Rice - the day after O arroz do dia seguinte

I thought this recipe would be a good follow-up for the previous post: what to do with leftover rice.

It's a tasty alternative to simply reheating the leftover rice and it will leave you feeling like you ate something new: rice fritters.
Rice fritters is the name I came up with, because originally they are called "rice cakes" in Portuguese, but since I believe most English-speakers will think of the Japanese dish with that expression, I thought the new one would give a better idea of what it is.

You may serve this as a side or as a snack.

Rice Fritters/Bolinhos de arroz

- two cups leftover rice
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon chives
- salt (optional) and pepper to taste
- enough vegetable oil to cover fritters

Pour rice in a bowl, leave it as is if you like crunchier fritters or mash it roughly with a fork if you prefer a softer texture.
Add egg, flour, cheese and chives and mix it well with a fork.
Add salt an pepper to taste.
I usually omit the salt, as the original rice was already cooked with salt and the Parmesan is also salty.

Make small rounds by scooping one tablespoon of the mixture and pressing another tablespoon on top of it to shape it.

Heat any vegetable oil in a pan in medium heat and add the dough, frying on both sides until golden. Remove it from the pan with a slotted spoon and place in in a plate line with paper towel to remove excess oil.

Enjoy!

Simple Brazilian-style rice Arroz soltinho

I decided to start my first recipe with something very basic and simple, but that many people have difficulties achieving: a nice fluffy rice.

Rice with chicken strogonoff

Here in the US it's not the case, but in Brazil rice is a staple of every meal (lunch and dinner), practically every day of the week. The typical menu is rice, beans, some salad or veggies and some meat.
But not everyone prepares it the same way.
The method used in my family has always received praise (it's not exclusive, but it always works!). To me it comes out with the perfect texture, soft and fluffy, not greasy, no parts burned and not sticky (there is space in my palate and heart for Asian-style sticky rice as well, obviously, but it's not my everyday choice). You can pair it with beans, meat, or anything else you'd like.

So here's the step-by-step of the preparation for any amount of rice:


Simple Brazilian-style rice/Arroz soltinho

Rice with corn, flounder and spinach

- Use a regular aluminum pan rather than non-stick ones (it does make a difference in my experience)
- Rinse the rice and let it dry completely in a colander
- While it dries, bring water to a boil
- Add vegetable oil to the pan, enough to coat the bottom, and heat in medium-high heat
- Add rice and quickly stir it so that all grains are coated with oil, then add salt and garlic to taste, and finely chopped onions if you like. If you have access to Brazilian products in your area, you can also look for the "alho e sal" prepared seasoning sold by several brands (it looks like this).
- Cook it until grains just start to get golden, then add the boiling water to cover about 1/12-2 inches of the rice It's not the same to use cold water!
- Reduce heat to low and let it cook uncovered for 10 mins
- Cover and cook until all the water is absorbed.
- When done cooking, fluff the rice with a fork
- Cover pan again and wait at least a few minutes to serve. This further prevents it to getting any sticky.

Enjoy!