*Cook-Up Rice

*Tony and Sara’s version

Cook-up is rice, beans, coconut milk and lots of other stuff pressure cooked. I must say, it's one of my favorite Guyanese dishes.
However, mine and Tony's version is so much better!! I could eat this multiple times per week.

I dare you to try it!

1 cup rice
1 can coconut milk
1 Tablespoon curry powder
½-1 Tablespoon cumin
1 can beans (whatever you prefer: black, kidney, navy) or dry beans (cook first)
Veggies (bora, eggplant, sweet peppers is what we mostly use) get creative
1 onion
3 cloves garlic
2 small hot peppers
1 inch ginger
A little more curry and cumin and pinches of salt
Olive oil

Rinse rice if needs be and put in a cooking pot. Add the whole can of coconut milk and a little water. Add 1 Tablespoon curry powder and ½-1 Tablespoon cumin, a few pinches of salt, stir well and place lid on top of pan and cook. You can stir occasionally, you know it’s done when the liquid has been absorbed, if it’s soupy let it cook longer or you can add the beans. Either way stir in your canned/cooked beans when rice is almost finished.

In a separate pan heat a little olive oil then add diced hot peppers and garlic stir for a few minutes. Then add diced onion and ginger and stir a few more minutes. Add all your veggies and when everything is lightly coated in olive oil sprinkle a little more curry powder. Stir well and cook for about 5 minutes. After that mix the veggies with the rice and beans. Mix well and enjoy!
This dish is full of bursting flavor and oh so yummy!

Greens Rice

The other day I ate something that was so good...it was called "Greens Rice" made with eddo leaf, and coconut rice. I've been in the mood to cook more local things and so this was the first thing on my list.
It's actually pretty easy to make and although mine didn't taste as good/like the one I had the other day it was a decent first attempt.

Eddo Leaf (similar to spinach)

Rice
1/2 grated coconut or 1/2 can coconut milk
Garlic 3-4 cloves
Olive oil
Curry* or other seasoning

Cover rice with 1/2 coconut milk and water and cook.
Heat olive oil in Kahari and add garlic than add chopped eddo leaf and cook until it becomes wilted like cooked spinach (at this point you could add other seasoning* i.e. onion, celery leaves, or whatever your heart desires). I added a little curry powder but that's optional. Add the cooked rice with the greens and mix well.

I topped mine with sliced tomatoes.

~S

Rice, Bean & Apple Concoction

Once upon time there was a conference that Peace Corps Volunteers had to attend. It was seven days long and there were so many new and interesting ideas presented. And there was scrumptious, well-cooked food and air conditioning in every room. However, before the conference there was a kitchen conundrum that needed to be cleared up: what to do with the perishables in the fridge? Here’s the solution.

Cooked Beans
Rice
¾ of an apple, diced
1½ onions, diced
4 cloves of garlic
1 sweet pepper (bell)
Basil
Oregano
Spike
Salt
Pepper

Sauté (with oil or butter) the prepped apples, onions, garlic, and sweet pepper in a Kaharee

Season with a little Spike (cheating, I know, but so good you should be able to get it at many supermarkets in the States)
Toss in some basil and oregano (maybe some broad leaf thyme if you had any)
Pinch in Salt and Black pepper.

Stir it all around, coating all the food with seasoning.

Stir in rice and beans coating the rice with the seasoning, spreading the peppers, apples, onions, and garlic throughout.

Taste. Is it good? You’re done. If not add more spices until it’s “how you like it.” (Didn’t Shakespeare write that one? “To eat or not to eat, never shalt one let food go to waste.”…)

IS that Apple and Onion...hmmm interesting...but soooo good.

Pineapple/Mango Fried Rice

My mouth waters thinking about this dish; the sweet surprise of several bits of pineapple in every bite, clashing with the savory of garlic and sweet peppers, but also living in harmony with the thyme and onion; only to be magnificently masticated for my pleasure. Before living in Guyana I never ate pineapple and my experience with mangoes consisted of Mango-a-go-goes. But then Chelsea thought of this magnificent dish, it reminded us of home because there was a great Thai place near our apartment in San Diego that served something very similar to this. Did I think we’d ever be able to cook it? Never. But resourcefulness is always birthed from necessity, and that is the point of our blog.

Rice (our culinary compatriot Ngia says it should be at least a day old, we’ve done it both with fresh cooked and day old rice…both are pretty awesome)
Garlic (3 cloves 4? Depends on your taste)
Onion (1) or Scallions
Pinapple (only need about ½ of one, the other ½ consume as a healthy snack! Or put it on one of your home-made pizzas.) Or use about 3 Mangoes
4 Sweet Peppers (or a bell pepper or two)
½ a can or more of rinsed corn.
Broad Leaf Thyme
Salt (sometimes soy sauce if you’re saucey)
Black Pepper

Cook your rice, as you prefer (or a day in advance if you are so inclined)

Dice up your Garlic, Onion, Pepper, and Thyme



Sauté, in some oil, onions, garlic, peppers, corn, and thyme (in pan or Kaharee)



Stir in your rice, then season or soy sauce to your taste.

When it is almost done, in order to not make the pineapple too mushy but still warm, stir in your pineapple (or mango) and cook for a few more minutes.

Serve (we usually serve it with a dash or 4 or Guyanese Pepper Sauce.)