The Poor Man's Risi E Bisi

Spring brings on the burger to make lighter, greener fare. One dish is the Venetian classic rising e bisi. It a rich rice dish full of carrots and peas , with the rice cooked in a rich broth.It's not a fancy dish,especially when you made the poor man;s version,

I was craving this but didn;t want to  deal with fussy arborio rice. I used long grained whiter rice for this .It's easy easy cook.

Minute rice works best with this and to give it that rich taste I cooked the rice in a mix of veggie broth and water. It was two and a half cups of broth to a half of cup of water.

I like Pacific brand soups and broth.Their veggie broth is thick and flavorful,

This is absolutely perfect for cooking rice and even pasta.It gives a lovely deep taste to ordinary white rice,e;eating it .

Whille the rice was cooking It was time to cook the carrots and peas Usually the recipe calls for just peas and they're added as the last step to the cooking rice. I wanted to make sure that the veggies were cooked so I microwaved them for six minutes.

The entire pot was stirred in.For extra flavor I added these.

Since I made six cups of rice I stirred  into a botu three heaping tablespoons of the plant butter and a good teo tablespoons of garlic powder(you can add fresh  minced garlic and shallots too for a more authentic taste)>

The butter and garlic powder were thoroughly stirred in until the plant butter melted.

The poor man;s risi e bisi should look like this.

How was it?

Heaven!!!!!I loved this poor man's version.The garlic and butter accentuated the rice and veggies.This was a perfect marriage of flavors. Even better it's so good reheated the day after for lunch or dinner.

Try this version of risi e visit for a quick Sunday supper.It's the perfect harbinger of Spring cooking/. It's brings a freshness and mellowness to the dinner table.

Freezer Bingo, Cooking Roulette

Our freezers have taken on a new aspect in the past few months. They've been vaults to all sorts of frozen foods. Boxes of frozen essentials have been crowding out those containers of homemade sauce and ice cube trays. It's time to use them with interesting combinations for meals.

Many overbought waffles . They are tasty and make for a satisfying and comforting breakfast . However as the weather turns warmer, the kids may want cold cereal to start the day. Not to worry. There's always chicken and waffles.  You can easily make fried chicken or even buy tenders along with fake chicken such as Gardein's. Serve with maple syrup or syrup with a kick of cayenne added like Ree Drummond's recipe. They're also great as the bread for breakfast sandwiches holding scrambled eggs and sliced ham. They are also good stuffed with bacon and cheddar cheese as a fun lunch.  You may have also bought Texas toast during one of your grocery foraging trips. It's very versatile. It makes the base for pizza if you just add sauce and mozzarella. Have the kids add chopped fresh peppers and onions along with pepperoni and olives for a fun dinner. Another idea is spooning sloppy Joe mixture on top for a different take on this classic sandwich.

Your freezer must look like a frozen vegetable garden right now. You may have overbought a ton of those easy to steam packets. Now the freezer is  bursting with them. Luckily many can be turned into salads. Frozen green beans can be turned into a salad just in time for barbecue season. Broccoli can be turned into a flavorful salad or as part of a cheesy bake. It , along with other frozen veggies like peas can be cooked with rice along with fresh cut onions and soy sauce for an interesting side dish. Peas have a versatility too. You can make the classic dish risi e bisi which is arborio rice cooked with frozen peas and garlic. It's a great weekday dinner that's a snap to whip up. You could also just cook them up Italian style with olive oil and garlic along with onions and chicken stock. Cauliflower can also be turned into a salad or a side. Try roasting it in your air fryer or oven after it's been spiced up with turmeric and garam masala, that great blend of Indian spices. You can also pan roast it for a crunchy side or even snack with a ranch dressing.

Forage your freezer. You'll be surprised at what you'll find to make interesting dishes. It's a fun way to create new dishes from all that over buying..