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How to cook black rice

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  • 2 1/4 cup water or broth
  • 1 cup of black rice, rinsed
  • 1/8 tsp of salt (or to taste)

To cook black rice using the absorption method, add water, and rinsed black rice to a saucepan. Over medium-high heat, bring the water to a boil. Add the salt, reduce heat, cover, and cook for about 30-35 minutes.

Resist the urge to open the lid too often to check on the rice because this will let a lot of steam out. Continue cooking until the rice is tender and chewy, and all water is absorbed. Take off the heat and let it stand covered for about 5 to 10 minutes, then fluff with a fork and serve.

Troubleshooting:

If all the water has evaporated, but the rice is not fully cooked yet, add 2 to 3 tablespoons of water and cook for 5 more minutes.

Greek Zucchini Fritters martha shulman

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  • 2 pounds large zucchini, trimmed and grated on the wide holes of a grater or food processor
  •  Salt
  • 2 eggs
  • ½ cup chopped mixed fresh herbs, such as fennel, dill, mint, parsley (I like to use mostly dill)
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 cup fresh or dry breadcrumbs, more as necessary
  •  Freshly ground pepper
  • 1 cup crumbled feta
  •  All-purpose flour as needed and for dredging
  •  Olive oil for frying
  1. Salt the zucchini generously and leave to drain in a colander for one hour, tossing and squeezing the zucchini from time to time. Take up handfuls of zucchini, and squeeze out all of the moisture. Alternately, wrap in a clean dish towel, and squeeze out the water by twisting at both ends.
  2. In a large bowl, beat the eggs and add the shredded zucchini, herbs, cumin, bread crumbs, salt and pepper to taste and feta. Mix together well. Take up a small handful of the mixture; if it presses neatly into a patty, it is the right consistency. If it seems wet, add more breadcrumbs or a few tablespoons of all-purpose flour. When the mixture has the right consistency, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour or longer.
  3. Heat 1 inch of olive oil in a large frying pan until rippling, or at about 275 degrees. Meanwhile, take up heaped tablespoons of the zucchini mixture, and form balls or patties. Lightly dredge in flour.
  4. When the oil is very hot, add the patties in batches to the pan. Fry until golden brown, turning once with a spider or slotted spoon. Remove from the oil, and drain briefly on a rack. Serve with plain Greek style yogurt if desired.

Tian by gabrielle hamilton

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INGREDIENTS

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 3 medium Yukon Gold potatoes (about 12 ounces)
  •  Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onion (about 12 ounces)
  • 2 zucchini (about 12 ounces), washed and wiped free of any clinging grit
  • 1 pint yellow Sungold cherry tomatoes
  • ⅓ cup coarse bread crumbs

  1. In a pot, boil 2 inches of water for blanching tomatoes. Place an 8- or 9-inch cast-iron skillet on a burner over low heat, and add butter to melt.
  2. Peel the potatoes, and slice on a Japanese mandoline into 1/4-inch-thick disks, then arrange in a single layer circle covering the bottom of the cast-iron skillet with its melted butter, keeping the skillet on the burner and leaving the heat on while you start to build the tian.
  3. Add a second layer of potato slices, and season with salt and pepper, add a drizzle of olive oil and cover with a lid to slightly steam while you slice the yellow onion.
  4. Peel the onion, then slice into even ¼-inch or thinner rounds. The Japanese mandoline is sometimes too narrow to use for this, so you may have to use a sharp knife and do it manually.
  5. Layer abundantly half the onion rings evenly around the pan on top of the steamed potatoes, season with salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil, and recover the pan with a lid while you slice the zucchini.
  6. Slice the zucchini into ¼-inch-thick rounds, and layer half of them in concentric, just-overlapping shingled circles over the onions to create a neat layer. Season with salt and pepper, drizzle with oil and recover with the lid while you blanch the tomatoes.
  7. Season the now-boiling water with a few good pinches of salt, and drop the tomatoes into the boiling water. As soon as their skins split — about 30 seconds — retrieve the tomatoes and run under cold water to quickly cool enough to handle; set aside.
  8. Build another ring of potato around the tian on top of the now-steaming zucchini, this time just a single layer. Drizzle with oil, season with salt and pepper and recover with the lid to steam a bit while you slip the skins off the tomatoes.
  9. Layer the other half of the onions as before, season and drizzle and replace the lid as before, while you split the tomatoes in half horizontally with a small sharp knife.
  10. Add final layer of zucchini to the tian, and season with salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. Cover, and let steam while you heat the oven to 375 degrees.
  11. Place the tomatoes around the top of the tian evenly, and sprinkle the bread crumbs over the top evenly. Drizzle with oil, season with salt and pepper and place in the oven to bake for 30 minutes. (If your skillet threatens to bubble over, slip a sheet pan underneath to prevent any burned wreckage in the bottom of your oven.)
  12. With a spoon, baste, and drizzle the pan juices that accumulate in the tian over the top when you remove it from the oven at the end. Allow the tian to cool, settle and kind of meld for an hour before eating.

Seared Zucchini With Crispy Parmesan and Black Pepper, colu henry

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  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  •  Kosher salt
  • 1 ½ pounds baby zucchini or summer squash (or use regular zucchini on the smaller side), ends trimmed and halved lengthwise 
  • 2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
  • 2 ounces freshly grated Parmesan or Grana Padano cheese
  • ¼ cup torn basil or mint leaves, or a combination
  •  Flaky sea salt (optional)
  1. Heat a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high for 2 minutes. (This will help you get a good sear.) Heat the oil, and when it shimmers, salt the zucchini and add it cut-side down in one layer (you will need to do this in two batches), and cook, undisturbed, until it begins to turn golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and cook 2 to 3 minutes more on the other side. Remove from the pan and set aside on a serving plate; repeat with remaining zucchini.
  2. While the second batch cooks, add the pepper to a small saucepan and toast over medium heat until it becomes fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the butter (it will quickly foam), and stir until the butter melts and the foam subsides. Remove from heat. Quickly add the grated cheese and stir vigorously to prevent the cheese from sticking to the bottom of the pan. It will melt in spots, it will crisp in spots and it will form frico-like clumps.These are all good things!
  3. Spoon the butter over the seared zucchini, making sure to catch all the black pepper and fried cheese bits, and shower with the herbs. Season with flaky salt, if you please.

Roasted Zucchini With Garlicky Bread Crumbs and Mozzarella, melissa clark

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  •  Extra-virgin olive oil, as needed
  • 4 medium zucchini, sliced lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick planks
  •  Fine sea salt
  • ½ cup panko bread crumbs
  • ½ cup grated Parmesan
  • 4 anchovy fillets, minced
  • 1 garlic clove, finely grated or mashed to a paste
  • ½ teaspoon herbes de Provence or dried oregano
  •  Pinch of red-pepper flakes, plus more for serving
  • 4 ounces mozzarella, grated (about 1 cup)
  •  Black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons chopped, pitted black or green olives
  • 2 tablespoons torn basil or parsley leaves
  •  Lemon wedges, for serving
  1. Heat broiler. Brush a rimmed sheet pan with olive oil, then lay the zucchini out in an even layer. Brush zucchini with more oil and sprinkle generously with salt.
  2. Broil until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Flip and broil until golden in spots, 4 to 6 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, toss together bread crumbs, Parmesan, anchovies, garlic, herbes de Provence or oregano, red-pepper flakes and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add 2 tablespoons oil and use your fingers to rub oil, garlic and anchovies into the crumbs.
  4. When zucchini is browned on both sides, turn off broiler and set oven to 500 degrees. Sprinkle zucchini with mozzarella, then bread crumb mixture; generously drizzle with oil. Bake until cheese melts and bread crumbs turn golden, about 4 minutes.
  5. Grind black pepper over top and drizzle with more oil, if needed. Top zucchini with olives, basil and additional red-pepper flakes, if desired, and serve with lemon wedges for squeezing.

salt and pepper fish from BA

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  • 1 cup short-grain sushi rice
  • 8 scallions, dark green parts and white parts separated
  • 1 Tbsp. finely grated peeled ginger (from about one 1” piece)
  • 3 Tbsp. neutral oil, divided
  • 1½ lb. skinless, boneless cod, cut into 2” pieces
  • 1 Tbsp. unseasoned rice vinegar
  • 1 tsp. sugar
  • Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
  • 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into piece
  • Rinse rice in several changes of cold water in a medium bowl until water runs clear. Drain well, then transfer to a small saucepan. Pour in 1¼ cups cold water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Give rice a stir so grains don’t stick to the bottom. Cover pot and reduce heat to lowest setting. Cook, undisturbed, until water is evaporated and rice is tender, 18–20 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit, still covered, 10 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, thinly slice dark green scallion parts into rounds. Thinly slice white parts on a steep diagonal. Keep separated.
  • Mix ginger and 2 Tbsp. oil in a medium bowl. Add cod; season with salt and plenty of pepper (about 2 tsp.). Toss to coat.
  • Heat remaining 1 Tbsp. oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Add cod and cook, undisturbed, until golden underneath, about 2 minutes. Turn fish pieces, then scatter white scallion parts over. Cook, shaking the pan a bit, until fish is cooked through and some scallions are caramelized and some are just slightly softened, about 2 minutes more. Remove from heat.
  • Stir vinegar and sugar in a small bowl until sugar dissolves. Stir into rice. Add butter and sliced scallion greens; gently stir until butter melts. Season with salt.
  • Transfer rice to a platter and top with fish; pour any pan juices over.

Chocolate Zucchini Bread from twopeasandtheirpod.com

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  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  •  1/2 cup Dutch process cocoa or unsweetened cocoa 
  •  1 teaspoon baking soda
  •  1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  •  2 large eggs, at room temperature
  •  1/4 cup unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled
  •  1/4 cup canola, vegetable oil, or melted coconut oil
  •  3/4 cup  packed light brown sugar
  •  1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  •  1 1/2 cups packed shredded zucchini
  •  1 cup  semisweet chocolate chips, divided
  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and sea salt. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, add the eggs, melted butter, oil, vanilla extract, and brown sugar. Stir until smooth. You might have a few small brown sugar clumps and that is fine.
  4. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, don’t overmix. Stir in the shredded zucchini until just combined. Stir in 3/4 cup of the chocolate chips.
  5. Pour batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of chocolate chips over the top of the bread. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out mostly clean, you might have some melted chocolate chips on the toothpick and that is fine. You just don’t want a lot of gooey batter.
  6. Remove the pan from the oven and set on a wire cooling rack. Let the bread cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the edges of the bread and carefully remove from the pan. Let the bread cool on the wire cooling rack until slightly warm. Cut into slices and serve.
  7. Note-if you use coconut oil, make sure it is melted and slightly cooled. The bread will keep on the counter, wrapped in plastic wrap, for up to 4 days. This bread also freezes well. To freeze, cool the bread completely and wrap in plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 1 month. Defrost before slicing

State Fair Lemonade, chef john

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  • 6 lemons
  • 1 1/4 cups white sugar
  • 5 cups cold water

  1. Wash lemons and peel off all the zest using a vegetable peeler. Set peeled lemons aside. Add the lemon zest to a bowl and cover with sugar. Toss to combine. Cover and let sit for a minimum of 2 hours, or up to overnight.
  2. Bring water to a boil in a pot over high heat; turn off heat and pour in the lemon-sugar mixture. Stir and let sit until the sugar is completely dissolved, about 5 minutes.
  3. Pour through a mesh strainer back into the same bowl and discard the zest. Let cool to room temperature, 20 to 30 minutes.
  4. Cut the lemons in half and squeeze into the bowl. Pour lemonade into a serving pitcher. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill thoroughly before serving over ice, at least 2 hours.
  • Chef’s Notes:
  • If your lemons feel waxy, give them a good scrub under hot water before using.
  • Feel free to adjust amounts of lemon juice and sugar.

broccoli delight by carla

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1-2 lbs broccoli
4 oz. Cheddar cheese

Separate the crowns from the stalk, then cut the florets into big wedges. Trim and peel the stems then cut it crosswise into large coins. Hear the pan and drizzle with olive oil.Add the broccoli, seasoned it with salt, and arranged it so the flat sides make contact with the pan.

Break the cheddar into ½-inch bits, scooted them back into a pile.

Once the broccoli develops a nice dark brown seared edge on one side and turning bright green and steamy on the top sprinkle the cheddar all over the broccoli. the green broccoli tops will be covered with melty cheese.

Serve

California Tacos from allrecipes.com

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3 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
2 avocados, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lime, juiced
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
8 eaches corn tortillas
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup cooked white rice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 dash green pepper sauce (such as Tabasco®), or to taste
  • Step 1 Mix tomatoes, avocados, onion, 1/4 cup cilantro, and garlic together in a bowl. Drizzle lime juice over tomato mixture; toss to coat.
  • Step 2 Heat vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. Arrange tortillas, 2 at a time, in hot oil; cook until crisp, about 1 minute per side. Remove tortillas using tongs and repeat with remaining tortillas.
  • Step 3 Spoon 2 tablespoons black beans and 2 tablespoons cooked rice onto each crisp tortilla; top with tomato mixture. Garnish tacos using remaining 2 tablespoons cilantro and green pepper sauce.