CHAPTER 27
Grains and Legumes
Grains and legumes are, by nature, difficult to digest. Preparing them with broth makes digestion easier. Use of broth in grain and legume preparation is especially important for young children, the elderly, and those with impaired digestion.
Basic Brown Rice
Presoaking the rice and cooking it in gelatin-rich broth ensures that it will be very digestible, even by those generally very sensitive to grains.
Serves 6 to 8
2 cups long-grain brown rice
2 tablespoons vinegar, lemon juice, or yogurt
Warm filtered water
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
Seeds from 2 to 3 cardamom pods
4 cups homemade chicken broth (or a combination of broth and water)
Sea salt
Place the rice and vinegar in a quart-size jar and add enough warm filtered water to fill the jar with a little space remaining at the top. Cover tightly and leave at room temperature for about 7 hours. (If you are making rice in the evening, put it in to soak in the morning.) Drain the rice through a strainer, shaking to remove excess moisture.
Melt the butter in the oil in a flameproof casserole over medium heat. Add the rice to the casserole and heat until the grains start to turn whitish, stirring frequently. Stir in the cardamom pods and add the chicken broth. Increase the heat to high, bring to a boil, and boil vigorously until the liquid reduces to the level of the rice. Reduce the heat to low, cover tightly, and cook for about 2 hours, until the rice is thoroughly tender. Do not remove the lid for the first hour of cooking. Alternately, you can cover the casserole and bake the rice in the oven preheated to 275°F for 2 hours. Season with sea salt.
Mexican Rice
Heather Stein, Ste. Genevieve, Missouri
Serves 4
1 cup long-grain brown rice
2 tablespoons vinegar, lemon juice, or yogurt
Warm filtered water
2 cups homemade chicken stock
1 cup diced fresh tomatoes with liquid or ½ (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon minced onion
¼ teaspoon chili powder, or to taste
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter
Place the rice and vinegar in a quart-size jar and add enough warm filtered water to fill the jar with a little space remaining at the top. Cover tightly and leave at room temperature for about 7 hours. (If you are making rice in the evening, put it in to soak in the morning.) Drain the rice through a strainer, shaking to remove excess moisture.
Combine the rice with the remaining ingredients in a medium saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and skim any scum that forms at the top. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer, for at least 60 minutes, until all the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender.
Spanish Rice
Barbara Gilbert, Springfield, Ohio
Serves 6
1½ cups brown jasmine rice or basmati rice
1 tablespoon vinegar, lemon juice, or yogurt
1½ cups warm filtered water
2 tablespoons olive oil or lard
½ yellow onion, chopped
2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup chopped or diced fresh tomatoes
3 cups homemade chicken broth
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Place the rice and yogurt in a quart-size jar and add the warm water. Cover the container and set in a warm place. Cover tightly and leave at room temperature for about 7 hours. (If you are making rice in the evening, put it in to soak in the morning.) Drain the rice through a strainer, shaking to remove excess moisture.
Heat the oil in a 3½-quart or larger sauté pan with a lid over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, drained rice, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring constantly, until the rice turns whitish, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Add the cumin, reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 45 minutes without lifting the lid. Turn off the heat and keep covered for an additional 15 to 25 minutes. Remove the lid, fluff the rice, and serve.
Mushroom Risotto
Lydia Palermo, Monument, Colorado
Serves 4
1 cup brown rice
Juice of ½ lemon
2 cups homemade chicken stock
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup white wine
2 tablespoons butter
2 cups sliced shiitake, chanterelle, or other mushrooms
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 tablespoon truffle oil or butter (optional)
Place the rice and lemon juice in a quart-size jar and add enough warm filtered water to fill the jar with a little space remaining at the top. Cover tightly and leave at room temperature about 7 hours. (If you are making rice in the evening, put it in to soak in the morning.) Drain the rice through a strainer, shaking to remove excess moisture.
Combine the stock, rice, and ½ teaspoon of the salt in a large saucepan. Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 45 minutes. Add wine, raise the heat, and and return to a boil. Cook, stirring, until the liquid is reduced to a thick sauce and the rice is fairly tender but still has a little bite to it.
Meanwhile, heat the butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and sauté until slightly caramelized, 10 to 15 minutes. Season the mushrooms with the remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Add the mushrooms to the rice and stir in the cheese, nutmeg, and optional truffle oil and serve.
Note: If the risotto is too thick, thin with a little stock, wine, or water. It should be more like a thick soup than a rice dish.
Slow Cooker New England Baked Beans
Serves 8
4 cups dry white navy beans
Warm and cold filtered water
½ pound bacon, cut into pieces
2 medium onions, peeled and chopped
2 teaspoons sea salt
2 tablespoons molasses
1 small can or jar tomato paste
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 tablespoon honey
About 1 quart homemade beef or chicken broth
4 kielbasa or bratwurst sausages, sliced
Sea salt
Pick over and wash the beans and soak them overnight in warm filtered water to cover. Drain and rinse the beans with fresh water.
Place the beans in a large saucepan and add enough cold filtered water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a boil and skim off any scum that rises to the surface. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 4 hours, until the skins begin to split. Drain and put the beans into a slow cooker.
Stir in the bacon, onions, salt, molasses, tomato paste, mustard, cayenne, and honey. Add enough broth to cover the beans. Cover and cook on low until the beans are tender, about 8 hours, adding water as needed to keep beans covered. Near the end of the cooking time, remove the cover to allow excess moisture to cook off, stirring the beans often to prevent sticking. Fifteen minutes before serving, stir in the sausage slices to warm through. Season with salt. Serve with sauerkraut, sourdough bread and butter, and a big salad.
Slow Cooker Sausage and Beans
This easy slow cooker dish makes its own stock.
Serves 8 to 10
4 cups white navy beans or heritage beans
Cold filtered water
1 beef marrowbone
1 piece split pig’s foot
¼ cup lard
2 pounds sausage, cut into slices
Several sprigs fresh herbs, such as thyme or rosemary
Sea salt
Pick over and wash the beans and soak them overnight in cold filtered water to cover. Drain and rinse the beans with fresh water.
Place all the ingredients except the salt in a slow cooker and cook on low for about 12 hours or until the beans are very soft. Season with salt. Serve with sauerkraut, sourdough bread and butter, and a big salad.
Green Lentils
In France, lentils are traditionally served with leg of lamb.
Serves 4 to 6
2 cups green lentils
Juice of ½ lemon
Warm filtered water
4 slices smoked bacon, thinly sliced crosswise
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 small carrot, finely chopped
3 celery sticks, finely chopped
5½ cups homemade chicken broth or a combination of broth and water
1 bouquet garni made with parsley sprigs, thyme sprigs, and a bay leaf, tied together with kitchen string
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Place the lentils in a quart-size jar with the lemon juice and enough warm water to fill the jar with a little room left at the top. Cover tightly and leave at room temperature for about 7 hours. (If you are making lentils in the evening, put it in to soak in the morning.) Drain through a strainer, rinse, and shake off excess water.
Cook the bacon in a 2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat until the fat has rendered, about 6 minutes. Add the butter, onion, carrot, and celery and cook until the vegetables are softened, about 15 minutes. Stir in the lentils and broth, bring to a boil, and skim any scum that rises to the surface. Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the bouquet garni, and simmer until lentils are tender, about 1 hour and 10 minutes. Discard the herbs, season with salt and pepper, and serve.