Eat

Rice is Nice!

Use our easy ways to turn the boring staple into amazing dishes.

Portrait of Tammy Strobel

Use our easy ways to turn the boring staple into amazing dishes.

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Five-Spice Beef Fried Rice

Prep 15 mins / Cook 10 mins / Serves 4.

250 g beef rump steak, trimmed, thinly sliced.
1 tsp five-spice powder.
2 cm piece ginger, peeled, thinly sliced.
4 garlic cloves, crushed.
1 bunch gai lan (Chinese broccoli), trimmed, sliced.
2 sweet mini capsicums, chopped.
2 cups bean sprouts.
250 g packet 90-second brown rice, cooked.
1 tbsp kecap manis.
1 tbsp soy sauce.
2 green onions, thinly sliced.
1 tsp sesame seeds, lightly toasted Chilli sauce, to serve.

1 Heat wok or large non-stick frying pan on high. Coat beef in five-spice powder. Stir-fry beef 1 to 2 mins until browned. Transfer to plate.

2 In same wok, stir-fry ginger and garlic 30 secs until fragrant. Add gai lan, capsicum and sprouts and stir-fry 1 to 2 mins until tender.

3 Mix in hot rice, sauces and beef. Stir-fry 1 to 2 mins. Serve sprinkled with onion and sesame seeds. Accompany with chilli sauce. 

CHEF’S TIP: Add a splash of water to the wok when cooking the vegetables to help them steam. 

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Beef Mince & Rice Burritos

Prep 20 mins / Cook 40 mins / Serves 4 to 6.

1 cup cooked rice, leave to cool.
1 tbsp olive oil.
1 red capsicum, seeded, finely diced.
1 onion, finely chopped.
2 garlic cloves, crushed.
500 g beef mince (see Chef’s Tip).
35 g packet taco seasoning.
400 g can diced tomatoes.
½ cup water.
125 g can corn kernels, drained.
12 mini tortillas.
1 cup grated tasty cheese.
1 avocado, flesh scooped.
Juice 1 lemon.
Sour cream, salsa, coriander, to serve.

1 Preheat oven to moderate, 180 C. Grease large baking dish.

2 In a large frying pan, heat oil on medium. Saute capsicum, onion and garlic 4 to 5 mins, until tender. Add mince and cook, stirring 4 to 5 mins, until browned.

3 Sprinkle taco seasoning over and cook 1 min. Add tomato and water to pan and bring mixture to boil. Simmer 4 to 5 mins until mixture thickens. Stir in corn and rice. Season.

4 Divide mince mixture between tortillas and roll up to enclose filling. Place into dish. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake 15 to 20 mins until cheese is melted and golden.

5 Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, mash avocado and 2 tsps lemon juice.

6 Serve burritos topped with guacamole, sour cream, salsa and coriander sprigs.

CHEF’S TIP: To reduce cooking time, replace mince with shredded barbecue chicken. 
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Cook’s Solution

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Spanish Rice

Prep 5 mins / Cook 15 mins / Serves 4.

250 g packet diced chorizo.
1 onion, chopped.
2 garlic cloves, crushed.
300 g frozen prawns, thawed.
2 x 250 g packets microwave Mexican rice.
1½ cups frozen mixed vegetables (capsicum, corn, peas), thawed.
½ cup fish stock.
¼ cup chopped parsley, plus extra leaves to serve.
Lemon wedges, to serve.

1 Heat a large frying pan. Saute chorizo 2 to 3 mins until golden and crisp. Add onion and garlic and saute 2 to 3 mins until onion is tender.

2 Stir prawns through and cook 1 min. Mix rice, vegetables and stock through. Bring to a simmer and cook 4 to 5 mins until almost dry.

3 Stir in chopped parsley. Serve scattered with extra parsley leaves and accompanied with lemon wedges.

CHEF’S TIP: Serve with crusty bread and a salad.
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Cook’s Solution

Packed With Flavours

When you’re home after a long day yet want to dig in to something comforting and spicy, reach for this. You’ll be able to pull something together fast with the yummy Dancing Chef Padang Rendang Paste. Marinate the meat of choice (chicken will cook fastest) and you’ll soon have a delicious dry curry on the table. We love that there’s no MSG, preservatives or artifical colouring used. At $2.85 per pack, from leading supermarkets. 

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One-Pot Rice & Chicken

Prep 15 mins / Cook 30 mins / Serves 4.

1 tbsp olive oil.
1 onion, sliced.
250 g chicken thigh fillets, sliced.
2 cups basmati rice.
2 x 400 g cans diced tomatoes.
2 cups water.
1 zucchini, diced.
1 bay leaf.
½ tsp dried thyme.
½ tsp dried oregano.
Chopped parsley, to serve.

1 In a saucepan, heat oil on high. Saute onion 2 to 3 mins, until tender (see Chef’s Tip). Add chicken and cook, stirring 2 to 3 mins until well browned.

2 Stir rice, tomato, water, zucchini and herbs through (see Chef’s Tip). Bring to boil then simmer, covered, 15 to 20 mins, until rice is tender.

3 Set pan aside, covered, 5 mins. Fluff rice with a fork. Stir parsley through. Serve with salad and crusty bread, if preferred.

CHEF’S TIP: Add some smoked paprika inStep 1, with the onion, to add a little heat.Remove hard, woody herbs (such as bay leaves) before serving.
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Cook’s Solution

Clever Power Pot

Imagine being able to cook while on the move, and when you reach your destination, your meal is ready. With the Thermos Shuttle Chef, you can do just that. Put all the ingredients into the inner cooking pot, bring to boil and then pop the pot back into the outer pot. The heat is retained within the revolutionary Thermax vacuum-insulated container, so it continues to cook even without a fire. At $290, from leading department stores.

PHOTOS SCOTT HAWKINS, ROB SHAW & JOHN PAUL URIZAR / BAUERSYNDICATION.COM.AU.