What's for Lunch? Curried Rice!

One thing I always enjoy is a good stir-fry.  Sometimes I actually plan it as a supper and plan accordingly with groceries, but often, the best stir-fries come from a lunchtime question of, "What am I going to do with all these veggies we haven't eaten yet??" 

The only thing that has always lacked for me when it comes to this type of meal is that the rice just seems a bit bland.  I've tried lots of different techniques - making it a head of time, cooling it, and frying it; using chicken broth instead of water, etc.  In the end,  I usually end up dousing the whole dish in soy sauce, which adds a huge amount of salt that I don't really need. 

The other night, though, I found the recipe to end all my rice frustrations.  It's called Curried Rice with Pineapple, and I found it on the back of a "Minute Brown Rice" box.  My whole family loved it, and next time I make it for all of us, I will most definitely be doubling the recipe. Today I tried my hand at it again for lunch and it was just as good as the first time.

I changed a few things to suit my family's tastes and preferences - for instance, the original version calls for pineapple chunks.  I don't know about anyone else, but my family tends to freak out a bit when there's fruit that is completely visible in a dish that is not very "fruity".  So last week it was pineapple tidbits, and today, all I had was crushed pineapple.  It worked just as well.  Here is my adapted version of this recipe.

Curried Pineapple Rice
1 8 oz. can pineapple tidbits
water or chicken broth as needed (about 2/3 cup)
1 1/2 tsp. curry powder
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp. olive or canola oil
1 c. uncooked brown rice (instant)
1/2 c. toasted sliced almonds

Drain pineapple, reserving juice.  Add broth or wtaer to equal one cup liquid.  Set aside. 
Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat.  Saute curry powder and garlic for 2-3 minutes.
Add pineapple juice mix and tidbits and bring to a boil.  Stir in rice; cover and remove from heat.  Let stand 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.  Top with sliced almonds and, if desired, sliced green onion.

As I mentioned earlier, I make stir-fry quite often, and it's almost always a result of leftover veggies that need to be used.  On our trip to Costco, however, I found this bag of frozen veggies for a very reasonable price.  That's 5.5 pounds of stir-fryable greatness!!  Eat it the way it is or add some meat such as chicken or pork - it all works for me!

You could also add chicken directly to the rice to make it a meal, with some steamed veggies on the side.  But here is my favorite way to enjoy it - what we had for lunch today.  Fortunately we have about one serving left, and I just may eat it for a snack later this afternoon!

As far as my stir-fry sauce, I don't have a particular recipe to which I adhere every single time.  I think that there are some elements that are a necessity, though.

1. Something to slightly sweeten and counteract the saltiness of the soy sauce.  I've used brown sugar, pineapple juice, honey, mango juice, etc.
2. Soy sauce
3. Thickener - I prefer to use cornstarch as it works more quickly and you can use less than you would flour.

I've thought through what I use most often and here is what I've come up with for a recipe.

Stir-fry Sauce
1/4 to 1/3 c. pineapple juice
1/4 c. water
1 T. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. ginger
1 T. cornstarch (more or less can be used, depending on how thick you prefer it to be)

Whisk with a fork and add to stir fry once veggies are done to your liking.  Let sauce come to a boil and allow it to thicken for 1-2 minutes.  Stir to coat veggies and meat. 

Even if you have never been a fan of or haven't even tried curry, this is a good dish to start out with.  I hope you and your family enjoy it just as much as we do!

Cheese Manicotti in the Month of May!

Happy Friday to all on this glorious "summer" day!  I just love May . . . it's the beginning of the summer season but usually not unbearably hot.  I love going to graduations and weddings, and all the newness and excitement in the air because of both.  I love opening the windows each morning to a cool breeze, yet having it warm enough that the kids and I can get outside well before noon.  I love the new life of flowers, grass, and trees - a reminder that God's mercies are "new every morning". 

Since I have not been able to stomach the cooking of meat as of late, my poor family has been suffering a bit.  David was less than thrilled to have banana pancakes and yogurt for supper the other night!  I've been trying to come up with new "meatless" recipes that I can handle making and that the family won't mind eating! 

Last night I made cheese manicotti, and was fairly surprised that it was such a big hit.  When I saw the recipe said, "manicotti shells", I got the shells part in my brain.  So that's what I bought - giant shells.  When I actually started making it, I remembered that I had made this recipe once before, right after graduating high school.  And I remembered that manicotti is the big tube pasta.  Oh, well.  It worked well and the kids enjoyed the shape of the shells!

First I boiled the shells to al dente so they would hold up during filling.  I started to line the pan with them, but I think next time I'll pull them from the strainer as I fill them. There was just too much going on when they were already in the pan.

Next I mixed the cheeses and herbs.  It said to fill the shells with a long spoon, but I tried it using a ziploc bag with the tip cut off - so much easier than I remember when I used a spoon years ago!  Just don't fill the bag more than halfway, or the cheese will spill out the top while you're filling the shells!

Once all the shells were filled, I poured spaghetti sauce over the top.  I found Prego onion and garlic flavor on sale this week for $.99, so that's what this is.  Also, though the recipe doesn't call for this part, I sprinkled about 1/2 cup mozzarella, 1/4 cup Parmesan, and a little garlic salt on the top.

Here's the whole meal - cheese manicotti, broccoli slaw salad, and homemade bread and butter.  mmm!

Cheese Manicotti

1 pkg. manicotti shells
2 c. shredded mozzarella
1/3 c. parmesan cheese
1 T. Italian seasoning
1 T. parsley flakes
1 1/2 c. Ricotta cheese
2 beaten eggs
1 jar spaghetti sauce

Cook manicotti shells according to package directions, stirring often.  Drain and rinse with cold water.  Stir together eggs, cheeses, and spices.  Fill manicotti shells with this mixture using a long spoon.  Arrange filled shells in large baking dish.  Pour spaghetti on top.  Bake, covered at 350 for 35-40 minutes.

Hope you enjoy this dish as much as my family did, and have a splendid weekend!  I think ours is going to include several hours outdoors!