Baked Rice With Slow-Roasted Tomatoes and Garlic

Amarante

Tue, Nov 08 2022, 10:25 am

This was delicious and fool proof as baking rice produces a perfect result all the time. I have used the Cooks' Illustrated recipe for plain baked brown rice for years

Baked Rice With Slow-Roasted Tomatoes and Garlic

Recipe from Yotam Ottolenghi

Baking rice on a bed of tender vegetables has to be one of the most fail-safe ways to prepare it. Here tangy-sweet tomatoes, garlic and shallots are slowly roasted in olive oil with cinnamon and thyme, then baked with basmati rice until everything is fragrant and soft. Adapted from Yotam Ottolenghi’s cookbook, “Ottolenghi Simple,” it makes a spectacular side dish to pan-seared meats or fish, or can be the heart of a vegetarian meal with some crumbled feta and pine nuts sprinkled on top for serving.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

INGREDIENTS

1¾ pounds cherry tomatoes
12 large garlic cloves
4 large shallots, cut into 1¼-inch pieces
1¼ cup cilantro stems, cut into 1½-inch pieces
3 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
4 small cinnamon sticks
1 teaspoon fine sea salt, more as needed
Black pepper, as needed
7 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1½ cups basmati rice
2½ cups boiling water
½ cup cilantro leaves, roughly chopped

PREPARATION

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

In an 8-by-12-inch casserole dish, toss together tomatoes, garlic, shallots, cilantro stems, thyme, cinnamon sticks, ½ teaspoon salt and pepper to taste. Pour oil over everything, then bake until vegetables are soft, about 1 hour. Remove from oven and increase oven temperature to 450.

Without stirring anything, sprinkle rice evenly over vegetables. Top with remaining ½ teaspoon salt and plenty of black pepper.

Carefully pour boiling water over rice, then cover dish tightly with foil and bake for 25 minutes, until rice is cooked. Remove from oven and set aside for 10 minutes, still covered.

Remove foil, gently stir in cilantro leaves, taste and add more salt if needed, and serve.

Amarante

Fri, Nov 18 2022, 3:24 pm

For anyone wanting to do the traditional Thanksgiving sides, this is a very good vegan (I.e. pareve) version of the Green Bean Casserole.

Vegan Green Bean Casserole

The classic Thanksgiving side dish becomes instantly more flavorful with the use of fresh green beans, shallots and mushrooms. This recipe is also vegan, owing to a quick, creamy sauce made with non-dairy milk and thickened with flour. You can save yourself the trouble of deep-frying onions by using store-bought French fried onions. They’re usually vegan, but be sure to double check the ingredient label to be sure.

INGREDIENTS

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Olive oil, for greasing the baking dish
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons kosher salt
1½ pounds green beans, trimmed
2 tablespoons vegan butter
1 pound sliced white button or baby bella mushrooms
2 small or 1 large shallot, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons unbleached, all-purpose flour
2 cups unsweetened soy, oat or almond milk
Black pepper, to taste
1½ cups store-bought fried onions

PREPARATION

Heat the oven to 350 degrees and oil a 3-quart baking dish.

Fill a large pot with water. Add 1 tablespoon salt to the water and bring to a boil. Add the green beans and boil for 4 minutes (or 3 minutes if you are using French beans). Drain the green beans and rinse them under cold running water. Give them a shake to remove excess water, then cut them into 2-inch pieces. Transfer the cut green beans to the baking dish. NOTE I always cook veggies in the microwave because it is easier. You don't want them to get too cooked either method because they will bake in the casserole

Heat the butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and shallots. Cook for 5 minutes, or until the mushrooms have released their juices and are reduced in size. Stir frequently to prevent the shallots from burning. Add the garlic and cook the mushrooms for another 3 minutes, stirring as you go.

Place the flour in a small bowl and add ¼ cup of the non-dairy milk. Whisk together to create a slurry.

Pour the remaining 1¾ cups non-dairy milk into the skillet with the mushrooms. Stir in the slurry, 2 teaspoons kosher salt and the black pepper. Bring the liquid to a simmer and reduce the heat to low. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. - It took me a bit longer to thicken the sauce to the consistency of canned mushroom soup or béchamel sauce which is the traditional "white sauce"

Pour the mushroom sauce over the green beans and give it a gentle stir to coat. Top with the fried onions. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes, or until the onions turn a deep golden brown and the sauce is bubbling. Allow the casserole to cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Amarante

Fri, Nov 18 2022, 4:26 pm

cbg wrote:

Thanks
I love both recipes
How do you cook green beans in the microwave?

I cook all my veggies in the microwave as they come out perfectly and it is easier than boiling a pot of water.
Err on the side of not too long because you don't want to over cook because you can always add 30 seconds. It doesn't take long at all to nuke veggies and it is essentially "steaming" them so they retain all of the nutrients as well because when you boil vegetables in a pot of water some of the nutrients go into the water and then generally just get tossed.

Any microwave safe container will work but I got a lightweight "long" one and it also holds long stuff. There are some good microwave inexpensive choices on amazon

I have one that is basically like this - you put water in the bottom and then put the veggies on top and then just put in the microwave. But honestly you can use an microwave safe container but I like this style because it is lightweight.

This isn't mine because I got mine a while ago - but just google microwave vegetable steamer and a lot of choices will show up

GoodCook BPA-Free Plastic Microwave Vegetable and Fish Steamer, Green

cbg

Fri, Nov 18 2022, 4:45 pm

Amarante wrote:

Thanks
Do you season the stringbeans before you microwave