July 4 - Returns!

Baked Rice with White Beans, Leeks And Lemon

Bludso's Ribs

Majordomo Ssam

Watermelon Chat

Everyone showed up Vaxed and ready to party! This actually was our first joint party since the Pandemic Started over a year ago. It was a time for celebration. We love this annual event to watch the fireworks from our deck, have great food and especially be with each other. We had all survived! Everyone contributed food or wine. Since this Blog focuses on what recipes Cathy and I cook, I will discuss those.

Shumon says we MUST have Watermelon Chat! So of course we had it. It is always a hit. In addition we made Baked Rice with White Beans, Leeks And Lemon, it was excellent and as they say "Rice and Beans make a complete protein". The weather was perfect for us to watch the celebrations. It was a great night. 

Watermelon Chaat

New York Times

 

This recipe for watermelon chaat, a savory fruit salad dressed in toasted cumin and dried mango powder, comes from Malika Ameen, a cookbook author whose Pakistani-American family in Chicago makes infinite variations on fruit chaat in the summer. You could swap out the watermelon for a mix of what's in season, whether it's stone fruit, berries or cubed apple and pear. It's an ideal dish to break the fast during Ramadan, full of flavor and hydrating, and quick to put together.

 

Ingredients

 

2         pounds watermelon, cut into 1-inch cubes

¾        teaspoon whole cumin seeds

¼        teaspoon sweet paprika

¼        teaspoon finely ground black pepper

¼        teaspoon amchur powder (dried green mango)

Pinch of cayenne pepper (a generous pinch if you like heat)

¼        teaspoon fine sea salt

1         orange, clementine or mandarin, juiced to make approximately 1/3 cup juice

½        teaspoon finely chopped jalapeño pepper

3 to 4 fresh mint leaves, thinly sliced

 

Preparation

 

1.    Place cubed watermelon in a wide platter with sides or in a large baking or serving dish and spread into a single layer.

2.    In a small pan, toast whole cumin seeds on medium heat for 3 minutes, until fragrant. Remove and coarsely grind with a mortar and pestle. (You can also grind in a spice grinder, but be sure not to grind to a fine powder as the coarse grains of the spice add a wonderful texture.)

3.    Transfer cumin to a small bowl and add all remaining spices and salt. Add citrus juice, jalapeño and mint and mix well. Pour dressing over cubed watermelon and mix to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let marinate for 1 to 6 hours. Serve chilled the same day.

 

Baked Rice with White Beans, Leeks And Lemon

The New York Times

 

Baking is a fail-safe, hands-off method for making perfect rice every time. Add roasted leeks, lemon peel, almonds and white beans, and it becomes a company-worthy vegetarian dinner inspired by prasorizo, the classic Greek rice-and-leek dish. Finished with Parmesan and fresh herbs, it's an excellent one-pan meal, but it would also be great served alongside grilled fish, shrimp or chicken. If you like, you can make it even more filling by adding other vegetables like tomatoes, zucchini or broccoli florets with the leeks and almonds, or stir in spinach, arugula or sliced snap peas after it comes out of the oven in Step 4. Omit the Parmesan and it’s vegan, too.

 

Ingredients

 

4     leeks (about 2 pounds), trimmed, white and pale green parts sliced 1/4-inch thick

1     lemon

¼    cup raw almonds

½    teaspoon red-pepper flakes

5     tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and black pepper

1-½  cups uncooked basmati rice

1     (15-ounce) can white beans (such as cannellini or great Northern), rinsed

2-½ cups boiling water

½    cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for serving

¼    cup thinly sliced or chopped basil, chives, mint or fennel fronds, plus more for serving

 

Preparation

 

1.     Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Rinse the leeks until they’re clean, then shake or pat dry. Using a vegetable peeler, peel 1-inch-thick strips of lemon zest, then cut the lemon in half. Cut one half into four wedges and reserve the other half.

2.     In a 9-by-13-inch baking pan, combine the leeks, lemon zest strips, almonds, red-pepper flakes and olive oil. Season generously with salt and pepper, and arrange in an even layer. Roast until the leeks start to caramelize, about 20 minutes.

3.    Finely chop the lemon zest strips, then stir it back into the leek mixture and arrange in an even layer. Sprinkle the rice evenly over the leeks, then top with the beans and 1 teaspoon salt. Add the boiling water, then seal the pan tightly with foil. Bake until the rice is tender, 20 to 22 minutes.

4.    Remove from the oven, and let sit, covered, for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork. Squeeze the lemon half over the rice, then stir in Parmesan and herbs. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with lemon wedges, and more Parmesan and herbs, as desired.