Peckish Sister's Reviews
5 recipe(s) reviewed. Showing 1 to 5Sort by: Title 
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The Grains Cookbook
By Bert Greene
Workman Publishing Company - 1988
Brown Rice with Zucchini : page 240
Goat cheese was the secret ingredient that made this dish creamy and gave it a bit of a surprising flavor. The rice is cooked and used hot and I found that by the time I had prepped and cooked all the other ingredients, the rice had just finished cooking in the rice cooker. Onions and garlic are sautéed and the zucchini cooked until the liquid disappears. I chose the bouillon option and used the full amount of chicken base as I had used no other salt, not even to cook the rice, but next time I would only use half, the taste was too strong. This does not look outstanding, but makes up for that in flavor. My only complaint is that the amount cooked seemed small as it was so very good. You may want to consider making a double batch. Especially if you want to have some leftover for his suggestion to incorporate roasted chicken to make a good lunch.
useful (1)
Forty-Carat Quinoa : page 364
My first attempt to cook quinoa turned out well. Pureed sautéed shallots and carrots were added to the chicken stock and simmered with the quinoa. Cumin was added at the end. I was afraid it would be soupy, and it was very soft, but OK. It tasted good without tasting like cooked pureed carrots. I think it makes a great lunch all by itself.
useful (3)
Green Barley : page 15
The chewy barley simmered in chicken broth with sautéed onions, garlic and arugula (I used all arugula instead of half Swiss chard) and just a touch of prosciutto. This is supposed to purify sluggish winter blood or rejuvenate after a night on the town and was perfect the day after a full day of eating at the Disney Food and Wine Festival. I love barley, and this was a new way to cook it for me. This was completely amazing; it was as pretty as it was tasty. I will cook it again soon.
useful (3)
H. John Millet : page 183
This was my first attempt at a Hopping John. I was lucky to find a package of frozen black eyed peas at my local fruit and vegetable stand on New Years Day. My previous attempts at cooking with millet always left me feeling like I was eating bird seed (probably my mistake for munching on the parakeet’s millet in my youth). This book indicates that the millet must be heated until it starts to pop before cooking in water. My mistake was in using a large skillet instead of my medium as directed. The millet in the middle of the pan cooked perfectly and the surrounding millet stayed crunchy. The added bacon, chives, and vinegar made the teenagers come back (one had 5ths but claimed it was just because he was so hungry) for more until it was finished with no leftovers. The only improvement would be to cook it in the proper sized pan and to follow his advice to eat it more than once a year.
useful (3)
Risotto with Goat Cheese : page 263
Perfect risotto results by following excellent directions. The goat cheese made already creamy risotto rich and tangy. Zucchini is sliced thin and added after cooking. I really should have used my mandolin to make slices a little more even and paper thin. Some of the thicker ones tasted too raw. This is one of two rice dishes he has with zucchini and goat cheese, both are very different. I like this simple twist on a standard risotto.
useful (1)