Thai Sticky Rice with Mango

With summertime in full swing there is nothing this woman craves more than Sticky Rice with Mango. It is the ultimate gluten-free dairy-free desert. 

I could eat it every day. I could eat it all day. 

Yes, I could eat sticky rice in a house. Yes, I could eat sticky rice with a mouse. I could eat it here and there. I could eat it anywhere. I would, I could eat it in the rain. I would, I could eat it in the dark or on a train or in a car or in a tree. It is so good, so good you see! 

Don't put it past me to make an entire batch and then stare dumb-foundedly at my family when they come to get theirs and find an empty bowl.

This is one of those recipes I knew I needed to learn to make at home after tempting my taste buds at the local Thai restaurant. It is slightly time intensive—but like any good thing—certainly worth the wait.

Thai Sticky Rice with Mango

Serves: 4

Cook Time: 40 minutes + 1 to 8 hours for soaking the rice

Ingredients:

1 cup raw (glutinous) sticky rice

1 (13.5 ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk (shake can well), divided

3/4 teaspoon salt, divided

2 TBS + 5 tsp white sugar, divided

1 teaspoon tapioca starch, dissolved in a trickle of water

1 TBS toasted white sesame seeds

2 ripe Manila mangos, perfectly ripe (yellow skinned and oblong, not the green and red South American varieties)

The Preparation Method:

The variety of rice you use in this recipe is imperative to its success. Using the wrong type of rice will not give you true Thai sticky rice. I found the right type of rice at the local Asian market. I could not seem to find it anywhere else. Glutinous sticky rice does not contain gluten, but rather carries the name for its glue-like nature when soaked and steamed. It can also be called sweet rice, waxy rice, obtain rice, biroin chal, mochi rice and pearl rice.

Begin the holy process of making your sticky rice by rinsing and soaking the grains. Rinse them until the water runs clear, or nearly clear. Then place in a small bowl with water covering the grains by an inch or two. Set aside for the next 1 to 8 hours. One hour of soaking will do, but eight hours gives the rice a much stickier quality when steamed.

While the rice grains soak, let us take a moment to remember the divine treat that awaits us when the creation process has come to completion.

After the designated soaking period, drain the water from the rice.

Now set up a rice steaming system on the stovetop. They sell sticky rice steamers at the Asian market. It would be nifty if you had one for this project. But if you don't, simply grab any other steaming mechanism at hand. Fill the bottom pot with two inches of water, turn heat to high and wait for it to start boiling.

Drape the holed steamer with a thin sheet of cheesecloth and add the soaked rice.

Cover with a lid. Keep over medium-high heat for 20 minutes.

While the rice is steaming, begin preparing the coconut milk sauces. There will be two distinct sauces.

First up, the topping sauce... Sauce #1.

Dissolve 1 teaspoon tapioca starch (also known as tapioca flour) in a trickle of water. Stir to combine until it is a smooth paste.

In a small saucepan mix together 1/2 cup canned coconut milk (remember to shake the can really well), 1/4 teaspoon salt, 3 teaspoons white sugar and the liquified tapioca starch. It will look very thin and runny as seen here on the tip of my spatula.

On the stovetop, turn heat to low. Stir. Once thickened, this sauce will turn into a thick drizzle for the sticky rice and mango. Continue stirring until you see it start to thicken up. Do not allow it to boil or simmer. The heat should be kept very low to avoid simmering. You may need to turn the dial on the heat ever so slightly to encourage thickening. This process took me approximately 12 minutes over medium-low heat. Remove from heat and set aside once thickened sufficiently, as seen here on the tip of my spatula.

The next sauce we need to prepare is the sticky rice coconut sauce... Sauce #2.

I failed to take a picture, so please feel free to use your imagination here. While waiting for Sauce #1 to thicken begin Sauce #2.

In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup coconut milk, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 2 TBS + 2 teaspoons white sugar over medium heat. This sauce should not simmer or boil either. Heat just until all ingredients have dissolved. Remove from heat and set aside.

Once the rice is finished steaming, remove from heat and put rice in shallow bowl. Add only 50% of Sauce #2. Stir well to coat each grain in the milky goodness. Keep adding little pours of sauce until the grains are well drenched, but not swimming in pools. Do you know what I mean? The picture speaks louder than my words here. Now set the sticky rice aside covered by a kitchen towel. Wait 20 - 30 minutes while the rice absorbs the coconut milk and becomes even more sticky and luscious than it already is.

While the rice is gettin' on with its bad self, begin peeling the mangos. This is a picture of the oblong yellow mango that is perfect and right for Thai sticky rice with mango. Do not use the green and red mangos for this recipe. It just won't be right. The green and red varieties are a bit fibrous and will require you to chew them. The yellow mangos, on the other hand, will melt in your mouth with each bite. Like buttah. This is how it should be. Again, I say, only use the green and red variety of mango if you are in dire straits.

The act of peeling mango makes me feel like I'm on a tropical island near the sea. I like this feeling. A lot.

After the rice has sat for 20 - 30 minutes, it is ready to be served. The restaurants always serve their sticky rice in nice compact balls. Use an ice cream scooper, small bowl or Thermos lid (like I did). Pack the rice in nice and tight. Flip over on the serving plate.

Top with the freshly sliced mango.

Grab Sauce #1 and drizzle over the top. Sprinkle a few toasted white sesame seeds over the desert in all its divinity.


I found these already toasted sesame seeds at the local Asian market as well. Super convenient. Super tasty. The desert just isn't the same without them. Do yourself a favor and make the effort to get ahold of some of these bad boys.

And enjoy! Tell me you have not experienced heaven on Earth when you bite into this.

Note: The sticky rice and sauces can be prepared many hours in advance of serving. Just don't put the rice in the refrigerator. It will make the rice turn all hard and crunchy. And that's just not right. Simply leave covered on the counter until ready to serve.

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Crunchy sticky rice is just not right. But Grace Potter is sooo right. Here's one smokin' hot video to jam to while you prep this desert. Grace Potter and Thai Sticky Rice—it's like ecstasy in a bowl right here folks.

Grace Potter & The Nocturnals - Paris (Ooh La La)

Calling All Iced Chai Lovers

Calling all Iced Chai Lovers... It's time to get your drink ON.

But before we do that, it's time to play my favorite childhood game 'Name That Tune'... 

It's getting hot in here. So take off all your clothes.

(Yup, you guessed it. That's Nelly's famous hit Hot in Herre from 2002. Scroll down for the video. Press play now if you want the Hot in Herre soundtrack playing while you read the rest of this post.)

Removing all of one's clothing is certainly one approach for cooling off when the weather heats up. 

Another approach, and slightly more publicly acceptable in most circles, is to put your lips to an ice cold caffeinated beverage. 

Iced chai is incredibly addicting. It's cold. It's caffeinated. It's fiery. What else could you ask for in a morning mug?

With all of the fresh spices, it is a good-for-you health elixir full of antioxidant rich ingredients. And since you're making it at home, you can choose how much sugar you prefer, the amount of caffeine to include and what type of milk works best for you. 

And truly, the best part about homemade chai is the price. I began brewing my own chai at home to save money on fieldtrips to the coffee shop. When I finally calculated the actual cost of brewing my own chai at home I was shocked to discover that $1 would buy me a cup of this magic at home compared to $5 at the local coffeeshops.

Below is the step-by-step methodology for brewing my chai. The recipe I'm posting here is for my basic chai. From there I like to spice things up and play around a bit. Dance while I brew. Crank up the tunes. Pound some spices. Juice that ginger. 

The glory of making your own chai at home is that you get to do what you like. So take the recipe and make it your own. And then take a break, put your feet up, and enjoy the nectar of the early-rising gods.

Word to the wise—don't be making this recipe in your un-air-conditioned house at the height of the afternoon heat. Trust me on this one. If the house starts at 83 degrees at 3pm, just wait until the brew gets boiling. It will be 100 degrees in your kitchen by 3:23pm. And then you'll really be taking off all your clothes. I know from experience.

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And now, the recipe. 

This recipe makes two quarts of chai concentrate (which stores in the refrigerator up to one week). When mixed 1:1 with your choice of milk—whole milk, soy milk or almond milk—the final number of servings is sixteen. 

Dance While You Cook's Masala Chai

Ingredients:

8 cinnamon sticks, crushed into chips

3 TBS cardamom pods, crushed

2 TBS whole cloves

1 TBS fennel, crushed

   or 4 whole star anise

   or both

1 TBS whole black peppercorns

2 TBS chopped ginger, fresh or crystallized

1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper, or less if spicy drinks aren't your thang

1/2 cup evaporated cane juice organic sugar

5 heaping TBS loose-leaf Assam black tea, caffeinated or decaf—whatever your preference

16 cups water

fresh pressed ginger juice to taste

fresh nutmeg to taste

The Preparation Method:

Place the cinnamon chips, crushed cardamom, crushed fennel, cloves and black peppercorns in the base of a heavy stock pot. Dry roast them just until fragrant. To dry roast, simply turn the heat source to medium-high and stir the spices around until they release some of their magnificent aroma. Keep stirring so they do not burn. 

Once a little steam starts to rise from the roasted spices, pour in 8 cups of water.

Grab a hearty wooden spoon that will forevermore be your chai brewing spoon. Mark the water level with a knife. Cut a nice deep groove on the back of the spoon with a steak knife. This is important for later as you'll need to know when the mixture has reduced to half. 

Now pour in the remaining 8 cups of water. Turn heat to high.

Get ready to add the ginger. Use crystalized or fresh ginger here. Read about the difference on my post devoted to ginger here.

Chop the ginger and add it in. Stir to combine.

Bring to a rolling boil. Leave uncovered. Allow the brew to boil down to half. This usually takes about an hour for me.

Find a solid glass jar with a lid. This will be your storage container for the concentrate. Add the sugar to the bottom.

Check on the chai often to see if the water level has gotten to the marked level on your spoon. Once it does, remove the pot from the heat source.

Add the ground cayenne pepper. Stir well.

Have the tea leaves pre-measured and set aside.

Add all the tea at once.

Steep for five minutes allowing the tea leaves to expand, swell and unfurl.

Strain the tea and spices from the concentrate over a large bowl.

Now add the steaming hot concentrate to the sugar in the glass storage containers.

Reserve all small particles. This enables a happier drinking experience.

Stir well to combine the sugar and tea. Be sure all the sugar dissolves. Add the pressed ginger and ground nutmeg now if you like. Allow to breath for a few minutes before putting the lid on and placing it in the refrigerator. It is necessary for the chai to sit overnight in the refrigerator to allow the spices to meld. Don't fall to the temptation of drinking it right away.

Keep the concentrate refrigerated until you're ready to drink a cup. Mix one part concentrate with one part of your favorite milk or milk substitute. I must admit that almond milk is a divine pairing with this chai. Heat through for a fantastic deep-winter pick me up. Or pour over ice for a nice mid-summer refreshment.

Enjoy before the sun rises. Enjoy from across the breakfast table with your lover. Enjoy over laughter with a friend. Enjoy! Enjoy!

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Now back to Nelly. If you choose to take the clothing removal route of cooling down on a hot summer's day, this video may provide you with some inspiration.

Please note, this is not for tender eyes. If you believe this may be you, I would suggest the iced chai method for cooling off instead.

Nelly - Hot in Herre

Simple Joy

Hot mid-summer day under a tall tree.

Light blanket bending the delicate grass beneath.

Downtown festival or desolate field.

In solitude. In the companionship of loved ones.

On this July 4th, I hope you have the good fortune of finding yourself horizontal on a blanket somewhere on a small patch of Earth. Lay still for a few minutes. Breath deeply. Give thanks.

Road Trips with Kids and NO TV

With the holiday weekend upon us it is predicted that 39 million Americans will hop in their cars and get on with the good ol' tradition of summer road trippin'. Hitting the road is one of my favorite parts about summer. To me road trippin' means freedom, adventure, lively and unpredictable circumstances, new places, tight spaces, roadside picnics and uninterrupted time with the people I love. All good things in my book. 

But road trips with kids can be a source of panic and anxiety for many parents, grandparents and godparents. And for good reason. When trapped in the car with children we brave endless hours of...

She's touching my seat.

He's looking at me.

Mommy, I have to peeeeee. I can't hold it. I have to go nowwwwwwwwwwwww.

Are we therrrrrre yeeeeet?

Over the years, the biggest words of advice we've ever received are "make sure you bring a DVD player for the kids". So early-on in our adventures in parenting we bought a portable DVD player to entertain the kids on our road trips. 

I don't know if it's just my kids or what, but bringing a TV with us in the car is a nightmare on wheels. 

As of this year I've vowed never to bring that thing into my vehicle again.

With the DVD player in the vehicle I endure endless hours of...

What's wrong with this thing. Why isn't it working? Every 31 minutes.

I don't like this movie. I want the other one. Every 7 minutes.

I don't want to watch her movie, it's for girls. Every 4 1/2 minutes.

I can't seeeeeee it. Every 3 minutes.

As a result of this torture, I banned all sources of motion picture from our latest road trip. No TV. No computer DVDs. No Gameboy.

Instead I found 13 simple ways to keep the children happy and engaged on our 32 hour round-trip excursion. Granted it was just me and my three monkeys. I needed some serious strategy.

As I was plotting out my no-TV method of road trip survival, my strategies fell into three categories—

Food

Activities

Passive Engagement

Food

For my brood, food is the most important component in maintaining our composure. All hell breaks loose when the children are hungry. Prior planning goes a long way such circumstances.

A few strategies that worked well for us:

Large Tote — I filled an 18 Gallon Rubbermaid Roughneck Tote with endless snacks. Gluten-free and diary-free stuff that was easy to grab such as Larabars, Kettle Chips, Mrs. May's Sesame Strips, Stretch Island Fruit Strips, juice boxes and so much more.

Cooler — Then I packed a cooler with all kinds of fresh fruit, vegetables, peanut butter, jelly and lunch meat. 

Impromptu Picnics — This made it super convenient to stop for impromptu picnic lunches. 

Fresh Air — With my gaggle of young kids, the best picnics were had at old-school vintage playgrounds.

Prepared Smoothies — One of the treats we looked forward to the most was the frozen smoothies I packed in the cooler. Blend them up the day before you leave and stick them in the freezer overnight. They serve as convenient ice packs for the cooler and halfway through the day you'll have a fresh icey cold treat waiting for you. Don't forget to pack cups and straws, you'll need them when you stop in the middle of nowhere.

Icey Cold Beverages — Lest we forget the driver, be sure to pack some icey cold beverages that will help maintain focus on the road. Nobody needs an adventurous road trip turning into an adventurous visit to the roadside ditch. While coffee and tea may work for many of us to keep our attention sharp, a fantastic non-caffinated option for energy and focus is Kombucha. Pick some up at your local natural grocer before heading out and be pleasantly surprised at how invigorated you'll feel when you finally reach your destination.

Activities


Notebook and Pencil — I am always amazed at how far a simple pen and paper will get me when it comes to keeping the children busy. Each child received a new notebook for the trip and a small sack of colored pencils. They had hours of fun drawing the things they saw out the window.

Pipe Cleaners — We had great success with bringing along something crafty to keep their little hands busy, such as pipe cleaners. I found them at the Dollar Store and bought a pack for each kid. You should have seen all the beautiful rings, bracelets and necklaces I was adorned with by the end of the trip.

Binders — I prepared a three-ringed binder filled with age appropriate material for each child. For the baby this was coloring sheets of lions and hippos. For my eldest child the binder was filled with maps of the United States so he could draw our route as we traveled.

Library Books — There is a lot to be said for the captivating factor of new library books. Enough said.

Digital Camera — The kids love, love, love taking pictures of all they see. So many new and interesting things to capture. You should have seen my son trying to get the perfect picture of the military trucks as they passed. It kept him busy for over an hour.

Passive Engagement

Historically, this is where the TV makes an appearance. Not anymore, my friends.

Books on Tape — Instead, we opted to borrow books on CD from the library. Talk about happy and content. All three little ones sat and listened intently for hours. Then they would nap. Then they would listen intently. Then they would nap. The pattern continued until we listened through eight full disks. I was in road trip heaven.

Tunes — It wouldn't be a road trip without your favorite tunes to rock out to. Make at least two CDs ahead of time, one with the kids favorites and one with yours. Rockin' and rollin' is how it was meant to be.

So there you have it. Thirteen ideas that kept me and my children sane on our latest long road trip.

I'd love to hear your ideas for keeping the children engaged when on the road. Please do share your thoughts below.

Here's to safe, happy and contented travels!

Huevos Rancheros

This is a picture of my favorite breakfast on our recent trip to Mexico. I liked it so much I was moved to photograph it. My husband was slightly embarrassed by this behavior. But what the heck, I find pleasure in recreating my restaurant favorites at home. Photos help.

On the menu it was listed as Ranchero Eggs. I asked the waiter what to expect with this dish, thinking I was potentially ordering some kind of farmhouse scramble.

He kindly described a very common meal in Mexico—corn tortilla topped with refried beans, sunny-side-up egg, chorizo and tomato sauce. It took me a second, but when I realized he was talking about Huevos Rancheros I giggled quietly to myself trying to understand the logic here. In the States we call this dish by its Spanish name and at this particular restaurant in Mexico they call this dish by its English name. What gives?

Anyhow, it was darn good. So good that I made a point of coming home to recreate the flavors in my Little White Kitchen. Not knowing where to start with ranchero sauce, I took to the world wide web to find something similar to the flavors I remember at that quaint restaurant on the corner of the town square.

Emeril Lagasse's Food Network recipe for ranchero sauce seemed to be the closest fit to what was captured in my photograph. So I gave it a try with a slight modification for spice. I strayed from the rest of the recipe based on what I remembered from my breakfast in Mexico. Emeril's ranchero sauce is a good fit for this recipe, but it is fun to play around with the ingredients until you find the perfect fit for your palate. Increase the amount of tomatoes, decrease the green pepper, up the cayenne or try other varieties of hot pepper.

So much fun to be had with ranchero sauce! I bet you never knew.

Huevos Rancheros


Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup white onion, diced
1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup green bell pepper, diced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1 tablespoon minced serrano pepper (or jalapeno for less heat)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 cup coarsely chopped tomatoes
1 cup chicken stock
4 large eggs
1 pound Mexican chorizo
1 can refried beans, heated
4 corn tortillas or tostadas

The Preparation Method:

Get all of your ingredients ready ahead of time. The sauce comes together quickly and there won't be time to chop, dice and measure once you get cooking.

In a medium saucepan heat the oil over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, cook the onion and bell peppers for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.

Add the cumin, salt, cayenne, serrano and garlic.

Stir together and cook for 30 seconds only.

Now add the chopped tomatoes along with any accompanying juices. Cook for 2 minutes while continuing to stir.

Add the chicken stock and simmer for 15 minutes or until the sauce has thickened.

Remove from heat.

While the sauce is thickening, you can start browning the chorizo.

Use a wooden spoon or spatula to make the meat all crumbly. Cook throughly. Set aside.

Once the ranchero sauce and chorizo are finished cooking, start frying your eggs. Be sure to add plenty of oil to the pan and let it heat up over medium-high heat before cracking the egg into it. Hot oiled pans make for easy egg removal. Dry mildly warm pans make for a mess.

Note: Sunny-side-up is the traditional way to prepare Huevos Rancheros, but there are those of us who don't prefer our yolks to run. In which case I give you complete permission to pierce the yolk sac and flip that baby over to make this Huevos Rancheros over-hard.

While the eggs are cooking, begin assembly...

Tostada or soft corn tortilla,

layered with warm refried beans,

crumbly chorizo,

runny (or not so runny) egg,

and ranchero sauce.

Dive in and delight in the simplicity of a farmhouse breakfast.

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I am thinking of farmhouses. I am thinking I remember something about Ray Lamontagne moving into an old farmhouse built in 1830. I am thinking I really like Ray's cover of Gnarls Barkley's song Crazy.

Simple Joy

Have you ever noticed the ease and grace of a wildflower dancing in the wind?

Her delicate petals flap and twist in every direction as the gusts of wind twirl about her.

She is caught in a moment of spontaneous movement, not an ounce of rigidity in her composition.

Astonishingly pliable, yet, completely unyielding in her position.

Rooted.

Free.

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Wish It and Ye Shall Find It

Garage Sale Rules of Engagement 


#1: Wish It and Ye Shall Find It

I was browsing The Pioneer Woman's blog last week and got excited about her post on the Perfect Iced Coffee.

Two reasons for my excitement. One, coffee makes my day. Any which way you make it, I'll take it. Two, the glass dispenser in which her coffee concentrate lives is very handy, not to mention good looking.

Seeing it reminded me of two things. One, I needed to go make a large batch of iced coffee for a no hassle iced coffee experience morning, noon and night. Two, I needed to go find myself one of those nifty glass drink dispensers for the backyard birthday party we were hosting later that week.

Admitting that I never buy stuff like this at a normal store, my only hope for securing one of these handy glass beverage jars would be during my routine Saturday morning garage sale hopping.

Which brings me to the first topic in my series of posts on The Garage Sale Rules of Engagement.

When heading out to a garage sale, it is a good idea to have a few specific wishes in mind. This Saturday I wished for a large glass drink dispenser. Low and behold, the very first garage sale I stopped at had a 3-gallon, recycled glass, brass spigot beverage jar. Completely aware that this backyard BBQ treasure would cost upwards of $50 at the store, I was happily dancing away with my new jug for $2.

I will admit that the 'wish it and ye shall find it' rule isn't always so immediate. There are times when it will take weeks—even years, as was the case with my nifty handheld blender—before you find exactly what you're looking for at garage sales and thrift stores. But when you walk in with a few specific items in mind, it is ten times more likely that you won't walk away with an armload of s*#t you don't need.

And that brings me to The Cardinal Rule of Garage Saling:

Don't bring home s*#t you don't need.

Now get out there, have fun and discover your treasures!

Gluten Free Cookie Mix by Betty Crocker®

There are certain times every month when this dancing cook is called to bake something sweet as the midnight hour approaches. I won't say which times of the month, but I can assure you the craving builds to a pinnacle every 28 days or so. When the craving hits it is immediate and unrelenting. Typically, there is no time for working together the perfect gluten-free flour blend. The desert must be complete and ready for consumption within twenty minutes of the calling.

That's when this Betty Crocker® gluten free boxed cookie mix makes an appearance. Keeping a box hidden on the cupboard shelves at all times bodes well for this family. Without it, I have been known to get a little crazy. Not in a good way.

I know Betty Crocker® might seem like an odd pick for gluten free goodies. I'll admit I was shocked the first time I saw their gluten free line on the shelves at my local grocery store.

There are plenty of other companies that specialize in gluten free baked goods. And some of these companies make products that—in my opinion—are ten times better than their glutenized alternatives. More about those products later.

But today I'm talking about Betty Crocker® because they've got a really great handle on boxed mixes, as you might imagine. And... their boxed mixes are widely available. I can find this line of gluten free brownies, yellow cake, chocolate chip cookies and devil's food cake in almost any grocery store I walk into. This is helpful for those times when a friend or relative wants to host a party with gluten free cake and doesn't know where to start. I simply tell them to go find the Better Crocker® mixes on their grocery store shelves and they'll see a tasty gluten free option right in front of them. It makes things easy. I like easy.

A few other good things to know about these boxed mixes ~
The entire line is dairy free, too. Bonus!
Betty Crocker® sponsors the Celiac Disease Foundation and the Celiac Sprue Association. Fantastic!
The line is made in a dedicated gluten free processing facility. Yipee Yay!

That said, every 28 days or so you might find me having one of these bad boys for breakfast with my coffee...

It's the simple pleasures in life, isn't it?

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Not a paid advertisement. Me like cookies. Me like them very much. 

Please note that companies can change their ingredients at will. If working with a severe food allergy always double check the ingredient list before consuming this product. Peace out.