rice and grains

Baked Pumpkin Steel Cut Oatmeal

unsalted butter, divided

steel cut oats

pumpkin

brown sugar

cinnamon

ginger

cloves

nutmeg

milk

water

vanilla

salt

Heat the oven to 375°F. In a 3-quart (or larger) saucepan or Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium-high heat. (Your burner shouldn&#x27;t be on at full blast, but the butter should melt quickly.) When the butter foams up, stir in the oats and fry them, stirring frequently, for about 3 minutes or until they smell toasted.

Push the oats up against the side of the pan, and drop the second tablespoon of butter in the now clear center of the pan. Dump in the pumpkin puree. Fry it in the butter, only stirring after about a minute. Stir in the sugar and spices and continue frying the puree for another 3 to 4 minutes, or until the color darkens slightly and the raw smell disappears. It&#x27;s OK if a few dark brown spots appear as the puree sticks to the pan.

Pour in the milk and whisk everything to combine. Whisk in the water, vanilla and salt. Put a lid on the pan and put it in the oven. Bake for 35 minutes. Take the pan out of the oven, and carefully lift the lid (be cautious as steam will billow out). Stir the oatmeal. It will look quite loose still, but the oats should be al dente and tender. The oatmeal will thicken rapidly as it cools.

Eat immediately with a drizzle of cream or milk and maple syrup, or let cool and then refrigerate. Heat up bowls in the microwave or on the stovetop.

A recipe for pumpkin spice steel-cut oatmeal made in the slow cooker. 

Slow Cooker Creamy Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal

Cooking spray, olive oil, or coconut oil

steel-cut oats

pumpkin purée

maple syrup

cinnamon stick

vanilla extract

For serving: heavy cream, ground cinnamon, and additional maple syrup (optional)

Coat the bottom and sides of a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker with cooking spray, olive oil, or coconut oil.

Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium-high heat in a large saucepan or Dutch oven. Add the oats and stir frequently until lightly toasted, about 3 minutes. Push the oats up to the side of the pan and melt the remaining tablespoon of butter in the center of the pan. Add the pumpkin purée to the center of the pan and cook without stirring for 1 minute. Add the ginger, nutmeg, and cloves into the purée and cook, stirring occasionally, until the purée darkens slightly and the raw smell disappears, 3 to 4 minutes more.

Transfer the mixture to the prepared slow cooker. Add the water, milk, maple syrup, cinnamon stick, vanilla, and salt and stir well to combine.

Cover the slow cooker and cook on the LOW setting for 8 hours. When finished, much of the pumpkin purée will have separated from the oats — don&#x27;t panic! Stir well with a wooden spoon to recombine everything, and remove the cinnamon stick before serving. Spoon the oatmeal into bowls and finish with a splash of heavy cream, a dusting of ground cinnamon, and a drizzle of maple syrup, if desired.

Pork and Broccoli Rice Bowls

peanut butter

rice vinegar

tamari or soy sauce

sesame oil, divided

pork

Kosher salt

black pepper

broccoli florets (about 1 small head of broccoli) or Broccolini

garlic,

rice,

Whisk together the peanut butter, water, tamari or soy sauce, vinegar, and 1/2 tablespoon of the sesame oil in a small bowl; set aside.

Heat the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the pork in a single layer, season with salt and pepper, and cook undisturbed until browned on the bottom, about 2 minutes minutes. Flip and continue cooking until all sides are browned and the pork is almost cooked through, about 2 minutes more.

Add the broccoli and cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender, about 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Pour in the peanut sauce, stir to coat, and cook until the sauce thickens and is heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve immediately over rice.

Quinoa Kimchi Bowl with Miso Mushrooms and Crispy Broccoli 

quinoa

sesame oil

soy sauce (or 1/2 teaspoon tamari, if gluten-free)

broccoli

olive oil

gochujang (or sriracha)

soy sauce (or 1/2 tablespoon tamari, if gluten-free)

butter (or oil of choice)

shallots,

fresh ginger, minced

shiitake mushrooms, tinly sliced

white miso paste

rice wine vinegar

sake (or white wine)

Salt

kimchi

scallions

sesame seeds

Prepare the quinoa according to the package instructions, or follow these simple steps. Once the quinoa is ready, drizzle the sesame oil and soy sauce over top. Toss to coat and keep the pot covered.

While the quinoa cooks, toss together the broccoli florets, olive oil, gochujang, soy sauce, and garlic together in a large bowl. Spread the broccoli onto a baking tray and roast for about 20 minutes, or until the florets are crispy, tossing midway.

When the broccoli goes in the oven, warm the butter over a medium heat in a large skillet. Add the sliced shallots and minced ginger, and cook for about 4 minutes, until soft and fragrant. Add the sliced mushrooms and sauté for 5 to 7 minutes, until lightly golden. While the mushrooms are cooking, whisk the miso paste and rice wine vinegar together in a small bowl. Once the mushrooms have finished, pour in the miso mixture, stir to coat, and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the sake (or wine) and scrape the bottom of the pan. Turn off the heat once the wine has reduced and thickened. Season with salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste.

To serve, divide the quinoa between 4 bowls and top with a serving of the roasted broccoli, sautéed miso mushrooms, and kimchi of choice. Garnish each bowl with the sliced green onions and sesame seeds.

How To Cook Barley

pearl barley

water or stock

Salt (optional)

Combine the barley and water: Combine the barley and water in the saucepan. Add a generous pinch of salt if desired.

Bring to a boil: Bring the water and barley to a boil over high heat. Keep an eye on the pot as barley will give off a lot of foam at first and can cause the pot to boil over.

Simmer the barley: When the barley has reached a boil, lower the heat to a low simmer, cover, and continue to cook until the barley is done. For pearl barley, start checking at 25 minutes. For hulled barley, start checking at 40 minutes. The barley is done when it has tripled in volume and is soft yet chewy. Add more water if the pan becomes dry before the barley has finished cooking; check every 5 minutes until desired chewiness is reached.

Drain the barley (if necessary): When the barley is done, it will have absorbed most of the water. If there is a little water still left in the pot, just leave the barley to sit for 10 minutes, covered, until it has all been absorbed. If there is a lot of water left, drain the barley in a strainer over the sink.

Fluff the barley: With a fork, fluff the barley to separate the grains. Enjoy!

Creamy Polenta Bowl with Oven-Roasted Tomatoes and Zucchini

grape tomatoes

zucchini,

shallot,

thyme

Salt and black pepper

polenta (or yellow cornmeal)

water (or broth,

medium ears sweet corn, kernels removed (about 2 cups)

grated pecorino or Parmesan cheese

butter

basil leaves, tightly packed

parsley leaves

Parmesan

garlic

lemon juice

lemon zest

Preheat the oven to 450°F. In a large bowl toss the grape tomatoes, chopped zucchini, sliced shallot, thyme, and olive oil together. Season generously with salt and freshly cracked black pepper, and toss to coat. Spread the veggie mixture onto a baking tray and roast for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the tomatoes burst and the shallots crisp up.

Cook the polenta with the water and salt according to the package instructions, or follow these simple steps. Add the fresh corn kernels 10 minutes before the polenta is ready.

Blend all of the pesto ingredients together until smooth in a blender or food processor, or with an immersion blender.

Stir the grated cheese and butter into the polenta just before serving. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Evenly divide the polenta between 4 bowls; top each bowl with roasted veggies and the prepared pesto. Serve immediately.

 Here's how to cook great quinoa — not mushy or bitter, but delicate and perfectly fluffy.

How To Cook Quinoa

water broth

Rinse the quinoa. Place the quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer. Rinse thoroughly under cool, running water. Rub and swish the quinoa with your hand while rinsing. Drain.

Toast the quinoa in a saucepan. Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the drained quinoa and cook, stirring constantly, to let the water evaporate and toast the quinoa, about 2 minutes.

Add liquid and bring to a boil. Stir in the water or broth and the salt. Bring to a rolling boil.

Lower heat and cook, covered, for 15 minutes. Turn the heat down to the lowest setting. Cover and cook for 15 minutes.

Let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Remove the pot from heat and let stand for 5 more minutes, covered. Don&#x27;t peek!

Fluff and eat! Uncover — You should see tiny spirals (the germ) separating from and curling around the quinoa seeds. Fluff the quinoa gently with a fork and serve. If any liquid remains in the bottom of the pan or if the quinoa is still a bit crunchy, return the pot to low heat and cook, covered, for another 5 minutes, until all the water has been absorbed.

Chinese No-Clay-Pot Chicken Casserole

soy sayce (or tamari, if gluten-free)

sugar

cornstarch

boneless, skinless chicken breasts

scallions, roughly chopped,

garlic cloves,

ginger,

shitake mushrooms, caps thinly sliced

chicken stock

Heat the oven to 350°F. Whisk together the soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, and cornstarch in a medium bowl. Stir in the chicken, scallions, garlic, and ginger, and toss so they are coated with the liquid. Place this mixture in the refrigerator and let it marinate for at least 15 minutes while you cook the mushrooms.

Place an oven-safe pan, like a 3-quart Dutch oven, over medium-high heat on the stove. When it is hot, add the sausage and turn the heat down to medium-low. Let the sausage slowly release its fat. When the bottom of the pot is slick with the sausage fat, add the mushrooms. Turn the heat back up to medium-high heat and let the mushrooms cook, without stirring them, for 5 minutes. Flip them over and cook for another 3 minutes.

Add 1 tablespoon oil to the pot, and sauté the rice briefly to develop some toasty flavor (you don’t want to brown the rice here, just sauté it for 1 minute or so), then add the salt and the chicken mixture from the fridge. Pour in the stock. Bring to a boil.

Turn off the heat, cover with a lid or with foil, and bake for 45 minutes. Make sure to taste the rice for doneness before taking it out of the oven. I like my rice a little chewy; some might want it more cooked. Let stand 5 minutes, covered, before serving. Stir up the rice before serving, as the chicken and mushrooms will have risen to the top during baking. Stir thoroughly so they are incorporated throughout the rice.

Garnish with chopped scallions and serve with extra soy sauce and chili garlic sauce, if desired.

A recipe for kheer, a classic Indian rice pudding studded with raisins and nuts and spiced with cardamom. 

Padma Lakshmi's Rice Pudding

short-grain Indian rice

golden raisins

cashews

green cardamom pods

cinnamon,

Place the rice and water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes. Add the milk, sugar, raisins, cashews or pistachios, cardamom seeds, and cinnamon and simmer, stirring often, until the rice is tender and the mixture is creamy, 30 to 35 minutes more. Serve warm or chilled.

Learn the classic risotto technique that will make this rich, creamy rice dish in less than 20 minutes. 

How To Make Risotto at Home

low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth

unsalted butter,

arborio, carnaroli, or vialone nano rice

dry white wine

Parmesan cheese

Warm your broth. Warm the broth in a medium saucepan over low heat, which helps the risotto come together faster. If you need to skip heating the broth, make sure it’s at least at room temperature and not cold from the fridge. 

Sweat the shallot. Melt the butter in a 10- or 12-inch straight-sided sauté pan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the shallot and a pinch of salt and cook until fragrant and beginning to soften, about 4 minutes. 

Toast the rice. Add the rice and stir until every grain is coated with the butter. Add more fat if needed — this is not the time to skimp! Continue stirring the rice until the edges have turned translucent but the center is still opaque, about 2 minutes. You should also be able to smell the aroma of toasted rice. Avoid actually browning the rice here; toasting the rice is all about the aroma. 

Deglaze the pan with wine. Deglazing the pan at this point isn&#x27;t strictly necessary, but a splash of white wine will add another layer of flavor and help lift up any bits that have caramelized to the pan. Add the wine, and simmer, stirring constantly, until the wine has completely reduced and the pan is nearly dry, about 3 minutes.

Slowly add the broth in increments, stirring in between. Begin incrementally adding the broth one 1/2 cup at a time, stirring regularly between additions. Wait until the liquid has been almost completely absorbed by the rice before adding the next ladle; dragging your spatula through the rice should leave a dry path where the spatula was. This gradual addition of liquid is key to getting the rice to release its starch and create its own delicious sauce, so don&#x27;t rush this step. Ideally, you want to use just enough broth to cook the rice and no more.Continue adding broth until the rice is al dente and the broth is creamy. Begin tasting the rice after about 12 minutes to gauge how far it has cooked. The risotto is ready when the rice is al dente (when it still has a bit of chew) and the dish has the consistency of thick porridge, 20 to 30 minutes total (you might not use up all of the broth). If you run your spatula through the risotto, the risotto will flow slowly to fill in the space. As the Italians say, risotto should be like &quot;la onda,&quot; a wave that slowly rolls to shore.

Finishing and serving the risotto. As a final step, add 1 or 2 more tablespoons of butter if desired and the cup of cheese to enrich the risotto and make it extra-creamy. Serve the risotto immediately. The longer it stands, the more the starches will set and you&#x27;ll lose the creamy silkiness.

Corn tortillas are made with just two ingredients: masa harina and water. What could be easier? Here's how to make tortillas for the best-ever tacos!

How To Make Corn Tortillas From Scratch

masa harina

Prepare the tortilla press: Cut the zip-top bag open along the sides. Open the tortilla press and lay the opened bag on top. (The plastic can be reused indefinitely; just wipe it clean of any dough after each use.)

Mix the tortilla dough: Mix the masa harina and the salt together in a mixing bowl. Pour in the water and stir to combine.

Knead the dough: Using your hands, knead the dough for a minute or two in the bowl. The dough is ready when it&#x27;s smooth, but no longer sticky, and easy forms a ball in your hand. The dough should feel a bit &quot;springy,&quot; like Play-Doh.

Adjust too-dry or too-wet dough as needed: If the dough absorbs all the water but is still dry and crumbly, add water a tablespoon at a time. If the dough feels sticky, paste-like, or gummy, add more masa a tablespoon at a time.

Rest the dough (optional): If you have the time, cover the bowl with a towel and rest the dough for 15 to 30 minutes. This gives the masa time to fully absorb the water and improves the taste and texture of the tortillas. You can skip the rest period if you&#x27;re in a rush.

Roll the dough into balls: Pinch off a few tablespoons of dough and roll it between your hands to form a ball roughly the size of a ping-pong ball. This will make roughly a 6-inch tortilla, and you can adjust the amount of dough you use to make larger or smaller tortillas.

Press the dough with the tortilla press: Place the ball of dough on the plastic-covered tortilla press in the middle of the press. Fold the other side of the plastic bag over the top of the dough. Bring the top of the press down over the dough, then press with the handle to flatten the dough to about 1/8-inch thick. If the tortilla doesn&#x27;t look quite even after pressing or you&#x27;d like it a little thinner, rotate the tortilla in the plastic and re-press.

Peel the tortilla off the plastic: Peel away the top of the plastic, flip the tortilla over onto your palm, and peel off the back of the plastic.

Continue pressing tortillas: You can either cook the tortillas as you press them, or you can press all the tortillas and then cook them. Keep both the dough and the stack of pressed tortillas covered with clean towels. If you choose to press all the tortillas and then cook them, be careful when peeling each tortilla off the stack — they can stick to each other or break around the edges, especially the ones on the bottom.

Heat the griddle: Warm a large, flat cast iron griddle or skillet over medium-high heat. When ready, a few drops of water flicked onto the surface should sizzle immediately and you should be able to hold your hand an inch above the surface for just a second or two.

Cook the tortillas for 1 to 2 minutes on each side: Gently position as many tortillas in the pan as will fit in a single layer without overlapping. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until the edges are starting to curl up and the bottoms look dry and pebbly. Flip and cook another 1 to 2 minutes on the other side. When done, both sides should be dry to the touch and beginning to show some brown, toasted spots.

Wrap the tortillas in a towel: As you take cooked tortillas off the griddle, stack them up and wrap them in a clean kitchen towel. The tortillas will be a bit dry and brittle just off the griddle, but will continue to steam and soften inside the towel as you finish cooking the rest of the batch.

Serve immediately, or cool and refrigerate for up to 3 days: Fresh corn tortillas are best when they&#x27;re just off the griddle and still warm, but leftover tortillas are still very good! Let any leftovers cool completely, still wrapped in the towel, then put them in an airtight container or zip-top bag and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Reheating tortillas: Dampen a kitchen towel or paper towel slightly and wrap the tortillas loosely. Microwave in 30-second bursts until the tortillas are warm and pliable. Eat immediately.

Baked Fig and Date Oatmeal with Pecan Streusel

pecans

raw sugar

arrowroot

unsalted butter

oats

baking powder

medjool dates, pitted and chopped

figs,

Combine the chopped pecans, 1 tablepoon of the raw sugar and the arrowroot in a small bowl. Place the butter in a deep 8-inch pie dish and put it into the oven for 5 minutes, just until the butter has melted. Swirl the melted butter around the pan to grease it, then scoop out 2 teaspoons of the butter and add to the pecan mixture. Stir the pecan mixture together and then set aside.

In a large bowl combine the oats, baking powder, cinnamon, chopped dates and remaining 1/4 cup of raw sugar. Add the egg, milk and remaining melted butter to the bowl then stir together well. Pour the mixture into the buttered pie dish and decorate with the sliced figs. Sprinkle the pecan streusel mixture over top.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until browned around the edges and set. Cut into wedges and serve warm or room temperature with yogurt and fresh fruit.

Mushroom and Barley Soup

porcini mushrooms

onion,

celery, diced

carrots,

pearled barley

all-purpose flour

cremini mushrooms, stems

vegetable broth

Place the water and porcinis in a medium heatproof bowl; set aside to soak.

Melt the butter in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, carrots, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft and tender, about 8 minutes. Add the barley and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly toasted, about 3 minutes.

Add the flour, stir so it coats the barley and vegetables, and cook for 2 minutes. Add the porcini mushrooms and their soaking liquid (avoid any grit at the bottom of the bowl), cremini mushrooms, and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the barley is tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

The recipe that tastes the way that movie theater popcorn smells. The hot, buttery, salty fantasy of cinema popcorn often disappoints but this won't! 

How To Make the Most Buttery, Movie-Style Popcorn

coconut oil

(3 1/2 ounces) popcorn kernels

(4 tablespoons) clarified butter

kosher salt or table salt

Heat the coconut oil: Melt the coconut oil in a 7- to 9-quart stockpot over medium-high heat.

Add tester kernels: Add 3 kernels of popcorn and wait for them to pop. These little guys will let you know when the oil is hot enough to add the remaining kernels.

Add the popcorn and pop: When the tester kernels pop, add the remaining popcorn kernels. They should cover the bottom of the pot in a single layer. Swirl the pot to coat the kernels in the oil.

Continue to pop and shake the pan: Cover, lower the heat to medium, and shake the pan gently while the kernels pop. After about 3 minutes, when the popping slows significantly (1 to 2 seconds between pops), remove from the heat. Continue to shake the pot for another 30 seconds or until the popping stops completely.

Flavor with butter and salt: Pour 1/2 of the butter or ghee over the popcorn, cover, and shake the pot to coat. Pour the remaining butter or ghee over the popcorn and sprinkle with the salt. Cover again and shake. Serve immediately.

Forget the crunchy or mushy stuff that you may have suffered through in the past — we&#x27;ve got our method locked down.

How To Cook Brown Rice

brown rice

olive oil oil

Rinse the rice. Place the rice in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse it thoroughly under cool water. There is no need to dry the rice before cooking; a bit of moisture on the rice is fine.

Toast the rice (optional). Warm the oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the rice and toast until dry and starting to look slightly toasted on the tips. It will also start to smell fragrant and nutty.

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