Surprise Your Guests With Colourful Rice Dishes

Surprise your guests with colourful rice side dishes

There is always a day when you feel overloaded, and you receive unexpected visitors for dinner. Your first thought is to run away, but that is not a real solution.

Another solution is to call your favourite restaurant and order delivery, but that doesn’t seem convenient either.

On the contrary, you have to think fast and come up with a delicious meal using what you have in your pantry in less than 30 minutes. It seems impossible to do it, but it is not the case.

It is time to build a recipe book with tons of lifesaving recipes. They have to be easy, quick and versatile. So, next time, you will be ready to face any unexpected meal at home.

Building your saving plan

The first step to starting your lifesaving cooking book is to make a list of the staples you buy frequently.

It may include most of the following ingredients:

• Pasta
• Tomato sauce
• Rice
• Grains
• Cereal & Oatmeal
• Chicken Broth
• Mixed nuts
• Dried fruit
• Canned beans
• Canned corn
• Potatoes
• Flour
• Milk
• Honey
• Coffee
• Tea
• Breadcrumbs
• Eggs
• Cheese
• Salt
• Pepper
• Spices
• Dried herbs
• Meat and fish
• Cooking oil
• Butter
• Vegetables
• Fruits

After checking your list, choose if you prefer a digital or handmade cook recipe. For a digital cook recipe, create a special folder for it on your computer.

If you want a handmade recipe, use a notebook or a binder to include all the easy recipes.

Whatever cookbook you want to make, have fun while you do it. Include your taste and decorate with your style.

Choosing the recipes

Sandwiches, salads, and soups are perhaps some delicious dishes that you prepare quickly and effortlessly.

To begin with the book, add these well-known recipes and then start searching for new options. But where to do it? You will see there are countless options. The idea is not to get more overloaded with this solution.

A good recommendation is to focus on a looking strategy and narrow your search. Instead of looking for easy recipes, try to limit your exploration to the staples you have and know how to cook.

Rice comes to the rescue

Rice is perhaps the first staple that comes to your mind. You have many reasons to do so. Rice is a versatile ingredient that is easy and fast to cook.

Countless rice recipes are just as delicious as they are easy. Rice works perfectly as a delightful side dish. It pairs well with almost any meat or fish.

Forget about plain white rice, you can make this boring accompaniment a colourful preparation with a few ingredients in no time.

Imagine surprising your unannounced guests with red rice, green rice, yellow rice, or black rice. The meal will be more satisfying and exquisite.

• For red rice try a recipe for mexican rice. The colour is given by cooking it in tomato sauce.
• Green rice is made of cilantro and parsley. Look for a recipe for Mexican green rice.
• To cook yellow rice, Spanish rice or saffron rice recipe is an excellent choice.
• Black rice is a type of rice commonly found in Indonesian and Philippine recipes. 

A little help

You can be sure you will not be caught out with your lifesaving cookbook. Here you have a colourful rice accompaniment to build it.

Mexican green rice

Ingredients (4 servings):

• 1 ½ cups of white basmati rice.
• 2 ½ cups of water.
• ½ onion.
• 1 clove garlic.
• 1 cup of fresh spinach.
• ¼ cup of fresh coriander.
• ½ fresh red chilli.
• ¼ cup of lime juice.
• ½ teaspoon of salt.
• ¼ teaspoon of dried coriander
• ¼ teaspoon of dried cumin.
• ¼ cup of water.
• Coriander for garnish.

Preparation:

1. Rinse rice with enough water until it releases the starch, and the water is clear. Set aside.
2. Place the onion, garlic, spinach, coriander, chilli, lime juice, salt, dried coriander, and dried cumin in a blender. Blend until you get a smooth mixture.
3. In a big pot, pour water, blended mixture, and rice. Stir very well.
4. Cook until the mixture boils.
5. Reduce heat to low.
6. Cover the pot and simmer for 10 minutes.
7. Check the rice after this time. If it is not ready, add 1/4 cup of water and continue cooking.
8. Serve with fresh coriander at the top.

This side dish goes perfect with roasted salmon or chicken.