I sent the boys to the garden for kale. I wanted exactly 8 leaves. (Now you're thinking, "Boring, and also odd!")
Having read in my 1930s encyclopedia of cookery that the ribs in the center of the kale leaf are tough, and also that it takes a long time to cook, I cut them out. The piggies loved them, thanks. Then I was ready to try a new grand rice adventure, inspired by risotto. I don't make risotto. I won't stand and stir anything for 25 minutes. There's too much else to do in the last half hour of cooking! But try this if you find some kale wandering around your kitchen; it was pretty good.
SORTA RISOTTO WITH KALE
2-1/2 cups rice
5 chicken bouillon cubes
5 cups water
1 cup milk
8 kale leaves, center stalks removed, chopped
1 small onion, finely diced
1/2 cup cream
1/2 cup grated parmesan
pepper
In a large pan, combine the rice, cubes, water, milk, onion and chopped kale. Cook until the water is just about absorbed, about 22 minutes. Grind fresh pepper, or sprinkle pepper, over the top. Sprinkle the parmesan over the top, and stir both in with the cream. Serve at once.
See? Not quite such boring rice after all. It tasted pretty good; the kale tasted a lot like cooked spinach. I am sure I'll still need to find something else to do with it.
The broccoli idea came from one of my new cookbooks, but of course I altered it.
GARLIC BROCCOLI
1/2 stick butter
1 to 2 tsp minced garlic
1-1/2 pounds broccoli spears
pinch salt and pepper
Melt the butter in a sauce pan, add the salt and pepper, and saute the garlic until tender. Add the broccoli (fresh or frozen, it doesn't matter) and cook over low heat until done, stirring frequently, about 15 minutes.
The original recipe called for 15 cloves of garlic. FIFTEEN? You're kidding, right? And I use the commercially prepared minced garlic, because my dearly beloved can't tolerate very much of it before he breaks out in hives. Sad, because he loves garlic. So, feel free to use fifteen cloves of garlic if that's what floats your boat.
So, there you have it. A couple of somewhat different side dishes to help your dinner offerings!
12 comments:
That is a good idea. I agree about risotto which I think is why peope often make it the main and only course.
Hmmmm... I wonder if I could eat kale THAT way?
nice sides - and boring? that is subjective...
woe woe woe is me- just finished a strict diet and now told to stick to a low/no fat diet from now on.... so I can only dream about eating your fabulous recipes. Sigh
Whoa! 15 cloves of garlic?? That is some serious love-of-garlic going on there! I'm glad that you didn't add that much, or we'd all be smelling you through the computer screen! :)
Love your blog and recipes....you are such an inspiration! I have only 2 kids, one hubby, and dinnertime just seems like a chore. LOL
It is perfectly legitimate to call this a rissotto. Some trad recipes are baked (okay with ferron rice)and Mickle's non trad is baked using ordinary arborio rice.
This all looks scrummy. I happen to have 3 head of broccoli in the fridge(feeding just the one, I know - it was cheap) so thanks for another great food idea.
And super thanks for the brining method for chicken from June. Just put two whole legs into brine for tomorrow night.
Sorry to go on for so long, btw your erecipes are never boring.
Care and huggles, Michelle and a snoring Zebbycat.
I LOVE garlic but 15 cloves is a lot! Both side dishes look fantastic - wish we were neighbors so I could invite myself over for dinner. :)
That's a lot of garlic!
These are so not boring! You made some interesting and tasty sides.
I've got better things to do than stand and stir and stir and stir and stir too!
So, your middle name is boring, and mine is simple. We make quite a pair!
The rice sounds yummy, and I'll give it go - definitely! I love rissoto, but it's something I refuse to make, because I have better things to do with my time!
I cook my broccoli in a tiny amount of chicken stock and lots of garlic and even the kids love it!
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