Orzo - Rice Pilaf

This is a recipe from my grandmother - one of the most adorable elderly women I've ever met. The measures are not very specific. After 65 years of cooking, she doesn't really measure anymore.

You can do this as a side dish for pretty much everything. It's super yummy with veggies like eggplant or beans. I eat with yogurt, but I don't know if you guys are that much of a fan of it.

Also, last year in Turkey I got really drunk and asked the bartender to bring me some pilaf. At first he said he couldn't, but then he gave in after my friends explained him that I just came back from abroad. Delicious.

Ingredients

• 1 cup rice
  
• 1/4 cup orzo
  
• butter
  
• 1.5 cup boiled water (you can substitute with chicken broth or half cb half water, yumm)
  
• salt
  

Directions

The best way to cook rice is to wash the rice with warm-hot water a couple of times, then fill the cup of rice with warm-hot water to the top and let it sit for half an hour.

After 30 min, put the orzo in a pan and turn the heat on for those babies. Toast them till they get a bit brown, turn the heat off and let them sit for a while. You can transfer them to another pan for it to cool off faster.

Once cool enough not to burn the butter quickly, turn on the heat again. Put the butter in and mix. Drain the rice and put that in as well. Mix it a little bit and add the boiled water. For every cup of rice, add 1.5 cups of water. Add salt and cook covered on medium heat till the water is gone (for basmati rice and alike, it doesn't usually take longer than 10 min).

Once cooked, turn the heat off. Put a paper towel between the lid and the pot. This so that the vapor from the pot wouldn't get the rice wet. Let it sit for 5-10 min and serve.

ps. If you substitute water with chicken broth, put less salt.

Bon appetite and you're welcome!

-Big D

Pickled Red Onions- for fish tacos

These are so so good on fish tacos. Very much a necessity.

1 red onion, cut in half and sliced thinly
1 bottle red wine vinegar
about 3 T salt
diced or whole hot pepper(s)
1-2 lemons, juiced

Combine all in a medium dish, so that the onions are covered. Let marinate 30 min-1 hour. Better when served cold, on warm fish tacos.

*Each day that the onions are kept in the refrigerator (depending on how much spice is added), they will be REALLY spicy, but not so much the first day.

~Bri

Butter and Jam Thumbprint Cookies

This recipe is from FoodNetwork.com- they are aamammmaaazzziiinnnggg (I changed it a little).

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), softened
• 2/3 cup sugar, plus more for rolling
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 vanilla bean, seeds scraped from pod, or 1/8 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup raspberry, cherry or strawberry jam (use more though!)
  

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.

Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together in a bowl.

In another bowl, whip the butter and the sugar with a hand-held mixer until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla until just combined. Slowly beat in the dry ingredients in 2 additions, mixing just until incorporated.

Scoop the dough into 1-inch balls with a cookie or ice cream scoop and roll in sugar. Place about 2-inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Press a thumbprint into the center of each ball, about 1/2-inch deep. Fill each indentation with about 1-2 teaspoons jam.

Bake cookies until the edges are golden, about 15 minutes. (For even color, rotate the pans from top to bottom about halfway through baking.) Cool cookies on the baking sheets. Serve.

Store cookies in a tightly sealed container for up to 5 days.

~Bri