Labor Day has come and gone, and summer is almost over. That means that the peak season for mint is about to pass us by too. After visiting my grandmother's house this weekend—and raiding her garden, which mint has practically taken over—I decided to take advantage of the current abundance of one of my favorite herbs.
Of course, I had to use some of my mint stash for fresh mojitos—the refreshing cocktail made from rum, mint, lime, sugar, and soda water. If made properly, it is hands-down one of the best drinks ever.
For the rest of my mint, I wanted to stay away from desserts, in which mint is commonly used, and try something new. I settled on lemony-mint rice.
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Rice laced with mint is a Greek dish that has many of the same flavors as dolmas, but without the grape leaves. The ingredients are not overpowering, which is perfect for a delicate type of rice like basmati.
At first, the mint in the rice seemed rather strange to me. Almost a dessert rice but not quite. But after a while, when the flavors came together—of course, I didn't let the rice sit long enough for that to happen before I started chowing down—it turned more to the savory side. The garlic, oil, salt, and pepper stood up to the mint and complemented it well.
Lemony-Mint Rice
2 cups water
1 cup basmati rice
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup fresh mint, chopped
Grated zest of one lemon
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
Salt and pepper, to taste
•In a medium saucepan, bring the water to a boil over high heat. Stir in the rice, cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until tender. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
•In a sauté pan, heat one tablespoonful of oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute.
•Pour the rice into a medium mixing bowl. Add the cooked onion and garlic, mint, lemon zest, lemon juice, and remaining oil and mix gently. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Makes 4 servings
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Comments ( 1 )
Hey thanks for this one! I thought you'd might like another rice recipe, so here's one I found from wailana.com!
2 cups uncooked jasmine rice, rinsed
3 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. peanut oil
1/2 cup carrot, finely diced
1 cup onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups button mushrooms, finely diced
1 cup red bell pepper, finely diced
2 packed cups Chinese celery, finely chopped (including stems and leaves)
2 Tbsp. fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 cup frozen peas
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
Salt and black pepper to taste
1. Place the rice, water, and salt in a medium covered saucepan and bring to a boil on high heat. Reduce the heat to the lowest setting and cook for 20 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed and the grains are soft. Remove from the heat and allow to sit for 5 minutes.
2. Transfer the rice to a large tray and spread out evenly. Cool for 5 minutes, then place in the refrigerator to chill completely, or use an ice bath.* Chilling the rice first helps to ensure that the grains are fluffy and separated.
3. Heat the peanut oil in a large wok or 12- to 14-inch skillet on medium-high heat. Add the carrot, onion, and garlic and sauté for a few minutes. Add the mushrooms, bell pepper, celery, ginger, and peas and sauté for a minute.
4. Add the chilled rice and toss to combine. Stir-fry for a few minutes to heat the rice through. Season with the soy sauce and salt and pepper to taste. Remove from the heat and serve.
Serves 12
*To create an ice bath, place 2-3 trays of ice cubes in a dish similar in size to the tray that the rice is spread out on. Add some water to make a bath and set the tray with the rice over the top of the ice bath so that the rice can cool quickly. It should take between 20-30 minutes for the rice to cool, depending on the depth of the ice bath.
Posted by hilda | September 15, 2008 7:55 AM
Posted on September 15, 2008 07:55