Spicy Mexican Rice and Beans.

- Spicy Mexican Rice and Beans Recipe | Elizabeth's Kitchen Diary:

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Traditional method of cooking rice.

Basic principle for this recipe: 1 volume of rice for 2 volumes of water
{Ingredients for 4 persons}
- 2 glasses of good basmati rice, carefully rinsed and drained
- 4 glasses of mineral or filtered water
- 2 tablespoons coarse salt
- 50 grams of sweet butter or olive oil for a vegan version
- 1 bay leaf (optional)
{method}
- Put the rice, water and salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
- Once boiling, reduce the heat a little and observe your rice. When you see small holes / bubbles forming on the surface, sprinkle with small pieces of butter and lower the heat to a minimum.
- Cover the pan with a cloth (be careful not to ignite it when cooking with gas!) And a suitable cover. If the laundry protrudes from the sides, fold it down and tie it to the top of the lid.
- Cook for 40 minutes over low heat without ever lifting the lid so as not to disturb the work of steam.
- Serve this delicious rice, quite glued but deliciously scented ... happiness!

How to cook rice.

Millions of cooks are endangering their health by cooking their rice incorrectly, scientists believe.
Putting more water in the pan or even steeping it overnight is the best way to flush out traces of the poison arsenic, they found.
The chemical contaminates rice as a result of industrial toxins and pesticides which can remain in the soil for decades.
Experts have long debated what level of arsenic is safe, with new limits set by the EU in 2016.
Chronic exposure to the toxin has been linked to a range of health problems including developmental problems, heart disease, diabetes and cancer.
But experiments suggest that the way rice is cooked is key to reducing exposure to the toxic but naturally occurring chemical.
Prof Andy Meharg, from Queens University Belfast, tested three ways of cooking rice for the BBC programme Trust Me, I’m a Doctor.
In the first, he used a ratio of two parts water to one part rice, where the water is “steamed out” during cooking.
In the second, with five parts water to one part rice, with the excess water washed off, levels of arsenic were almost halved.
And in the third method, where the rice was soaked overnight, levels of the toxin were reduced by 80 per cent.

How to cook rice.
Measure the dry rice in a jug.
Soak rice overnight
Wash then rinse the rice really well, until the water is clear.
Drain really well.
Place rice in a saucepan with five parts water to one part rice (plus a little salt) and stir once.
Bring to the boil, then turn the heat all the way down and cover the pan tightly with a lid.
Cook on the lowest heat possible for 10-15 mins without uncovering the pan.
Use a fork to fluff up the cooked rice.

Basmati rice contains lower levels than other rice
Brown rice usually contains more arsenic than white rice (because of the husk)
Growing rice organically doesn’t make a difference to levels
Rice cakes and crackers can contain levels higher than in cooked rice.
The levels of arsenic found in rice milk far exceed the amounts that would be allowed in drinking water.


If you want fluffy rice that will stay separate even after cooking, go for a long grain – either white or brown.
If you need your rice to be cooked in a hurry but still retain its flavour, choose basmati.
For sweet and sticky rice, opt for a glutinous grain.
Unless you're making a risotto, take care to rinse your rice thoroughly before you cook it.
Wait until the water begins to run clear, showing it is free of starch.

Risotto is a tricky dish to get right and the secret lies not only in the method, but in the type of rice you choose.
Diana Henry recommends going for the 'carnaroli' type: "Carnaroli has a great flavour and produces a very creamy risotto.
Vialone nano has smaller, less starchy grains, so the finished risotto seems lighter.
Arborio is the most basic and widely available but overcooks easily.
I always go for carnaroli or vialone nano."

Orange rice cake.

Nutritious and filling, this rice cake is perfect as a teatime snack for children, or even for breakfast!

Ingredients

1.7 litre/3 pints milk
1 vanilla pod
½ lemon, zest only, in large pieces
200g/7oz sugar
300g/10½oz arborio rice
5 large free-range eggs, separated
50ml/2fl oz orange liqueur
40g/1½oz raisins
1 orange, zest only, grated, plus extra for serving
Preparation method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Grease and line a 24cm/10in loose-bottomed cake tin with greaseproof paper.
2. Place the milk, vanilla pod, lemon zest and sugar in a large saucepan and bring to the boil. Add the rice and simmer on a medium to low heat for about 20–25 minutes, until the rice is al dente and has absorbed the milk but still has a creamy consistency.
Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Remove vanilla pod and lemon zest.
3. In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks and liqueur until creamy. In another bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form when the whisk is
removed.
4. Add the egg yolk mixture to the cooled rice, then fold in the stiffened egg whites, followed by the raisins and orange zest. Pour in the
prepared tin and bake in the oven for one hour. Serve warm or cold, sprinkled with a little extra orange zest to finish.

preparation time -less than 30 mins

cooking time - 30 mins to 1 hour
Serves 8-10

By Antonio Carluccio and
Gennaro Contaldo
From Two Greedy Italians