If you have the basics in your pantry I have listed in previous posts, you are ready to cook your first meal. It will be of necessity, simple, inexpensive, and flexible!
The first thing you are going to do is get everything out you need, and put it near your cook top.
You will need: a medium sized pan with a lid, a knife good for cutting, and these ingredients:
one can of beans (black beans, garbanzos,red kidney, whatever you have), white or brown rice, one onion, one or two cloves of garlic (optional), one fresh green pepper, tomato paste, veggie oil, & water.
You are going to create a version of a pilaf, which is a simple rice dish with lots of flavor. It is good to eat alone, or with other food. The way you will cook this dish will feed two people or so, but you will see how you can make it to feed more...You should know that you can cook this more quickly over high heat, but if this is our first time cooking, don't. Cook it all over low heat so you don't burn it.
FIRST > Do what the chefs do, and prepare all your ingredients before you heat the pan. SO: wash and cut the pepper into pieces, throwing out the seeds. Peel and cut the onion into pieces. To peal the garlic easily, smash it down slightly with the bottom of your pan, or with the FLAT of your knife. Then slip off the peal.Chop it up into small pieces or leave whole. Open the beans, drain them (just hold your hand over the open can and pour the liquid down your sink), then rinse them with water (fill the can up with water then drain). Open up the tomato paste. Measure out the rice by putting some in the palm of your hand. A palm full should be enough for two people. Now you are ready!
NEXT> Heat the pan gently, and add the oil ( you can add a bit of butter here if you like). Add the peppers first, and cook them until they start to get softer.
NEXT> Heat the pan gently, and add the oil ( you can add a bit of butter here if you like). Add the peppers first, and cook them until they start to get softer.
Add the onions, and cook them until you can sort of see through them.
I used brown rice and a bit of wild rice,too.
Add enough water to cover everything, and stir until all the paste is unstuck. Now add the garlic and the drained beans. Bring to a boil.
Here you see me cracking pepper with my knife, and using the same knife to remove the garlic skin:
It is very comforting and mild in flavor now. If you want to up the flavor, try any or all of these:
instead of water, add stock
chop and add a piece of celery and a carrot when you cook the pepper
use olive oil, and add a tiny bit of thyme
after you add the peppers, add some ground hamburger, ground turkey or ground chicken and cook until brown, then finish the recipe.
add heat with chili powder, or red pepper flakes, or hot sauce
save some for breakfast: scramble some eggs, and add this in...
The first thing you are going to do is get everything out you need, and put it near your cook top.
You will need: a medium sized pan with a lid, a knife good for cutting, and these ingredients:
one can of beans (black beans, garbanzos,red kidney, whatever you have), white or brown rice, one onion, one or two cloves of garlic (optional), one fresh green pepper, tomato paste, veggie oil, & water.
You are going to create a version of a pilaf, which is a simple rice dish with lots of flavor. It is good to eat alone, or with other food. The way you will cook this dish will feed two people or so, but you will see how you can make it to feed more...You should know that you can cook this more quickly over high heat, but if this is our first time cooking, don't. Cook it all over low heat so you don't burn it.
FIRST > Do what the chefs do, and prepare all your ingredients before you heat the pan. SO: wash and cut the pepper into pieces, throwing out the seeds. Peel and cut the onion into pieces. To peal the garlic easily, smash it down slightly with the bottom of your pan, or with the FLAT of your knife. Then slip off the peal.Chop it up into small pieces or leave whole. Open the beans, drain them (just hold your hand over the open can and pour the liquid down your sink), then rinse them with water (fill the can up with water then drain). Open up the tomato paste. Measure out the rice by putting some in the palm of your hand. A palm full should be enough for two people. Now you are ready!
NEXT> Heat the pan gently, and add the oil ( you can add a bit of butter here if you like). Add the peppers first, and cook them until they start to get softer.
NEXT> Heat the pan gently, and add the oil ( you can add a bit of butter here if you like). Add the peppers first, and cook them until they start to get softer.
the photo below shows the peppers getting softer and some are even browning a bit:
Add the onions, and cook them until you can sort of see through them.
Then, add a bit of the tomato paste, and stir it in the bottom of the pan..it should start to stick a bit, and turn a bit darker. Then, quickly add the rice, and stir it all around to coat it with the paste. .
I used brown rice and a bit of wild rice,too.
Cook until the rice is tender...DONE!
It is very comforting and mild in flavor now. If you want to up the flavor, try any or all of these:
instead of water, add stock
chop and add a piece of celery and a carrot when you cook the pepper
use olive oil, and add a tiny bit of thyme
after you add the peppers, add some ground hamburger, ground turkey or ground chicken and cook until brown, then finish the recipe.
add heat with chili powder, or red pepper flakes, or hot sauce
save some for breakfast: scramble some eggs, and add this in...
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