Rice is a universal groats. It is perfect for preparing both main courses and sweet desserts. True, the average housewife is more accustomed to dishes cooked in the usual way, on an open fire. Pilaf, rice porridge, pickle soup … Is it possible to cook something tasty, but simple to perform in the oven? The answer is yes! There are many similar recipes. And many of them don't require any special culinary talents.
Rice is a universal groats. It is perfect for preparing both main courses and sweet desserts. True, the average housewife is more accustomed to dishes cooked in the usual way, on an open fire. Pilaf, rice porridge, pickle soup … Is it possible to cook something tasty, but simple to perform in the oven? The answer is yes! There are many similar recipes. And many of them don't require any special culinary talents.
Mushrooms with rice in pots
A tasty dish doesn't have to be time-consuming. For example, it takes an average of 50-60 minutes to cook mushrooms with rice in ceramic pots (40 of which are baked in the oven).
To create a flavorful lean treat, you will need:
- a pound of mushrooms;
- several medium-sized bulbs;
- 1 large carrot;
- one and a half cups of rice;
- small head of garlic;
- half a glass of heavy cream or, in their absence, liquid sour cream;
- 50 grams of butter;
- 4-5 tablespoons of sunflower oil (odorless is better);
- greens - dill and (for those who love the spicy smell of dishes) cilantro;
- and, of course, spices - ground pepper, salt, mushroom spices.
Rinse the rice and cook. Peel and chop the vegetables while it's cooking. Chop the onion in half rings, and grate the carrots on a coarse grater or cut into thin strips.
First you need to wash the mushrooms with warm water, put them on cheesecloth and wait until they dry out. Only then can you cut it. There is a little trick here: a special taste in mushrooms is preserved when the finished pieces are large enough in size and do not creep into a shapeless porridge. Therefore, it is better to cut champignons and oyster mushrooms into thin, half a centimeter, but wide slices. Porcini mushrooms, aspen mushrooms, boletus - cubes measuring a centimeter and a half. And it is better not to shred small mushrooms of all varieties at all, just separate the cap from the leg.
If you are using greens, also wash and cut them into small pieces beforehand so you don't waste time later. Toss it with boiled rice. Peel the garlic and set it aside - you will need it later.
When everything is prepared, the mushrooms need to be fried in vegetable oil, making a high heat. Add the onions when the mushrooms are slightly browned, the carrots after a few more minutes.
Now you can put the goodies in the pot. At the bottom of each - a little vegetable and mushroom mixture, on top - rice. Stick 1-2 cloves of garlic into the surface (be sure to crush them so that they do not protrude outward). Dissolve salt and spices in hot water and fill the pots 2/3 of the height. And send the dish to the oven for 40 minutes. The optimum temperature is 180 ⁰С.
10 minutes before cooking, take out the pots, put a cube of butter in each on top of the rice and pour a little cream on top (2-3 tablespoons, no more). And return to the oven to bake.
The finished dish looks even more representative than in the photo. But there is also a maddening mushroom aroma, against which no one can resist! In a word, this recipe is a good choice not only for a small home feast, but also for receiving important guests. From the specified number of products, 4 to 8 servings are obtained (depending on the size of the pots).
Pumpkin casserole
Delicious sweet dishes are made from rice. For example, my favorite milk soup since childhood. What about an oven? With its help, you can make an amazing dish - sweet rice cake with pumpkin.
You will need:
- half a glass of rice, sugar and chopped walnuts;
- 400-500 grams of pumpkin;
- 3 large eggs;
- some salt;
- 5 tablespoons of softened butter;
- as well as lemon zest and a pinch of vanilla.
Rinse the rice thoroughly and put it to boil (you do not need to add salt). Meanwhile, beat the egg yolks with sugar, stir in the butter, zest and nuts. It is quite possible to do without the addition of vanillin, but with it the taste and smell will be more "festive". Next, rub the pumpkin on a coarse grater and mix it with the rice.
The proteins will have a separate task: they need to be whipped with a mixer until fluffy. Once this is done, mix all the ingredients gently and mix thoroughly.
Now the resulting mass needs to be laid out in an even layer in a greased baking dish. Put a few more pieces of butter on top of the future cake. It takes 40 minutes to cook, and it is better to preheat the oven more than usual - up to 200 ⁰С.
Sweet fragrant pumpkin pie is ready!
Greetings from childhood: tender rice casserole
Remember what incredibly delicious meat casserole was given in kindergarten for lunch? She literally melted on her tongue! Few people managed to repeat this taste later in their kitchen. Meanwhile, the answer lies not in some "secret" ingredients, but only in the method of preparation.
So, to make a delicious rice casserole, take:
- a pound of minced meat (any, the type of meat does not matter at all);
- 1 cup rice
- 1 large carrot;
- the same weight - onions;
- 3 chicken eggs;
- and of course your favorite meat spices.
Grind vegetables: carrots with a grater, onions - into small cubes (the smaller, the softer the taste of the finished dish will be). Fry them over medium heat in enough oil.
To get the "very" delicate taste, you need to forget about how an ordinary casserole is made. The delicacy "like in a kindergarten" is not laid out in layers - and this is the main trick that our mothers did not know about.
Mix the minced meat with rice in equal proportions (if there is more rice, it is better to leave it, otherwise it will clog the taste of the meat). Beat the eggs well with sour cream and pour them into the minced meat. In fact, the base for the casserole is ready. It remains only to salt and pepper it, mix thoroughly again and put it on a greased baking sheet.
The dish is ready in 40 minutes! Just keep in mind: you can cut the casserole only when it cools down a little, otherwise it may fall apart.
Moussaka is a Greek invention for Russian cuisine
In Greece, there is an amazing dish called moussaka. At home, it is made from lamb with the obligatory use of olive oil. And, of course, the classic moussaka is made without rice, which simply does not grow in the homeland of Sophocles and Aristotle. However, having got to the Slavic lands - first to Bulgaria and Serbia, and then to Russia - the moussaka inevitably adjusted itself to local realities. Without losing their taste at all. So, to make homemade moussaka, you need:
- half a cup of rice (better than regular, not long-grain);
- 3 large onions;
- 1 kilogram of eggplant;
- a pound of minced meat (any, even chicken is suitable, although the most delicious moussaka is obtained from lamb or beef);
- 400-500 grams of tomatoes;
- 200 grams of bell pepper;
- about 150 grams of odorless sunflower oil;
- some salt;
- 2 eggs;
- a few tablespoons of milk or liquid sour cream;
- 100 grams of any hard cheese;
- and, of course, spices - at least ground black pepper, and if you wish, you can also add a mixture of Mediterranean herbs to give the dish a “national flavor”.
The process of making moussaka is simple, but quite time-consuming. First you need to prepare the eggplant. Wash them, peel the skin (you can leave it only if it is young, soft). Cut them into strips or circles a little less than a centimeter thick each and, sprinkle with salt, let stand for half an hour. This is necessary in order to drain the bitter juice, which gives the "blue" an unpleasant aftertaste. In the meantime, you can boil the rice until cooked so that you do not waste time on it later.
After that, pour a little oil into a deep baking sheet, put the eggplants in one layer and put in the oven for 20 minutes. You will need to “collect” the moussaka from ready-made products.
There will be no such difficulties with the rest of the vegetables. Chop the onion into half rings, pepper into thin rings. Wash half of the tomatoes and set aside - they will be required at the final stage. The second half will need to be pre-peeled (you can, for example, put the tomatoes in boiling water for a few seconds, and it will easily peel off by itself). Cut "naked" tomatoes into small pieces - they will go to the frying.
Pour oil into a skillet and sauté the onion for a few minutes over medium heat. When it is golden, add minced meat to the pan, stir and, covered with a lid, simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Don't forget to add salt and spices!
The last step is chopped tomatoes. Send them to the minced meat and simmer for another 10-15 minutes, until the juice evaporates.
After that, you can start forming the moussaka. It is laid out in layers, each product - two passes:
- Place half the eggplant in a well-oiled baking sheet.
- The second layer is half the minced meat.
- Next - rice (of course, also ½ of the total amount).
- Repeat the first three layers.
- Whisk the eggs and milk together, add salt and gently pour the mixture over the resulting "puff pie"
- Top with bell peppers and leftover tomatoes, cut into thin rings.
- Sprinkle the whole composition with grated cheese.
- And put it in the oven for half an hour.
Such a dish takes quite a lot of time, but in terms of taste it can compete even with the best restaurant masterpieces. Ideal for a big festive feast. From a kilogram of eggplant and half a glass of rice, 10-12 servings are obtained.
