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I am still away from my kitchen, visiting my family and not cooking much beyond spaghetti and tacos for the 5 kiddos that have been turning up at my parent's table each night. Five kids, as in: my girls, my nephews, and my only niece. My sisters are both teachers and need to turn in grades and hold parent-teacher conferences this week so I'm trying to help out by watching and feeding the babies (well sort of babies...ages: 5, 4, 2, 21 months, and 16 months). The furthest thing from my mind should be Thai food and the unique coconut jasmine rice that is served alongside my favorite curries at our local Thai restaurant. I'm pretty sure that I'd have to drive a bit from my current location to even find Thai food. Yet, that's what I'm thinking about. Hey, my cravings know not a geographical restriction. So tonight, I bring you this delicious coconut rice that tastes just like the restaurant version. This recipe came to me in my Facebook inbox from my friend Amber, all the way in sunny California, and was simply titled, "Yummy Rice". Thank you, Amber!
Here's what you need: jasmine rice, chicken broth, coconut milk (I used light), lemongrass and ginger (from a tube), and cilantro (I used fresh, but you could also use the kind from a tube, found in the produce section of your grocery store and eliminate chopping all together!)
If you've got a rice cooker, throw it all in together, stir it well, and cook until done. If don't have a rice cooker, bring the broth, coconut milk, ginger, lemongrass, and cilantro to a boil. Then add the rice and cover and cook according to the directions on the rice package.
I think that this cooked to perfection in about 15 minutes. For the record, the flavors in this rice were lost on my dear husband. He took a bite and asked, with a puzzled look, "What is that, orange?" You see, he's never been to my favorite Thai restaurant. He's never tasted the rice or the curry or the coconut soup. Remember when I wrote about how he orders Buffalo Chicken Pizza when I'm out of town? Well, I get Thai takeout when he's away. I guess our guilty take out pleasures soften the disadvantages of being apart. Absence makes the stomach grow rounder? Hmmm. My kids and I loved the rice. Probably because they've developed a taste for it. All of those take out dinners when daddy is away...
Coconut Jasmine Rice aka "Yummy Rice"
2 cups jasmine rice
1.5 cups chicken broth
1 cup coconut milk
1 tsp lemon grass paste
1 tsp cilantro blend paste or 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 tblsp ginger "mashed" or from the tube
Place all ingredients in a rice cooker and stir before cooking OR bring everything except for rice to a boil, then add rice. Cover and cook according to package directions.
Oh, you know what I just realized?! The Basil Chicken in Coconut-Curry Sauce that I made all the way back in February would be excellent over this rice. Give it a try and let me know what you think. : )
