Rice with almost anything

Press, 13 June 1977, Page 12

Rice with almost anything

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CELIA TIMMS

Rice is the staple food! of millions of Eastern! countries and it could be! used more frequently! than it is in our own household menus. It complements all manner of foods. It can also be used as the basis for a main course and there are many ways of serving it as a dessert apart from ordinary rice pudding. CASSEROLE As a main course try the following Casserole of Rice. It will serve 4. You will need: 4oz uncooked rice (125 g 4 eggs 4oz bacon (125 g loz butter (25g) loz flour (25g) 1J cups milk 2oz mushrooms (50g) 1 tomato Salt and pepper Cooking fat. Method: Cook rice and drain well. Hard boil the eggs; shell and slice. Remove rind from bacon rashers and chop some of them | finely. Halve the remaining I rashers and form into small ■ rolls. Heat a little cooking fat or oil in fry pan and fry all the bacon, chopped and rolls, until crisp. Melt butter in small saucepan, add flour and cook 2-3 minutes then gradually add milk, stirring until thickened and smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper and simmer for 5 minutes. Place layers of this sauce; drained rice; chopped bacon; sliced mushrooms and sliced eggs in a greased ovenproof dish, ending with sauce. Arrange bacon rolls and sliced, skinned tomato on top. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. SPINACH PIE Rice and Spinach Pie is another example of a main course in which rice is the basic ingredient. Silver beet, with the stalk removed, can replace spinach. Serves four. i You will need: 2 eggs 6oz uncooked rice (175 g 1 onion 2oz butter (50g)

21b fresh spinach or sil- , ver beet loz flour (25g) 1 cup milk 4oz tasty Cheddar cheese I (125 g Salt and pepper Method: Hard boil eggs and cook rice. Fry finely chopped onion in half of the butter until soft; add the cooked and well-drained chopped spinach or silver beet. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Melt remaining butter in small pan

Because news of the United Women’s Convention took all available space on the women’s page last Monday, our weekly food feature was crowded out Today we publish a double set of recipes from Celia Timms.

and stir in flour. Add milk gradually and stir until thickened and smooth. Season with salt and pepper land add most of the cheese. ! Place layers of spinach, I sliced egg, rice and sauce in ;a greased ovenproof dish. (Sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake at 400 for 30 minutes. | LAMB AND RICE PIE ! When rice is added to meat it not only makes the meat go further but also can improve the flavour and texture of the dish as in the following Lamb and Rice Pie. Serves four to five persons. i

You will need: 350 g cooked minced lamb or mutton 175 g long-grain rice, raw 50g butter 50g flour 1 large cup milk 1 egg 125 g grated cheese 1 large onion 2 tablespoons tomato sauce A cup beef stock or beef stock cube dissolved in water. Salt, pepper and mustard. Method: Grease an ovenproof dish. Cook rice in boiling salted water for about 10 minutes or until a grain rubbed between the fingers feels soft. Drain thoroughly then run hot water through the grains to separate them. Melt butter, stir in flour and gradually add milk, stirring until thickened. Continue to cook over low heat for a minute or two then stir in beaten egg, three parts of the cheese, half of the minced or grated onion and the rice. Season to taste and spread half of it over base of prepared dish. Mix meat with sauce, stock and I remaining onion and spread over the rice mixture. Top with remainder of rice, sprinkling remaining cheese on top. Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes. ORANGE RICE MERINGUE

Orange Rice Meringue is in the class of glamour

sweets but is very easily prepared. It can be eaten hot or cold. Serves six. You will need: 2 small cans mandarin sections Milk or evaporated milk for richer result 150 g castor sugar 2 tablespoons cornflour 2 eggs 335 g cooked rice Almond essence Method: Open cans of fruit and drain. Make up juice to a large cup with milk. Mix a tablespoonful of sugar with the cornflour and a little of the liquid. Add remainder of liquid and heat, stirring continually until thickened. Add fruit, lightly beaten egg yolks, essence to taste and the rice, then pour into ovenproof dish. Beat egg whites until stiff, add half remaining sugar and continue to beat until shiny, fold in remaining sugar and pile on top of orange mixture. Bake at 400 for 10-15 minutes or until meringue is coloured and set. LEMON RICE FLUFF Lemon Rice Fluff is a cold dessert and another that is easy to prepare. These quantities should serve about 8. You will need: 225 g long grain rice 2pkts lemon flavoured jelly crystals 1 can evaporated milk (unsweetened condensed) chilled Grated rind of 2 lemons Crystallised fruit to decorate. Method: Cook rice in boil-

ing salted water until just soft; drain very well and separate grains by running hot water through it. Make jelly according to directions on packet, using slightly less water. Cool, and when the consistency of egg white, beat until frothy. Beat evaporated milk until thick (this should have been left in refrigerator for some time before use) and fold into the jelly with lemon rind and rice. Pour into individual sweets di hes or a large serving dish and chill thoroughly. Decorate with sliced crystallised fruits. SPICED PEACHES Another equally-simple dessert is Spicy Peaches. It can be prepared in minutes as no cooking is required — you just pop it under the grill for a minute or two. Serves four. You will need: 1 large can peach halves 1 cup cooked rice 2 tablespoons brown sugar Cinnamon Butter Glace cherries Whipped cream Method: Drain peach halves carefully and remove a sliver from rounded sides to enable them to sit firmly in shallow ovenproof dish or tray. Mix rice with sugar and cinnamon to taste and divide between peaches, top with slivers of butter and put under grill until lightly browned. Sprinkle with chopped glace cherries and serve with cream.