Rice, Twice as Nice: Kitchen Sink Fried & Sweet with Carrots and Nuts

Do you own a rice cooker? As a Manhattan apartment dweller, space constraints force me to be extremely particular about which kitchen gadgets I choose to invest in. I can’t imagine life without my rice cooker, even though its permanent storage space is on top of my refrigerator.

The premise of the rice cooker is this. You rinse your rice (they are SO insistent on this), dump it into the cooker with equal parts water plus ½ cup, and leave. Well, you don’t have to leave, but what you won’t face is the following scenario: keeping an eye on your rice for 40 minutes, cursing every time it bubbles over and raging when you YET AGAIN end up with an areal coating of burnt rice stuck to the bottom of the pan.

The rice cooker, on the other hand, serves up perfectly cooked rice; fluffy, light, and airy, plus 40 minutes of pure leisure. Mine also cooks quinoa, and the consistency is spot-on every time as well. However, most cookers require a minimum amount of dried grains—about two cups—and the large yield has caused me to get extremely creative with my usage of rice. I’d like to share with you two of my favorite recipes so far: Goop’s Kitchen Sink Fried Rice and Louisa Shafia’s Sweet Rice with Carrots and Nuts.

 

(This is probably the point where you’re expecting me to reveal the brand of my rice cooker and a footnote that this post was paid for by the brand. Here’s the truth: my rice cooker got recalled, and I’ve been wallowing in self-pity over my regression to burnt sticky saucepan rice as I wait for its replacement. Which only further affirms my argument for the necessity of the cooker!)

Both rice recipes are excellent, and shine in their own right. Kitchen Sink Fried Rice is the ultimate flexibility recipe, a chance to use up any combination of leftover vegetables and always triumph due to its vibrant Asian flavors, accented by fresh herbs and biting ginger. You can elevate this dish even more by forgoing the egg and adding a piece of miso-glazed cod on top, as impressive as it is (surprisingly) easy.

Louisa Shafia’s Sweet Rice with Carrots and Nuts takes you on a journey to Persia, a magnificent adventure in honeyed flavors and hues. Spices cinnamon, cardamom, turmeric, and saffron render the rice exotic, while orange zest provides a nice bite against the sweet. Coconut oil provides a rich, nutty undertone as well. This recipe shines on its own, and is served best accompanied by a simple roast chicken. If you are looking for a satisfying, compelling dish for a dinner party, Shafia’s sweet rice can be your centerpiece.

Of course, you don't need a rice cooker for these recipes, and a (closely-watched) saucepan will produce more than adequate rice. But if you do choose to invest, remember that besides producing excellent rice, the cooker forces you to expand your recipe repertoire—you’ll be surprised just how electric rice can be!

Kitchen Sink Fried Rice (from Goop)
Serves 2

Ingredients:
3 Tbsp olive, coconut, or canola oil, divided
2 beaten eggs
1 to 2 cups leftover cooked brown rice
1 to 2 cups leftover mixed veggies, finely chopped (such as mushrooms, carrots, cabbage, broccoli, bok choy)
2 tsp minced or grated ginger
2 garlic cloves, grated
2 Tbsp fish sauce
2 Tbsp soy sauce or coconut aminos
2 scallions, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp each basil, cilantro, mint (or a combination)
2 large wedges of lime

Directions:
1. (This first direction is if you are using egg. If pairing with cod, skip to step 2 and see cod recipe below). Heat 1 Tbsp of the oil in a wok or 12-inch nonstick sauté pan over medium heat. Add the egg and a pinch of salt, and scramble the egg until just cooked but still soft. Transfer to your serving dish.

2. Add another Tbsp of oil to the pan, turn the heat to medium high, and sauté the veggies until just cooked through (this will vary depending on the type and size of veggies). Transfer to the dish with the scrambled egg.
3. Pour in the last Tbsp of olive oil and add the rice, cooking over medium high heat for 1 minute, or until starting to brown and sizzle.
4. Add the ginger and garlic and cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
5. Add back in the egg and veggies and pour in the fish sauce and soy sauce/coconut aminos. Cook for 30 seconds just to combine all of the ingredients and flavors.
6. Mix in the scallion and fresh herbs and serve each portion with a wedge of lime.

Miso Glazed Cod (from Ellie Krieger)
Serves 2

Ingredients:
2 (6-ounce) cod fillets
2 Tbsp white miso
1 Tbsp dark brown sugar
½ tsp toasted sesame oil
1 Tbsp mirin (Japanese cooking wine)
Toasted sesame seeds and scallions, for garnish (optional)

Directions:
1. Preheat broiler.
2. Rinse fish fillets and pat dry with paper towels. Combine miso, brown sugar, sesame oil and mirin and stir well until brown sugar is fully dissolved.
3. Brush about 2 Tbsp miso glaze on each fish fillet. Marinate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 1 hour. Place fish under broiler for 3 to 4 minutes, or until top is slightly charred and glaze has caramelized. Remove fish from oven and brush with remaining glaze. Lower oven to 375 degrees F. Cook an additional 5 to 6 minutes, until fish is flaky but not overcooked.
4. Serve with toasted sesame seeds and scallions, if desired.


Sweet Rice with Carrots and Nuts (from Lousia Shafia)
Serves 6

Ingredients:
2 cups white basmati rice, soaked in cold water for 1 hour (soaking optional)
3 cups water
Sea salt
2 Tbsp butter or unrefined coconut oil, at room temperature (optional, I omitted this)
2 to 3 Tbsp unrefined coconut oil
1 yellow onion, finely diced
2 cups grated carrots (about 3 large carrots)
½ cup slivered or coarsely chopped almonds, toasted
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cardamom
¼ tsp ground turmeric
½ cup pistachios, coarsely chopped, plus 1 Tbsp for garnish
Grated zest of 1 large orange
¼ cup honey (I used 1/8 cup, I suggest halving if you are sensitive to sweetness)
½ tsp saffron, ground and steeped in 1 Tbsp hot water

Directions:
1. Cook rice in rice cooker, or: Drain the rice and rinse under cold water until the water runs clear. In a stockpot, combine the water and a pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Add the rice, return to a boil, then turn down the heat to its lowest setting. Cover and cook for 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the rice rest for 5 minutes, then dot with the butter (optional) and fluff with a fork. The rice should be dry and fluffy.
2. While the rice cooks, heat a small skillet over medium heat and sauté the onion in the coconut oil for about 15 minutes, until lightly browned. Add the carrots, almonds, cinnamon, cardamom, and turmeric, and cook, stirring often, for about 10 minutes, until the carrots are tender. Add 1/2 cup pistachios, the orange zest, and the honey and cook for about 2 minutes, until heated through. Season with salt.
3. Scoop the rice into a large bowl. Add the carrot mixture and drizzle in the saffron. Mix gently and season with salt. Garnish with the remaining 1 Tbsp pistachios.

Grilled Halibut Tacos with Watermelon Salsa

When I first saw the recipe photos for Grilled Halibut Tacos with Watermelon Salsa, I was overcome with emotion—of raging jealousy. What do we have here...the Michelangelo of tacos? Art that uses food as a medium, eh? How many hours did this blogger spent meticulously food styling the dish, from the garnish of tiny edible flowers (really) to the perfectly crisped, U-shaped tortilla edges (never been able to accomplish that without a finger in the photo) to the rustic, charred-chic (if that could be a thing) backdrop. Uh uh, I decided as I stared, mesmerized, at the salsa's beautiful warm coral, freesia and cantaloupe hues. These tacos are not real. They are meant to be stared at and ruminated over, a Rembrant of aesthetic pleasure and thought.  A work of such caliber of beauty cannot also bring pleasure to the tongue. Then I read the ingredients, and thought: ok, these actually look like they would taste really good.

Still grumbling, I set out to make them, waiting for my watermelon to dissolve from flawless cubes into pulpy mush, dampening my not-so-perfectly charred tortillas into flaccid rounds. As I sliced and diced, preoccupied with figuring out how I would explain why my tacos bore so little resemblance to the ravishing originals, I hardly had time to notice the end result. My tacos were beautiful! They were Rembrant tacos, Michelangelo tacos, a visual rainbow of color—and they were tasty AF.

The watermelon was the perfect conduit to temper the bite of the chili, onion, cilantro and chives, and its inherent sweetness soaked up the tangy lime and salt effortlessly. The fish, mild but firm, ensured texture variety within each corn tortilla. Cilantro, radishes, and avocado line the serving platter not only for aesthetics—it also allows guests to pick and choose their garnishes as they please.

As quickly as it had come upon me, my jealousy washed away—jealousy is a wasted emotion, after all. I ate the tacos on my roof, watching the sunset fade into the Hudson, with an easy salad of greens, corn, avocado, and cucumber tossed in nothing more than a little lemon juice and olive oil. As dusk settled and the sun was no more than a sliver of pink behind the clouds, I took a moment to reflect on the intense satisfaction of both my eyes and appetite. Once more, I changed my tune: food doesn't have to be beautiful, but when it pleases more than one of the senses, it feels almost indulgent; a rare, secret treat.  If only I had known earlier that the secret to happiness lies in watermelon tacos!

I want to take a second to talk about feedfeed, the site where this recipe hails from. Simply put, feedfeed is a network that connects people who love to cook. The content on their site, organized into various "feeds"such as recipes, community, and videos, is designed to fuel conversation and inspiration amongst likeminded foodies from around the globe. The founders are wholehearted supporters of local and sustainable eating. My favorite part? Their commitment to GrowNYC: feedfeed has a special feed just for meals cooked with NYC greenmarket ingredients.

Grilled Halibut Tacos with Watermelon Salsa (from Heather Christo)

Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

Tacos

1 pound halibut (any white, firm, not-too-fishy fish will do)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 lime, zest and juice

1 serrano/jalapeno chili (halve or omit if you are sensitive to heat)

kosher salt

Watermelon Salsa

2 cups seedless watermelon, diced

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

¼ white onion, small diced

1 serrano/ jalapeno chili, finely diced

½ cup chopped cilantro

2 tablespoons chives (optional)

juice of 1 lime

kosher salt

9 to 12 corn tortillas, or 3 per person (Trader Joe's 100% corn tortillas are my favorite)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Garnishes

Avocado slices, radish slices, cilantro sprigs, queso fresco/crumbed feta cheese

Directions:

1. Place the fish in a dish. In a small bowl, combine the oil, lime zest and juice and then grate the chili into the bowl. Mix well and then spoon over the fish. Sprinkle generously with kosher salt and let sit in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes.
2. While the fish is marinating, make the watermelon salsa. In a medium bowl, combine the watermelon, cherry tomatoes, onion, chili, and fresh cilantro and chives. Squeeze the lime over the salsa and gently toss. Season to taste with kosher salt.
3. Preheat the grill to medium heat. Place the fish on a piece of foil and place onto the BBQ. Cook 3 -5 minutes on each side, depending on the thickness of the fish. You want it to be just cooked through. When you are done set the fish aside and turn the grill to low heat. (Alternatively, you can cook fish on a stove top for the same amount of time, or in the oven at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes).
4. Let the fish rest for a minute while you spread the vegetable oil over the tortillas evenly and grill each one briefly over low heat until it is barely charred at the edges and hot, soft and pliable. (Or, use my foolproof stovetop tortilla-warming method). 
5. Season the fish with a little extra kosher salt. Divide the fish between the tortillas and top each generously with the watermelon salsa and garnishes of your choice. 

Fish Tacos with Creamy Cilantro-Lime Slaw

I’ve yet to meet a fish taco I didn’t like, but I’ve met many a fish taco that left my voracious appetite seriously disappointed. At restaurants, I understand a mere taste is often the intention of the dish—deliberate bite-sized morsels of flavor to share an an appetizer amongst the table, amuse-bouche style. Usually I make do with my two gulps of fish taco, as I am also eating my body weight in guacamole on the side. But sometimes, I just really want a substantive, filling fish taco for dinner. Not a pint-sized duo, or a trio, but like 12. Except with an average going rate of $7 a piece, 12 trendy NYC restaurant tacos would cost my projected craving a total of $84. Yikes!

Enter tonight’s easy, budget, and hearty dinner: Fish Tacos with Creamy Cilantro-Lime Slaw. Fiber-packed cabbage and protein-rich Greek yogurt comprise the majority of ingredients in this zesty spicy slaw, promising true satiety with each heaping spoonful.  The bright flavors jazz up whichever mild white fish you choose, but that’s not to say the fish is bland: most of the ingredients that give the slaw so much pizazz are repurposed to marinade the fish.  

Equally palatable is the weeknight dinner practicality of this dish, one of those under-30-minutes prep-and-serve types that is so appealing to the time-crunched cook.  What’s key to these types of dinners is that they taste like they are true labors of love, i.e., big flavors that feel effortful, though are secretly effortless. These tacos fit the bill.

Buying pre-shredded cabbage can help to expedite prep time, proactively multitasking helps in this department too.  Prep both the slaw dressing and fish marinade simultaneously, so you can cook the fish (thinner slices of cod, tilapia or mahi mahi only need about 6 minutes in the pan) while you chop the scallions and cilantro to finish up the slaw. Two minutes before the fish is done, throw the tortillas in the microwave under a damp paper towel.  (I prefer the Serious Eats tortilla-warming method, just know that it requires a second pan and 1-minute prep time per tortilla plus 5 minutes of steaming at the end. Good for small batches, more labor intensive for multiples).

I like green chile salsas with a flaky white fish taco—right now, I’m partial to Trader Joe’s Hatch Valley Salsa, which pairs the peppers with tomatillos and lots of lime. Sliced avocado is another great add on, but just a few slices, no need to fill up on guacamole here! Perhaps you choose this taco recipe to ring in Cinco de Mayo? If so, a side of margaritas is certainly required.  

Fish Tacos with Creamy Cilantro-Lime Slaw (adapted from Epicurious)

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt (or ½ cup mayonnaise + ½ cup sour cream, though any combo of these 3 ingredients will do)

2 limes (4 Tbsp fresh lime juice)

1½ tsp finely grated lime peel

1 serrano chile, seeded, minced

3 garlic cloves, pressed

1 tsp cumin

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

8 cups thinly sliced green cabbage (option to sauté in advance to soften)

4 green onions, minced (about ¼ cup)

1¼ lb white, flaky fish such as tilapia, cod, or mahi mahi

8 to 12 corn tortillas

Green chile salsa

1-2 avocados, sliced

Directions:

1. Start the slaw dressing. Combine yogurt/mayo/sour cream, 3 Tbsp lime juice, grated lime peel, ¾ of serrano chile, 2 garlic cloves, and cumin in a large bowl.

2. Make the fish marinade. Combine rest of lime juice (1 Tbsp), rest of serrano chile, 1 garlic clove, and salt and pepper in a small bowl.

3. Cook the fish. Heat 1 Tbsp of olive, canola, or avocado oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Rinse fish under cold water, pat dry with paper towels, and place in pan.  Season with salt and pepper, pour marinade over fish. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each slide, until flesh is cooked through and flakes easily with a fork.

4. While the fish cooks, finish the slaw. Add scallions, cabbage, and cilantro to the large bowl. Mix thoroughly, season with salt and pepper, adjust seasonings to taste.

5. Heat corn tortillas in microwave or pan.

6. Assemble tacos to serve. Distribute a small portion of fish and heaping spoonful of slaw over each flat tortilla. Add a dollop of salsa and a few slices of avocado. Garnish with extra lime juice or cilantro sprig just before serving.

Teriyaki-Ginger Salmon with Sesame Zoodles

To my spiralizer I am dearly devoted, in fact, it is accurate to say that in my household (who am I kidding? Bite-sized apartment), zucchini noodles, affectionately monikered zoodles, are the preferred choice for role of tomato sauce underbelly. There’s no denying that the complementary tastes of thin, earthy zucchini strips and tangy, acidic tomatoes just rocks; admittedly, for a long time I was very content with this Christmas-colored combo. But recently, I got the itch to take my zoodles someplace new. So I journeyed my zoolding home base from Italy to Japan—swapping rice noodles/regular rice for our beloved verdant ribbons in this Teriyaki-Ginger Salmon with Sesame Zoodles recipe.

My travels did not disappoint. First of all, let me point out that while the draw of this recipe is obviously the creative addition of zucchini for a healthier teriyaki, it’s the teriyaki glaze and salmon prep that are the true all-stars. The teriyaki glaze is delightful, rich and caramelized without being saccharine sweet.  I urge you to double the glaze and cook the excess alongside the salmon, so when it pools, bubbling and fragrant, at the bottom of the pan, you can pour evenly over each bowl of zoodles for maximum sopping power.

As for the salmon, the finished product simply melts in your mouth. Has this become my go-to recipe for salmon teriyaki, whether zoodles are involved or not? You bet. Marinating overnight really helps to saturate each piece of fish, so while the top surface finishes glazed and thickened, the flavors still permeate from every side.  The sauce, salmon, and crunchy snow peas are so delicious, in fact, that the zucchini is relegated to the shadows, a mere green-hued vessel for soaking up sauce.

Which, if you think about it, is the truest form of any of these carbs—the accessory behind the standout elements of the dish. In this way, the zoodles do their job perfectly: relinquishing unwanted carbs while maintaining fullest flavor, allowing you to guiltlessly enjoy a good ol’ bowl of salmon teriyaki.

Teriyaki-Ginger Salmon with Sesame Zoodles  (adapted from Inspiralized)

Serves 2

Ingredients

For the teriyaki marinade:

¼ cup soy sauce (or coconut aminos/tamari)

1 tbsp rice vinegar

½ tsp freshly grated ginger

2 small garlic cloves, pressed and minced

1 tbsp sesame oil

1 tbsp honey

1 tsp Sriracha/hot sauce (be generous here if you like spice!)

¼ cup diced scallions

For the salmon:

2 4-6 ounce salmon filets (skinless if possible)

For the zoodles:

2 medium zucchinis

1 tbsp sesame oil

2 garlic cloves, finely minced

2 tsp minced ginger

2 tbsp diced scallions (plus more for garnish, if desired)

Pinch of red pepper flakes

4 oz snow peas (can use more)

Optional garnish: toasted sesame seeds, minced scallions

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.

2. Whisk together all teriyaki marinade ingredients in a large zip-lock plastic bag. Add salmon, shake lightly to coat. Place in refrigerator for at least 15 minutes, preferably many hours or overnight.

3. While salmon marinates, spiralize your zucchini and set aside in the refrigerator.

4. Remove salmon from plastic bag and place on prepared parchment paper/foil. Pour entire marinade over fish. Bake the salmon for 15 minutes, or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

5. After the salmon has been roasting for 10 minutes, place a large skillet over medium heat and add sesame oil. Once oil heats, add garlic, ginger, scallions, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 30 seconds (or until fragrant), add snap peas and zoodles. Cook for 3-5 minutes or until noodles soften to your preference.

6. Plate each portion of zoodles, followed by a salmon filet. Distributing evenly among servings, top with remaining cooked marinade, a sprinkle of sesame seeds, and a few minced raw scallions.