aromatic rice pilaf

prep time: 15 minutes       cook time: 25 minutes       total time: 40 minutes       serves 4-6

ingredients
2 T unsalted butter
2 T olive oil
1.5 c minced yellow onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 T minced fresh ginger
2 T ground cinnamon
1.5 c basmati rice
3 T tomato paste (or tikka masala curry)
3 c chicken or vegetable or beef broth
1/2 c chopped fresh parsley

directions

1. in a large pot, melt butter over medium-high. add onion, garlic, ginger, and cinnamon. cook and stir 5 minutes or until onion begins to soften.
2. stir in rice and tomato paste/tikka masala curry. cook and stir 3 minutes or until rice is well-coated and smells nutty.
3. stir in stock and 2 T salt. bring to boiling, reduce heat to low. simmer, covered, 10-12 minutes or until rice is tender and liquid has evaporated.
4. let stand 10 minutes. fluff with a fork. stir in parsley. serve immediately or at room temperature.

source – better homes and garden sept. 2019, pg. 120

meat sauce bolognese by lidia bastianich

prep time: 15 minutes       cook time: 30 minutes (if you don’t let it simmer for hours), 2-3 hours (if you want to let the tastes meld)

ingredients
3 T EVOO
1 medium onion, minced (about 1/2 c)
1 medium carrot, peeled and cut in coins
1/2 c celery, minced
2 tsp kosher salt
1 lb ground beef
1 lb ground pork
1/2 c dry red wine
1 can tomato paste
2 14-oz. cans diced tomatoes
4 dried bay leaves
ground pepper, to taste

directions

1. heat olive oil in a 3 to 4-quart pan over medium heat. stir in the onion, carrot and celery, season them lightly with salt and cook, stirring, until the onion is translucent.
2. crumble in the ground beef and pork and continue cooking, stirring to break up the meat, until all the liquid the meat has given off has evaporated and the meat is lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
3. pour in the wine and cook, scraping the bottom of the pan, until the wine is evaporated, 3-4 minutes.
4. stir in the tomato paste and cook a few minutes, then pour in the tomatoes, toss in the bay leaves, and season lightly with salt and pepper.
5. cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is dense but juicy and a rich, dark red color. this will take about 2-3 hours – the longer you cook it, the better it will become. (most likely, a noticeable layer of oil will float to the top toward the end of cooking. once finished, the oil can be removed with a spoon or reincorporated into the sauce, which is what is traditionally done.)

source