Ginger Rice Plus..?

I thought I'd follow up last week's chicken recipe with the recipe for the rice it's sitting on. It's SUPER easy, no mess, no fuss, and (alas) no pictures. It's rice, you know? I will say that I am a firm convert to basmati rice over the standard 'long grain white rice' that Mom always made. The basmati has a better texture, is less starchy, and the slight tone the aroma gives is exquisite. One caveat: If you have a rice cooker, follow their directions for basmati rice.

Darkneuro's Ginger Rice

1 cup basmati rice
1 3/4 cup water
2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger

Bring all ingredients to a boil in a 3 quart saucepan. Once boiling, cover pot with the lid if it's tightfitting, or foil and then the lid if it's not. Reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, let sit 5 minutes. Stir rice to make sure the ginger is fully incorporated, serve.

Makes about 3 cups


Now, since that was kindof cheesy because it's rice... IT'S JUST RICE... I thought I'd also post the following:

Tomato Provencal
(I got this recipe from my French teacher in 1985)
Take a large tomato (preferably organic), slice it into 1/2 inch thick slices. Brush both sides with olive oil. Finely chop basil and parsley together, enough to cover the tomato slices so no red is showing (sorry for the lack of measurements. depends on the size of the tomato. I can usually get away with a handful of each). Shred mozzarella LIGHTLY over the top, sprinkle lightly with VERY finely minced garlic (about 1/4 teaspoon each slice), throw under the broiler and broil until cheese is bubbly.
Your house will smell WONDERFUL, and they're great as a sandwich, appetizer, garnish... They're delish.