Horchata

• 1 cup rice
• 5 cups water
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 Tblsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup sugar

Crush rice a little with a mortar and pestle. Poor water over rice and let soak overnight. The next day, filter the rice water, and add the other ingredients. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Serve cold or over ice.

If I were to make this again, I would probably soak the rice a little in just enough hot water to cover first, then crush the rice, then add the rest of the warm water and let soak overnight. The original recipe contains 2/3 cups sugar, but this would have been far too much for me.

Adapted from: Lola's Horchata at Food.com.

Mushroom Risotto

Makes: 4 servings

Cost per Serving (Heidelberg): coming soon

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 225 grams (8 oz) mushrooms, sliced
• 350 grams (12 oz) rice
• 150 ml (½ cup) dry white wine
• about 4 cups chicken stock
• 25 grams (1¾ tablespoons) butter
• salt
• pepper
• grated parmesan

 Heat the oil in a large pan.  Add onion and garlic and fry until softened.  Add mushrooms and fry ~3 more minutes.

Add rice and make sure it's coated in oil.  Add wine.  Simmer and stir until the wine has been absorbed.  Add chicken stock by the ladle.  Let each ladle-full be absorbed by the rice before adding more.  Continue adding stock and stirring until the rice is done.

Add butter and salt and pepper to taste.  Serve with parmesan.

Lemon Rice

Makes: 2 servings

Cost per serving (Heidelberg): coming soon

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
• 4-5 curry leaves (try the Asian market)
• 2 Thai chilis, split lengthwise
• 1" or 2 cm ginger root, grated
• ½ cup unsalted peanuts
• handful raisins
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• juice of 2 lemons
• 2 servings cooked white rice

Toast the coriander seeds in a pan until fragrant and starting to brown, then crush/powder them.  Set aside.

Heat oil in a pan.  When hot, add mustard seeds, curry leaves, and chilis.  Fry until the mustard seeds stop spluttering.

Add ginger, peanuts, and raisins.  Fry one minute, then add turmeric and remove from heat.

Add lemon juice and mix well.  Then add rice, crushed coriander, and salt to taste.  Mix well & enjoy!

Cooked White Rice

1 part rice (washed or unwashed)
1.5 parts water
salt to taste

Mix ingredients in saucepan and bring to an easy boil over high heat. Cover and turn off heat but leave pan on burner. Let rice cook on cooling burner for at least 15 minutes. For 2 servings, 1 part =~ 3/4 cups.

Fried Rice

Adapted from multiple recipes.

2-3 Tblsp. sesame oil (enough to cover the bottom of the pan)
1/2-1 Tblsp Szechuan peppercorns
1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 clove garlic
1 chicken breast cut into thin slices
2 eggs
2-3 green onions cut into pieces (depending on the size)
1/4 cup frozen vegetable mix (according to taste; optional)
2 servings cooked rice (preferably prepared >1 hour beforehand)
soy sauce
rice wine

Heat the oil in a deep pan over medium/medium-low heat. Add peppercorns and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant. Crush garlic into into hot oil and add chicken. Cook chicken just until cooked through, and push to the side of the pan. Crack eggs into the cleared space. Cook briefly then scramble and cook until just cooked through (somewhat soft still but not liquidy). Cut the egg into slices using the spatula, sprinkle green onions over the top, add the frozen vegetables and cook until thawed. Add rice and break up clumps. Stir in soy sauce and rice wine to taste (I add probably 1 Tblsp. rice wine and enough soy sauce to turn rice a nice brown color).

Makes: 2 servings