Red Pepper Rice Bulgur Or Freekeh With Saffron And Chile Food

RED PEPPER RICE, BULGUR OR FREEKEH WITH SAFFRON AND CHILE

Steps:

• Rub saffron between your fingers and place in a small ramekin. Cover with 1 tablespoon hot water. Set aside.
• Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat in a deep, lidded skillet or a wide, lidded saucepan. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add peppers and a generous pinch of salt and cook, stirring often, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add chile, paprika, tomatoes and salt and pepper to taste and cook, stirring often, for about 5 minutes, until tomatoes have cooked down and softened a bit.
• Add rice, bulgur or freekeh and stir to coat with tomato mixture. Add saffron with its soaking water, water, more salt to taste, parsley and marjoram, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer 20 minutes, or until water has been absorbed.
• Remove from heat, uncover and place a towel across the top of the pan. Return lid and let sit for 10 minutes. Serve hot, with remaining olive oil drizzled over the top.

CHARRED SWEETCORN, RED PEPPER & BULGUR WHEAT PILAF

Steps:

• Heat ½ tbsp oil in a casserole dish (that has a lid) over a high heat. Fry the corn cobs for 8-10 mins turning frequently, until golden and lightly charred. Stand on a chopping board and run the knife down the cobs to remove the kernels.
• Tip the peppers into the pan with the remaining oil and fry for 10 mins until softened and golden, then stir in the spring onions, paprika and garlic. Fry for another 3-4 mins until fragrant, then stir most of the corn back into the pan, along with the stock. Bring to a simmer, then stir in the bulgur. Turn the heat to low. Cover with the lid and leave for 8-10 mins until the stock has been absorbed and the bulgur is tender.
• Fluff the pilaf up with a fork, then scatter with the remaining corn and the coriander. Serve with a dollop of Greek yogurt dusted with a little paprika, if you like, and the lime wedges for squeezing over.

RED PEPPER GARLIC RICE PILAF

Steps:

• Melt butter in saucepan. Saute onions for 4 minutes.
• Add chopped garlic. Cook about 4-5 minutes more, or until onion is tender.
• Place chicken broth in pan with onion mixture. Bring to boil and cook rice according to package directions.
• Once rice is done, stir in red bell pepper and fluff with fork.
• Top with cheese and serve. Delicious!

SAFFRON RICE WITH CHICKEN & PEPPERS

Steps:

• Put the saffron in a small bowl and pour over the warm water. Bruise the strands with the back of a teaspoon to fix the colour, and set aside while you prepare the rest.
• Heat the olive oil in a large, weighty casserole, and when hot tip in the chicken. Stir fry for a minute or two over a high heat to seal in the juices, then set aside.
• Strip the leaves from the thyme sprigs and scatter into the pan along with the onions and garlic. Fry until golden then pour in the lime juice. Turn the heat down a tad, add the pepper and continue cooking for another 5 minutes before adding the wine, stock and seasoning. Return the chicken to the pan and simmer for 6 minutes until the meat is tender and the liquid has cooked down a little.
• Meanwhile, cook the rice in a pan of fast boiling water until tender, but with a slight bite. Drain in a colander and rinse with warm water. Heap over the chicken while still on the heat. Drizzle with the saffron and its soaking liquid, and scatter over the peas. Don't stir the chicken and rice at this stage, but cover and cook over a low-moderate heat until the rice is fluffy and the liquid reduced to a few tablespoons - about 3 minutes. Before serving, gently mix the saffron-streaked rice with the chicken and pepper mixture.

SAFFRON RICE PILAF WITH RED PEPPERS & TOASTED ALMONDS

Steps:

• On the stove top or in the microwave, heat the broth until hot. Add the saffron, cover, and let sit for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a heavy-based 3-quart saucepan with a tight lid, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the diced onion and bell pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft but not browned, about 5 minutes.
• Add the rice, salt and cayenne, and stir well to coat each grain with oil. Toast for a full five minutes, stirring regularly to keep the grains separated and to prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the pan (the rice may turn opaque before 5 minutes is up, but keep going). Reduce the heat to low if there are any signs of scorching. Stir in 2 tablespoons of parsley and the garlic.
• Add the saffron broth, stir once, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 18 minutes. Remove from the heat, and let the pilaf sit, still covered, for five minutes.
• Once the pilaf has rested, remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork. Using the fork, gently fold in the almonds, the remaining parsley, and the oregano. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed.
• P.S. You might be tempted to leave out the saffron because it's expensive, but DON'T DO IT! It's worth every penny, and one jar goes a long way. If you have a Trader Joe's in your area, you can pick up a jar for about three to four bucks. If you don't have a TJ's, I'm sorry for you.

SAFFRON RICE AND RED PEPPER PILAF

Steps:

• Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add peppers and onion. Sauté until soft, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Add rice; stir 1 minute. Mix in 3 cups broth, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and saffron. Bring to simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until liquid is absorbed, about 18 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in 6 tablespoons grated cheese. Season with salt and pepper. (Pilaf can be made 30 minutes ahead. Keep covered. Rewarm over low heat, adding more broth by tablespoonfuls to moisten if necessary.) Stir 1 1/2 tablespoons chives into pilaf. Mound in serving bowl. Top with cheese shavings and remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons chives.

ROASTED BELL PEPPER HALVES STUFFED WITH BULGUR AND SPINACH

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F. Cut large red and yellow bell peppers in half through stem end. Remove seeds and cut out ribs, leaving stems intact. Finely chop small red bell pepper; set aside. Spread 1 tablespoon oil over rimmed baking sheet. Place pepper halves, cut side down, on prepared sheet. Roast 15 minutes. Turn over; roast until slightly softened, about 15 minutes longer. Remove from oven.
• Meanwhile, bring 2 cups water to boil in medium saucepan; add bulgur and 1 teaspoon salt. Remove from heat. Cover and let stand until bulgur is tender, about 30 minutes. Drain well.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chopped red pepper; sauté until tender, about 3 minutes. Add currants and pine nuts; sauté 2 minutes. Add cumin; stir 20 seconds. Mix in spinach; stir until beginning to wilt, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Mix in bulgur, mint, and dill. Stir in half of cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Divide bulgur mixture among pepper halves. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.)
• Preheat oven to 425°F. Bake stuffed peppers until heated through, about 25 minutes (or 30 minutes if chilled); serve.
• *Also called cracked wheat; available at natural foods stores and supermarkets.