in my Hoppin John. Same as any soy, or peanut product. Looks like legumes are off my ingredient list.


Oh no! What kind of reaction?


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## brianshaw (Dec 18, 2010)

koukouvagia said:


> Do you make your own vanilla sugar? How long would you say that lasts?


Yes, I have a large container of sugar that I put the vanilla pods, after the beans are removed for other purposes. It seems to take a couple of months for the initial "perfuming" and lasts virtually forever so long as it is dry. As I use the vanilla sugar I top off with more white sugar and add more "spent" vanilla pods as they become available. It is a fantastic way to use leftovers and discards!


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## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

brianshaw said:


> Yes, I have a large container of sugar that I put the vanilla pods, after the beans are removed for other purposes. It seems to take a couple of months for the initial "perfuming" and lasts virtually forever so long as it is dry. As I use the vanilla sugar I top off with more white sugar and add more vanilla pods as they become available.


Thanks. I'm always meaning to do this. I used to do it and somehow got out of the habit. It's so nice to have vanilla sugar around for whenever I want to bake anything.


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## teamfat (Nov 5, 2007)

A nice selection of varied entries already. Keep up the good work folks, make it really difficult for me to choose the next host, please.

mjb.


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## eastshores (Oct 23, 2008)

My brother in law wanted to do an Italian ribbolita since he had it for the first time a while back and had never attempted it. With the monthly challenge in mind I decided I would try to make Arancini di Riso for the first time. If you're not familiar these are basically Italian rice balls. They can be stuffed with different things. Meat, peas, marinara, etc. For mine I went with a bit of mozzarella.

First step cook the risotto. A little white wine and shallots, along with chicken stock.









After the risotto gets a deep chill it's time to set up the breading station. Risotto is formed around the mozzarella and shaped into a ball. Then dusted in flour. Then dredged in the egg wash. Finally into the seasoned bread crumbs before hitting a 350F deep fry.










I made a basic marinara using San Marzano tomatoes with a little garlic, olive oil, basil, and salt. I must say this ended up being very difficult and I stopped after doing 6 of them. I believe my risotto was a little too hydrated and also it probably should have chilled longer. Overall though they were quite tasty and a good addition to our ribbolita.










Bonus image of the spread. I baked some rosemary focaccia. It was a good thing I hadn't eaten all day!


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## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

I'm told the name means telephone wires for the cheese stretching as you bite into it.


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## eastshores (Oct 23, 2008)

So this isn't anything fancy with regards to the rice, but saffron basmati stands on it's own as something wonderful in the world of Indian food. The funny thing about this is that I used the last 2 jars of Patak Jalfrezi simmer sauce that I received when Cheftalk had a fun contest where they sent us samples to use.

I've also gotten into meal prep. So this was chicken breast cubes in a jalfrezi curry with safron basmati, mint chutney and cilantro (coriander I guess if you're not from the states!). I'm trying out these small aluminum trays. I vacuum seal and freeze so with these I would reheat them either in boiling water or if I want I can remove the bag and reheat them in the oven. The sous vide method is the most gentle and I find it keeps the food closest to how it was when it was packed.

I did add some sliced red onion since I had some that needed to be used










Cooling down for the vacuum sealer!










These seal very well and should hold up well in the freezer.


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## eastshores (Oct 23, 2008)

Winner winner chicken fried rice dinner? Picked up a blackstone a while back since I'm cooking a lot more at home rather than going out. So far the only thing I've done has been smash burgers. I was a little worried about burning the rice but it handled it really well on high.

I thinly sliced chicken breasts and made a concoction marinade from things I had. Stir fry sauce, garlic paste, ponzu, black vinegar, and grated ginger.

The rest was pretty standard as far as I know - rice, soy sauce, peas and carrots, scallions and some egg.



















Tada!


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## singularity6 (Dec 30, 2020)

eastshores said:


> Winner winner chicken fried rice dinner? Picked up a blackstone a while back since I'm cooking a lot more at home rather than going out. So far the only thing I've done has been smash burgers. I was a little worried about burning the rice but it handled it really well on high.
> 
> I thinly sliced chicken breasts and made a concoction marinade from things I had. Stir fry sauce, garlic paste, ponzu, black vinegar, and grated ginger.
> 
> ...


Any fried rice dishes should be posted with a video subject to a review from Uncle Roger. If you're not familiar with Uncle Roger's fried rice reviews, look them up. He's pretty entertaining.


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## butzy (Jan 8, 2010)

Pad prik king with jasmine rice:

Quite a simple dish, and still very tasty








The ingredients....
It's normally made with pork, but I had bacon bits so used those instead.
Missing on the picture: fish sauce and palm sugar.









And for the rice:
I like to use this pot. And 2 volumes of rice and 3 of water.
Stir
Bring to a simmer and stir. Put lid back and don't touch or stir anymore.
I put the pot on 2 diffuser plates and the heat as low as possible. Turn off the heat after about 10 minutes and let stand.
Just before eating, open pot and fluff the rice.
Works for me with this rice, this pot and this stove


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## harpua (May 4, 2005)

Apple rice pilaf

Long grain, onions, apples, rice, chix stock, fresh Bay, toasted almonds and cranberries.

Served with roasted root veg.


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## butzy (Jan 8, 2010)

I decided to try my hand at making lontong, with mixed success.
My banana, galangal and turmeric plants are still too small, so I got a turmeric leaf from a friend (normally lontong is made in banana leaf)









I managed to fold it in more or lass the right shape









Filled for about 1/3 with raw Jasmine rice and closed the package









And put into the pot, brought to a boil and cooked for 30-45 minutes









That 1/3 filling came from one of the recipes I found on internet. Normally a pretty reliable site, but not this time.
I should have foreseen this. I should know how much rice expands when you cook it through and through.
Anyway. my package broke open.....
So the rice didn't compact as much as it should.
I removed from the water with a slotted spoon, used some off cuts of turmeric leaf and lined a small sieve. Pressed out as much water as I could, let it cool down a bit and moved to the fridge.
Lontong is mostly eaten cold and you can also only cut it when it is cold.

This is the lontong, the next day.
You can clearly se the colour difference between the boiled and the fresh turmeric leaf









And cut in pieces









<to be continued in the next post as not all my pictures will fit>


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## butzy (Jan 8, 2010)

I had chicken thighs as well and did those on fairly high heat on my smoker.
Rice comes into play here as I crumbed them with ground rice
I used my coffee grinder to grind the rice (just raw Jasmine rice)









And mixed with a homemade spice mixture









Then coated the chicken with it









They went on the smoker









Lontong is quite often eaten with gado gado or satay, but I decided on eggs in satay sauce
I fried some finely chopped onions, then added garlic, ginger and chili









Followed by sweet soy, soy, ****** lime leaves and peanut butter









Chicken done:









Lontong as ready as it will ever be









Eggs ready









And ready to eat









I'll need to work on my lontong, but it was definitely a very tasty meal!


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## teamfat (Nov 5, 2007)

A third of the way into the month, and so many wonderful looking dishes already. You folks are doing great! Keep 'em coming!

Was going to put this in the What did you have for dinner thread, but hey, there's rice involved. Butter miso poached catfish, spicy edamame ( garlic and togarashi ) and rice with a sprinkle of noritamago furikake.










mjb.


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## butzy (Jan 8, 2010)

I've been browsing my cookbooks (on kindle), thinking I should make dosa.
But I have no urad dhal. Then I came accross a recipe gor "Appam" in my "Indian cookery course" by Manisha Bharadwaj and decided to give that a go.
I just reduced the amount.
Washed and soaked 100 gr Jasmine rice in water for 3-4 hours.
Blended with coconut milk and left outside overnight.
Next morning I added sugar, salt and bicarb. The mixture was quite stiff, but stirring and very little water made it into what I thought a good consistency for a batter.
Fried in my wok.
I should have ended up with 5 pancakes, but I got only 3.
Since I have never had them before, I can't say if that was because mine were bigger or thicker (or both).
I think I will leave out the sugar next time!

Blending soaked rice and coconut milk









Blended mixture. Looked similar in the morning, just a bit thicker, so no extra pic









Frying


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## Hank (Sep 8, 2015)

Ginger Shrimp on Black Rice











I started the rice with softened shallots and a couple ginger slices.












I made a sauce with hosin sauce, soy sauce, rice wine, chopped ginger, chopped garlic chives, white pepper, and a little water










On high heat I quickly sauteed the shrimp on both sides then added the sauce and cooked until just warmed.


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## Hank (Sep 8, 2015)

Smoked Salmon Risotto



















Just salmon, onion and parsley, plus white wine and butter.










I broke up the salmon and mixed it with melted butter to add at the end.


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## Hank (Sep 8, 2015)

Risotto Omelet. The next day for lunch from the leftovers










3 or 4 cups of risotto, 2 eggs, parmisan cheese, parsley, tomato sauce.










On low heat melt a fair amount of butter and place the mixture in the pan. The trick is to let it cook a long time rotating the pan to get an even crust. Then invert it on a plate, add more butter if necessary and crust the other side.










Not my best work.










The soft interior and crunchy exterior make a great contrast.


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## eastshores (Oct 23, 2008)

"Mexican Rice" .. this is just long grain rice cooked with seasonings like chicken bullion, tomato, chilies and the color is more red, and comes from annatto as opposed to "Spanish Rice" which is colored by saffron.

This was a side dish for fajitas. I tried out two cuts of steak tonight. "Flap meat" which was $9.99 a lb vs. skirt steak at $7.99 a lb. I don't think the flap meat was worth the extra cost. At least not in this dish. It was more tender than skirt even though it had a very similar texture.


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## teamfat (Nov 5, 2007)

Halfway through January and already a batch of really great looking dishes. This could be a difficult decision come the end of the month. Keep up the good work, folks.

mjb.


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## eastshores (Oct 23, 2008)

Decided that Sunday would be "Greek Night" and looking through my book on Greek food I found a recipe for a chicken angel hair rice pilaf. This seemed very Moroccan to me because of the chopped almonds and golden raisins. Finely chopped chicken (I used tenderloins) marinated in a hot paprika, grated onion, ground coriander, and S&P mixture. Pasta, raisins, and almonds were sauteed until browned then combined with the other mixture with some rice and chicken stock.



















I also made a potato meat pie, skordalia and tzatziki, grilled marinated chicken and beef kabobs, grilled lemon and olive oil peppers, a tomato cucumber salad, and of course we had feta, olives, and pita!


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## Aquamarie (Jan 9, 2021)

Seeing all the wonderful dishes motivated me to plate up a bit for fun!








These are baby rice balls with tuna mayo in them and on them for balance. Crispy Nori on the bottom, yuzu furikake on the rice. Generally at full size, they would be called "Tuna Mayo Onigiri", but most of the time I just spoon the sushi rice into a bowl with the nori and tuna mayo separate like a quick piece meal. I just wanted to plate it up this time for fun~

Tuna Mayo mixture is:
5 oz minced tuna
1 tsp (7g) soy sauce
1/2 tsp (2g) dashi powder
3 heaping tbsp (55g) kewpie mayo
1 tsp (8g) ketchup

Very excited to be part of this community. Look forward to seeing the other submissions. I don't want to participate in the challenge, but wanted to share my favorite rice dish that I make almost every week!


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## eastshores (Oct 23, 2008)

That's a neat presentation. All of the components of sushi .. just not in a roll!


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## Hank (Sep 8, 2015)

Soup is this month, right?

Thai Chicken and Red Rice Soup










Stock, coconut milk, Thai curry paste, lemon grass, diced tomato, ginger, green onion, and a pepper. Plus a couple bone-in chicken thighs. Simmer until the chicken is done, then remove and cool.










Shred the chicken and add it back along with cooked red rice, then heat it all up. Add a lot of chopped spinach, some cilantro, lime juice and a little fish sauce. Cook a few minutes more until the spinach is soft.










Garnished with more cilantro, peanuts, and some lime juice.


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## mike9 (Jul 13, 2012)

My wife's birthday was yesterday. We had the kids over tonight because mine's on Sunday. I bought two pounds of dry bay scallops yesterday and they are huge. I weighed out a pound and thawed a pound of shrimp. I started by searing the scallops in cast iron then draining on paper. Next I sweated my sofrito in evoo then added white wine, big 'ole sprig of thyme, smoked paprika and a big spoonful of turmeric then my rice to coat then chicken stock. When that was done I added my seared scallops, shrimp and frozen peas and put in the oven @ 250F. When it was time to dine I topped with fresh chopped parsley and believe me they all dug in and I have maybe two cups leftover.










Someone asked me what Diane got for her birthday - I said "a pulled pork sandwich and a new president" . . . They asked me for mine Sunday and I said "a Hockey game between the Redwings and the Blackhawks". They looked at me funny and I said I went to many Redwings games when growing up in Detroit and my great, great uncle Johnny played for the Chicago Blackhawks his entire NHL career. So I'm going to enjoy this for sure!!! Guess I better stock up on beer for this one - LOL.


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## butzy (Jan 8, 2010)

Free style rice noodle stir fry (very very loosely based on phat thai)
I started off with dry roasting peanuts. Normally a weak point for me as I quite often stop at this stage and just finish the peanuts 









Grabbed some rice noodles and soaked them in warm water to make them pliable:









The other ingredients:
onion, garlic, yellow pepper, tomato, fish sauce and a homemade green sambal.
And bacon, but is not on the picture 









Started with frying garlic, onion and bacon









Cracked an egg in it









And stirred it all together and topped with the peanuts.
I had no cilantro or culantro, so had to do without (tasted pretty good, but looks a bit boring)


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## butzy (Jan 8, 2010)

We are staying freestyle 

I made something resembling a butternut curry.
Fresh butternut from the garden, onion, garlic, bacon, ginger, galangal (own garden), ****** lime leaves (own garden), coconut milk, fish sauce and lime juice.

And chili's (own garden).
Little mistake here as I picked them, then blackened them in a wok and pounded to a paste in a pestle and mortar with some salt. Then spread the mixture out thinly in the hope it would dry and use it as powder or flakes. But the rainy season kicked in with a vengeance and as I didn't want to throw the mixture, I threw it all in with the butternut.
Tasty, but definite overkill....

But now for the rice:
I had some left over Jasmine rice that I had cooked with some green sambal (home made again)
SO.... I made rice soup.
Just added some of the still very liquid butternut curry and some more water to the rice and kept boiling till the rice was real soft. It was still too hot!
Found some left over of homemade cream cheese (from drained lacto mabisi) and added it to the soup.
It did make it real creamy, still hot, but that had something to do with the chili I had added to the cream cheese (also garlic and basil)
In the end, a real tasty meal. Real comfort food actually and I've always had something against rice in soup.....
You live and you learn and that's why I like those challenges!

Butternut curry on the go









Left over green sambal rice. The little bit of green in the centre is the first yardlong bean from my garden









Comfort food


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## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

Some rice ideas I've never seen before. It has English subtitles and her translations are sometimes humorously bad.


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## Hank (Sep 8, 2015)

Rice and Spinach Tart

I started with a few ounces of lardon and a leek, followed by garlic when the leek was softened.









Then a pound of roughly chopped spinach.









When that was cooked down I added rice and cooked with ladles of beef broth as you would a risotto. (I forgot to take photos.) Then I added three eggs, parmesan cheese, and nutmeg and poured it all into a buttered tart dish heavily lined with bread crumbs. I topped it with a bread crumb and parmesan cheese mix, doted with butter and baked for 30 minutes at 400.









No points for pretty as I am notoriously bad a spreading things like bread crumbs evenly and I think the butter made the splotches. But just the two of us made short work of it.


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## butzy (Jan 8, 2010)

One pot dish of rice, meat off cuts and egg

Happy eaters:


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## loomchick (Jun 11, 2013)

Ever since I joined ChefTalk back in 2013, I have enjoyed the monthly challenge and seeing how creative people could be since I always drew a blank. Month-after-month I would tell myself "Next time." With all of the craziness in the world, I have been more committed to participating in a monthly challenge. And . . . here is my maiden effort.

I continued to draw a blank for rice until I decided to add another requirement to give myself some focus . . . I had to source ingredients from what I had on hand because I was inspired by the 'pantry' challenge last year. (See . . . I really do pay attention!)

It's simple . . . but, it really hit the spot on a cold winter night. It would be easy to cut the recipe in half, but I like big batches of soup so I can enjoy it more than once.

*Pantry-sourced Wild Rice and Ham Soup*​
2 cups wild rice
6 cups water
1/2 cup (one stick) butter
½ cup chopped onion
½ cup flour
6 cups chicken broth
2 cups cubed ham
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
Salt & pepper

*Step 1* - Heat the water to boiling. Add the wild rice. Reduce the heat and simmer for 45 minutes.

*Step 2* - While the wild rice is cooking, in another pan melt the butter and sauté the onion until tender and nearly translucent. Add the flour and using a whisk blend until smooth. Add the chicken broth. Bring the butter, onion, flour, and chicken broth mixture to a boil.

*Step 3* - Add the cooked wild rice, cubed ham, and diced carrots to the butter, onion, flour, and chicken broth mixture. Bring the contents to a simmer until the carrots begin to get tender. Add the heavy cream and milk and blend thoroughly. Bring the contents to a near-simmer to avoid scalding the cream and milk.

*Step 4* - Remove from the heat, ladle into bowls, and eat!


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## teamfat (Nov 5, 2007)

Oh wow, @loomchick

It is a cold, gray day here in Salt Lake, a bowl of that soup would be perfect.

mjb.


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## nicko (Oct 5, 2001)

Wow some amazing dishes. So awesome!


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## loomchick (Jun 11, 2013)

teamfat said:


> Oh wow, @loomchick
> 
> It is a cold, gray day here in Salt Lake, a bowl of that soup would be perfect.
> 
> mjb.


Thanks! I feel like I found a seat at the grown-ups table . . . I'm at the end of the table . . . but, I feel pretty good about be a part of a monthly challenge. Now, I'm looking forward to February!


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## teamfat (Nov 5, 2007)

nicko said:


> Wow some amazing dishes. So awesome!


Judging this one will not be easy.

mjb.


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## eastshores (Oct 23, 2008)

Decided to do a Vietnamese rice noodle salad. This has a dressing of sweet chili, rice vinegar, and fish sauce. I absent mindedly left the cilantro I bought sitting on the counter. I'm surprised I didn't notice it missing. The veges were cucumber, carrots, shredded nappa cabbage, and some scallions. Shrimp were sauteed in sriracha and soy sauce.









You can show off your knife skills or if you are really hungry use the mandolin like I did!









Rice vermicelli boiled briefly then rinsed in cool water









Finished dish. I also forgot lime at the grocery store and they didn't have any basil. Thai basil is usually used. So the dish looks a little bare!


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## Hank (Sep 8, 2015)

Welcome to the challenge loomchick. Great entry. Carry on.


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## loomchick (Jun 11, 2013)

Hank said:


> Welcome to the challenge loomchick. Great entry. Carry on.


Thanks! It took a while to work up the courage, but I feel good about it. The soup was really tasty too!


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## Hank (Sep 8, 2015)

This is more a PSA than a entry. I have been making this Mexican rice for years. I found it on ChefTalk. https://cheftalk.com/threads/authentic-mexican-rice-recipe.76163/#post-433922










It's as authentic as a internet recipe can be I guess, a great recipe for a nicely seasoned Mexican rice side. The tacos are black bean and sweet potato tocas from SimplyRecieps.com. An awesome taco recipe imo.


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## butzy (Jan 8, 2010)

Another rice noodle stir fry....

Chili paste (not home made, but got it instead of change), garlic, orange bell pepper, garlic, fresh mint and basil, eggs, left over steak, fish sauce.
Plus oystersauce and a little vinegar (as I ran out of limes).









Soaked rice noodles









Standard stir frying process etc
And very tasty end result.


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## Hank (Sep 8, 2015)

Chicken and Rice in Cream Sauce

Julia Child made this in her first TV series from the 60's (it's available on Amazon Prime).

I started with mirepoix, parsley and bay leaf, and small garlic clove as well as a 40 hour turkey stock (hat-tip to mike9)















She calls the rice method risotto but it's a French version which is started like Italian risotto and then cooked covered with all the liquid like steamed rice.

I cooked the dry rice in butter and minced onion. Then added the chicken stock and covered and cooked until done.















It didn't really go as planned. The liquid was absorbed slowly and I had to wing it to get the rice done properly. But in the end it was very creamy and flavorful.

For the chicken I first sautéed the mirepoix and when soft added the garlic followed by the chicken. I placed a piece of parchment paper over the mixture, covered and cooked for about 10 minutes in a 400 degree oven.









I removed the chicken and kept warm while I made the sauce. First I added a dry white wine and reduced, then stock and reduced by half. Finally I added cream mixed with corn starch and cooked to thicken.









And serve


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## harpua (May 4, 2005)

Mochi brownies! Made with all mochiko sweet rice flour. Very good! Good chocolate flavor and slightly chewy!


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## eastshores (Oct 23, 2008)

Hank said:


> Chicken and Rice in Cream Sauce


This looks great, and forgive me but it reminds me of something my mom would make for us as kids long ago. Not sure if everyone knows about canned chicken ala king lol .. she would sometimes put it over rice.


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## butzy (Jan 8, 2010)

Pad prik king. Just with left over steak this time, instead of the traditional pork.
I just love this dish. It's so easy to make and so tasty!


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## Hank (Sep 8, 2015)

eastshores said:


> This looks great, and forgive me but it reminds me of something my mom would make for us as kids long ago. Not sure if everyone knows about canned chicken ala king lol .. she would sometimes put it over rice.
> 
> View attachment 69660


Oh maaaaan. You figured me out!


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## butzy (Jan 8, 2010)

Going back to the beginning of the month...
I was in our capital city and figured I better buy some rice vinegar and some rice wine as they will come in handy for this challenge. But I couldn't find any.
So what do you do? You start googling to see if you can make it yourself within the time frame. Unfortunately, I couldn't find a way due to lack of time and lack of the necessary ingredients. But google got me to something I had never heard of: Horchata....
So I figured I will make that instead.
Plenty recipes out there and some quite different from the others (even one with boiled rice).
I decided to use a recipe that didn't use milk (normal, evaporated, or coconut) as I wanted the "original" taste. Remember I had never heard of this stuff before, let alone tried it 
I sort of went for this recipe: https://www.thespruceeats.com/horchata-rice-drink-recipes-2342594

I ground the rice quite fine in my electric coffee grinder









Added cassia bark and ****** lime zest (I had no "real" cinnamom and just finished my fresh limes)
And let it sit for a couple hours at room temperature.
To be honest: I don't really understand why they don't want you to grind the cinnamon and the rice together?









Then it said "use the blender to break down the cinnamon". Well, that's not easy with a stick blender. Should have done that at the start (see earlier remark). Then at some water and keep in the fridge.
After that, add remaining water.
It didn't say anything about straining, but I did that anyway as it looked way to gritty









I only made a quarter of the recipe as I was not too sure if I was going to like it 
This is what I ended up with:









I added ice cubes before tasting.
It's not like anything I've had before. Definitely better ice and ice cold.
Next time I'll reduce cinnamon (cassia) and sugar as they were both a bit overpowering.
I think it would actually be a great summer drink with some fresh mint in it 

Bonus picture for all of you in winter time:


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## teamfat (Nov 5, 2007)

Wow. What a lot of great stuff here. Rice based brownies??

Almost done, one more day. Keep up the good work.

mjb.


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## marketexpress (Jan 30, 2021)

teamfat said:


> Rice made an appearance in the monthly challenges back in September, 2014.
> 
> Challenge List
> 
> ...


Jollof rice!!!


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## eastshores (Oct 23, 2008)

@butzy I'm always intrigued with your posts. I recall you live in S. Africa? Or maybe I have that wrong. What kind of wild beasts do you have stalking your compound? I'm in America-Australia .. aka Florida .. we have all sorts of beasts but I think some of the 400 lb wild boars would be the ones I don't want to tangle with!


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## mike9 (Jul 13, 2012)

eastshores said:


> @butzyI think some of the 400 lb wild boars would be the ones I don't want to tangle with!


I would definitely love to try my hand at butchering one though. I love ferule swine it's really delicious.


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## harpua (May 4, 2005)

teamfat said:


> Wow. What a lot of great stuff here. Rice based brownies??
> 
> Almost done, one more day. Keep up the good work.
> 
> mjb.


I'm actually eating one as I'm typing this. Cold from the fridge, they have a stretchy, chewy texture. Don't know if you've had mochi before, but it's the most satisfying mouthfeel. Definitely making these again.


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## butzy (Jan 8, 2010)

eastshores said:


> @butzy I'm always intrigued with your posts. I recall you live in S. Africa? Or maybe I have that wrong. What kind of wild beasts do you have stalking your compound? I'm in America-Australia .. aka Florida .. we have all sorts of beasts but I think some of the 400 lb wild boars would be the ones I don't want to tangle with!


Not in S Africa, but a bit further North, in Zambia.
No boar here!
But we have hippo, elephant, baboon, vervet monkey, crocodile, impala and warthog around the place where I am now, mostly in and on the other side of the river (in Zimbabwe) 
I am actually fighting cows and goats more than anything! They keep trying to come in my garden 

As soon as you get into the parks areas, you'll find plenty game.


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## butzy (Jan 8, 2010)

Oh, and we need to extend this month!
I still need to make Nasi Kuning, Lemper, re-try my Lontong, I need to make Larb, and rice crackers. Rice paper, proper Dosa.....
Arghhh. Not enough time!


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## mike9 (Jul 13, 2012)

@butzy - is there ever enough time? LOL


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## butzy (Jan 8, 2010)

Managed Nasi Kuning 
Washed Jasmine rice several times








Added lemongrass







Bay leaf








And pandan leaf







And some ground turmeric and kaffit lime leaves









And water and coconut milk.
Mixed it all up








Boiled/steamed as usual (pic was taken after removing the leaves)








I had Rendang to go with it








No serving pictures. Sorry
My guests just tucked in and all got fimished


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## harpua (May 4, 2005)

butzy said:


> Managed Nasi Kuning
> Washed Jasmine rice several times
> View attachment 69668
> 
> ...


I've never had pandan in a savory dish before. This looks so awesome.


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## Hank (Sep 8, 2015)

I almost didn't post this Timballo bacause it was such a fail coming out of the mold. But Mrs Hank saved it visually to some extent with a decent pic of the leftovers.

I poached some chicken thighs and made a stock which I will used to cook the rice.









I also made meatballs, half of which I fried and half of which I simmered in stock.





















I had some leftover end bits of eggplant so I fried those up too.









I browned a sausage link, sliced it, and then added some marinara sauce and the fried meatballs.









I then buttered and bread crumbed a deep pan and layered the ingredients. Rice, half the chopped up chicken with the simmered meatballs, mozzarella cheese, egg plant, the sauce, meatballs and sausage mixture, more rice mixted with the rest of the chicken, and finally eggs and pecorino. I then baked it for about 40 minutes.

















Not nearly as lovely as I had hoped. I tried to reassemble it but it was a mess. There are photos of the disaster below. Live and learn. I should have just mixed it all up and called it a casserole 

.


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## teamfat (Nov 5, 2007)

Okay. I'll be heading off to work in a couple of hours. I should get home around 7 am Mountain time. I'll go through all the wonderful entries for this challenge and hopefully pick a winner by noon tomorrow, Salt Lake time.

mjb.


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## harpua (May 4, 2005)

Hank said:


> I almost didn't post this Timballo bacause it was such a fail coming out of the mold. But Mrs Hank saved it visually to some extent with a decent pic of the leftovers.
> 
> I poached some chicken thighs and made a stock which I will used to cook the rice.
> 
> ...


But how did it taste?


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## brianshaw (Dec 18, 2010)

harpua said:


> But how did it taste?


From just looking at the picture I can assure you that it tasted great. I know my mouth salivates every time I look at those pictures!


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## Hank (Sep 8, 2015)

harpua said:


> But how did it taste?


It was delicious. The actual meat to rice ratio was higher than in the plated picture. Good contrast of textures and flavors with the various meat and cooking techniques. Made for good leftovers too.


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## teamfat (Nov 5, 2007)

Wow. Just wow. Impressive showing this month.

I counted 31 entries. January has 31 days. Interesting.

Of those 31, @butzy produced an amazing list of 10 rice dishes. @Hank offered up 6, @eastshores 5. 7 others did the remaining 10 dishes.

I was seriously considering giving the win to @Aquamarie because I really like onigiri. And @harpua made brownies, not what I expected to see in this challenge. And @Hank's smoked salmon risotto was also a top contender.

But just based on the number of good looking dishes, the variety and creative uses of rice, I'm going to name @butzy the top contender for the month.

Good work, all who took part, especially first timers and mostly lurkers like @singularity6 and @loomchick.

mjb.


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## 77east (Jan 27, 2021)

Vegetarian Raw Baby Jackfruit Biriyani. Rice is a staple here in India. Its made with Basmati with a Salted Curd Mix with Tomatoes and Onions.

Edit: Just checked time is up... Sharing just for the food


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## brianshaw (Dec 18, 2010)

Congratulations Butzy... looking forward to February!

Wonderful hosting and hospitality, teamfat!


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## mike9 (Jul 13, 2012)

Congrats to @butzy.


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## Hank (Sep 8, 2015)

Great job Butzy. You made some really nice dishes. And thanks teamfat for hosting.


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## loomchick (Jun 11, 2013)

teamfat said:


> Good work, all who took part, especially first timers and mostly lurkers like @singularity6 and @loomchick.
> 
> mjb.


Thanks! It was fun to be a part of the monthly challenge. What's up for February?


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## butzy (Jan 8, 2010)

Thanks all.
Really loved the challenge. Didn't get everything done that I wanted.
Feb challenge will be up in a couple of hours. Need some hours sleep first


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## loomchick (Jun 11, 2013)

butzy said:


> Thanks all.
> Really loved the challenge. Didn't get everything done that I wanted.
> Feb challenge will be up in a couple of hours. Need some hours sleep first


Congratulations, butzy! You did some amazing dishes!


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## chrislehrer (Oct 9, 2008)

I can't believe I missed this challenge! Congratulations Butzy


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## butzy (Jan 8, 2010)

The new challenge is posted 
https://cheftalk.com/threads/february-2021-challenge-palm-produce.109517/#post-615883


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