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Hi all- I am doing some programming with my local food pantries, where by I bring a new food (prepared) and printed recipes each week to the pantry so that the clients can try it there, and then (hopefully) at home, too. I use foods from the pantry itself, and try to buy very few other ingredients, and the ones that I do add are inexpensive (low emphasis on meats or prepared ingredients).
I am participating in a very busy night next week (a special program at the pantry), and will likely serve over 150 people. I have decided to do a "Rice- 4 Ways!" theme, and would love any (easy, cheap) recipes you have that use regular rice- stir-frys, soups, desserts- anything that might be good to get people to use more rice (it's free from the pantry!). (ANd in particular, if anyone has a recipe for pinapple rice with ham, I personally would appreciate that!). Again, no really exotic or expensive ingredients- the cheaper and easier the better..
Oh- I will likely be using a crock pot, and electric griddle, and set up on a table in the middle of a parking lot, so hot dishes are fine, as long as I don't need an oven to cook them in!
Hmm, mostly rice, no exotic or expensive ingredients - how about this rice pudding recipe?
1 1/2 C rice
6 C low-fat milk
1/2 C raisins
1 can sweetened condensed milk (NOT evaporated)
1 can fruit cocktail
1 bag toasted slivered almonds (can be omitted)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Scald the milk. Add rice and simmer on low heat until cooked through, stirring occasionally. Add the raisins with the rice if they seem on the dry side, otherwise you can toss them in the last few minutes of cooking to "plump" them up. Remove from heat and stir in the condensed milk, then the fruit, nuts - if using, and vanilla extract.
You can pour this into one big serving bowl, or individual serving dishes, and if desired you can sprinkle with a little cinnamon sugar. As it cools the rice continues to absorb the moisture, so it will thicken. The entire family loves this dish and we have never had to throw any out.
Cover the dry beans with about four cups water in a two-quart saucepan. DON’T add any salt yet! Bring to a boil, and boil for three minutes. Remove from the heat and let it stand, covered for one hour.
Drain and rinse the beans. Add enough water to cover once again and bring to a boil; reduce heat to low, cover and cook until tender, about 40 to 50 minutes. Drain.
Add the chicken stock and the rinsed rice. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and for about 20-30 minutes, or until rice is fully cooked. Finally, adjust the seasonings by adding salt and pepper to taste. Remove the bay leaf. Serve Hot.
Maybe this will work for you - I tried to reincarnate a recipe that used to be available at the Marshall Field's deli in Chicago:
It's my own made up recipe:
1 box packaged yellow or spanish rice
2 Grilled (preferable - can be packaged/grilled for convenience) or boiled chicken breasts, cut up in cubes
stewed tomatoes
sliced black olives - amount to taste
cut up cilantro to taste
Just cook up the rice per the recipe on the box, add 1 can of stewed chopped tomatoes while cooking the rice. Once it is done, add the sliced up chicken. Cool the rice mix off. (you can do the rice mix at home before you come)
Once the dish is cooled and refrigerated, add the sliced black olives (amount to your own taste) and the cilantro (per your taste). I serve it cold.
Large can of diced tomatoes
One can of kidney beans
1 large Onion
2 or 3 stalks of celery
1 lb of ground meat (turkey, beef,chicken) could be left out if necessary
Chili Powder, Cilantro or whatever you like to taste.
Sautee onions and celery in oil or margarine.
Add meat to brown
Stir in Tomatoes and beans
Simmer a few minutes to merry the flavors If you brown the beef ahead, you could do this in a crock) Serve over rice.
This is off the top of my head, but I think it's right. I use regular rice, not Uncle Ben's or Minute Rice; I'm assuming if you get it from a food pantry that's what you're using, too.
2T butter/margarine/oil
1C rice
1/2 onion, diced
1 C orange juice
1C chicken broth
1/4 C raisins
Salt and pepper
Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan with a lid; add rice and onion and stir until slightly browned. Add orange juice, broth, and raisins; bring to a boil, reduce heat, and cover. Simmer 12-15 minutes, or until rice fluffs easily with a fork and the liquid has been absorbed. Salt and pepper to taste.
2 cups of cooked/chilled rice (any kind but I like Jasmine)
2 or 3 eggs
soy sauce (light, dark, seafood - any kind will do)
any kind of meat - as much as you want - sausage is easiest IMO
cut up veggies or frozen mixed veggies (any kind you want - I usually just use frozen mixed veggies, whatever's on sale)
Oil - whatever you've got
Chilled rice from overnight is best. Wet your hands and then "separate" the rice so it's not bunched up too much when you stick it in the pan. Turn on stove to about medium high. Put some oil in the pan. Beat the eggs like you're going to make scrambled eggs. When the pan is heated, put in meat and cook it until it's brown. Stick eggs in. When eggs are about 75% cooked, stick veggies in. Wait a minute. Stick rice in. Use a flat wooden spoon to mix everything up. Some people like to add salt and pepper but I don't because I think the soy sauce has enough flavor. When everything looks cooked, voila, enjoy!! It's REALLY easy to make!
For a super easy and dirt cheap rice recipe just add a packet of soup mix to the cooking rice to add flavor. I lived on this for a while in my twenties when times were a bit spartan for me. A homeless hobo camp type of person showed me that one. Here is one my wife came up with; 1 cup uncooked rice, 1 and 1/4 to 1 and 1/2 cups water, and one can of cream of mushroom or cream of celery soup. If making a double recipe use one of both. Cook it all together until done.
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