Wild & Brown Rice with Cranberries

Wild & Brown Rice with Cranberries
By: The Culinary Institute of America Breakfasts & Brunches

¼ cup sweetened dried cranberries
½ cup apple cider
2 ¾ cups chicken or vegetable broth, divided
¼ cup minced yellow onion
½ cup wild rice
½ cup long-grain brown rice (or Texmati rice)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

Combine the cranberries with the apple cider in a microwave-safe dish. Cover and heat in a microwave oven on full power for 40 seconds. Drain the cider from the cranberries, reserving both the cider and the cranberries separately.

In an ovenproof saucepan, heat ¼ cup of the broth over medium heat. Add the onion and cook them for about 2 minutes, or until translucent and tender. Add the wild and brown rice, the remaining broth, and the reserved apple cider; bring to a simmer. Cover and bake until the rice has absorbed the moisture and is just tender to the bite, 45-50 minutes.

Fluff the rice with a fork and fold in the reserved cranberries. Serve hot.

Makes 6-8 servings

Vanilla Raspberry Rice Pudding

Vanilla Raspberry Rice Pudding
By: Gale Gand with Lisa Weiss

For the rice pudding:
½ cup Arborio rice
2 cups milk
¼ vanilla bean, halved lengthwise
6 Tablespoons sugar
½ pint raspberries

For the lemon-vanilla caramel:
¾ cup sugar
½ cup corn syrup
¾ vanilla bean, halved lengthwise
¾ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

In a strainer, rinse the rice under cold water for 1 minute, moving it around with your hands to remove some of the starch.

To make the rice pudding, in a medium saucepan combine the rice with the milk and vanilla bean and bring to a simmer. Cook until very tender, 25 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the sugar.

For the lemon-vanilla caramel, put the sugar, corn syrup, and vanilla bean in a medium high-walled saucepan (this will help protect you from the bubbling hot caramel) and bring to a boil. Cook until it turns golden amber. Using a wooden spoon, carefully stir in the lemon juice; the hot caramel will spatter a little at first. Once the caramel is smooth, remove it from the heat and set aside to cool. Transfer to a container and chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

To serve the pudding, divide about half of the lemon-vanilla caramel among 4-6 stemmed glasses, and then portion half of the chilled rice pudding on top. Add the raspberries and cover them with the remaining rice pudding. Finish by covering the surface of the puddings with another layer of caramel, which will ooze down to the bottom!

Vanilla-Bean Rice Pudding with Honey-Soaked Raspberries

Vanilla-Bean Rice Pudding with Honey-Soaked Raspberries

¼ cup honey
1 ½ cup fresh raspberries
2 cups 1% milk, divided
1 ½ cups water
1 cup Arborio Rice
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¾ cup nonfat sweetened condensed milk
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon orange zest, minced
Seeds from 1 vanilla bean
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
1 Tablespoon fresh basil (garnish if desired)
2 Tablespoons pistachios, chopped (garnish if desired)

Heat honey in a microwave for 30 seconds, or until thin. Toss with berries and set aside.

Simmer 1 ½ cups milk, water, rice and salt in a saucepan over low heat, covered, for 25 minutes, whisking every 10 minutes.

Combine remaining ½ cup milk, condensed milk, yolks, and zest in a bowl; whisk in 1 cup cooked rice.

Add yolk mixture and vanilla seeds to remaining rice in pan; whisk constantly over low heat until thickened, about 5 minutes.

Off heat, stir in butter and basil (optional). Serve pudding warm with the raspberries, garnished with pistachios (if desired).

Makes 4 cups

Almond Rice Pudding

Almond Rice Pudding
1 ½ cups water
¾ cup uncooked white rice (not Minute Rice; I use Uncle Ben’s)
4 large eggs
4 cups milk
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup dark raisins (optional)

Topping:
1/3 cup sliced almonds
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

In a medium-size saucepan, bring the water and rice to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer for 18-20 minutes, or until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender. Let cool.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a shallow 2-quart baking dish.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs. Whisk in the milk, sugar, and both extracts until well blended. Stir in rice and raisins (optional). Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish.

Make the topping: In a small bowl, mix the almonds, sugar and nutmeg. Sprinkle the topping over the pudding.

Bake 45 minutes to 1 hour. Cool and serve with homemade whip cream or vanilla ice cream. Can be served warm or hot.

Serves 8

Risotto with Peas and Scallions

Risotto with Peas and Scallions
By: The Culinary Institute of America’s

8 ¼ cups vegetable broth, or as needed
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 ¾ cups Arborio rice
2 cups green peas, frozen
8 scallions (green onions), sliced
1 Tablespoon butter
2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
1 cup parmesan cheese, grated, plus additional for garnish, or to taste

Bring the broth to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce the heat and simmer.

Heat 2 Tablespoons of the oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion, reduce the heat, and sauté for 1 minute. Add the rice and cook, stirring to coat, about 2 minutes.

Add about 1/3 of the simmered vegetable broth to the rice and cook, stirring constantly, until the rice absorbs all of the broth, about 6-8 minutes. Add the same about of broth again and simmer, stirring, until the broth is absorbed, 6-8 minutes more. Add the remaining broth and simmer, stirring, until the risotto has a creamy consistency and the rice is tender, about 6-8 minutes more.

Before all of the liquid is absorbed, add the peas and 1 cup of the scallions (green onions). Stir in the butter, salt, pepper; and cheese. Garnish with additional grated cheese, if desired, and the remaining scallions.

Makes 8 servings
Preparation time: 40 minutes