September 1, 2012

Arancini

Posted by HI Cookery under 09 September | Tags: , , , , |
1 Comment 

Arancini (Sicilian Rice Balls)

Arancini

September: National Rice Month

Rice is a staple in our household, as Islander was raised eating it almost every day in Hawaii. Any leftovers would be made into fried rice, such as Spam fried rice, sinangag and khao pad. Then our friend Lisa L., who spent time in Sicily, Italy, as a reservist in the U.S. Navy, told us about fried rice balls called arancini. She ate them as a snack while she toured the towns during base liberty there.  Islander was interested in using leftover rice to cook a different dish from another culture—and arancini was a great idea!

Arancini is derived from the Italian word arancia, meaning “orange” (arancina means “little orange”), because the fried rice balls look like the fruit. There are a variety of filllings, such as meat, peas, mushrooms, cheese and even chocolate (on the Feast Day of St. Lucy).

We made our arancini with a mozzarella cheese filling. These simple Sicilian snacks are petite, portable and perfect for posting a recipe in observance of National Rice Month!

Recipe

(Adapted from UKTV Good Food Channel)

Ingredients

  • Leftover rice or pasta risotto
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Mozzarella cheese, cut into ½ inch cubes
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • Italian-flavored breadcrumbs (such as Progresso brand)
  • Japanese breadcrumbs (panko)
  • Oil for frying

Directions

Salt and pepper the leftover rice. Make a 2 ½ – 3-inch diameter ball with the rice and slightly flatten it to create a well in the middle. Place a cube of cheese and enclose with the rice.

Arancini

Beat the egg and dip the rice ball in it. Coat in the Italian-flavored breadcrumbs. Then roll in panko to add crispness.

Arancini

Deep fry until golden and drain on paper towels. Serve hot with a side of tomato sauce (optional).

Arancini

Notes 

  • We made Santa Lucia Leves on the Feast Day of St. Lucy on December 13,  but the water used to boil the rice just added flavor to this Hungarian soup. The rice itself was not included in the recipe so we made arancini out of it.
  • Search our blog for other rice recipes.
 

September 1, 2012

Spam Fried Rice

Posted by HI Cookery under 09 September | Tags: , , , , |
Leave a Comment 

Spam Fried Rice

Spam Fried Rice

September: National Rice Month

We blogged about Spam musubi before. Now we are posting our family recipe for fried rice which incorporates Hawaii’s favorite luncheon meat—Spam! Like most locals, leftover rice is made into another meal by frying it up with meat (Spam or sausages, such as lap cheung 臘腸, longganisa, Portuguese or Vienna sausage, etc.). Sometimes vegetables and a fried egg are added. But the concept/process is the same and it is onolicious! We garnished our Spam fried rice with omelet curls, just like Islander’s Daddy does to make it more fancy for his family and friends. Make National Rice Month special by making Spam fried rice!

Recipe

For the Spam fried rice

  • 2 cups leftover rice
  • 2 teaspoons oil
  • ¼ cup onion, chopped
  • 1 small can (7 ounces ) Spam, diced
  • 1-2 teaspooons garlic powder
  • 2-3 tablespoons soy sauce (we used Aloha Shoyu brand)

Directions

Loosen the rice with a little water so the grains are not sticky. Set aside. Chop the onions and dice the Spam. Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok and stir fry the onions until fragrant. Add the Spam and cook until lightly browned.

Spam Fried Rice

Mix in the rice. Season with garlic powder and stir well. Pour in the soy sauce and blend well. Prepare the omelet curls.

Spam Fried Rice

For the omelet curls (optional garnish)

  • 1 egg
  • oil or cooking spray for frying

Directions

In a small bowl, beat the egg well. In a skillet or wok, heat a little oil or cooking spray. Pour the beaten egg and spread it thinly over the bottom. Fry until lightly browned. Flip the omelet over and fry again. Transfer to a cutting board, blotting out excess grease with a paper towel.

Spam Fried Rice

While still hot, roll tightly. Press gently to set its shape. Cut into slices. Use to garnish the Spam fried rice.

Spam Fried Rice

Notes

  • Mix the Spam with some vegetables for a colorful medley. Stir fry ½ cup frozen peas and carrots before adding the rice in this recipe.
  • Sprinkle nori komi furikake for some sesame seaweed flavoring.
  • If feeling a little lazy to make the omelet curls, just crack an egg into the hot rice and keep stir frying until cooked and well blended.
  • Make musubi with Spam. Check out our blog post—in pidgin (Hawaiian creole)!
 

« Previous Page