Cooking with Mom “Timen Asfar”

If I had one wish to make a “bad” food healthy- it would be rice. Almost all of my favorite Middle Eastern dishes are made with Basmati rice—and in most cases (the exception being the saucy dishes that are served over rice) you cannot substitute white rice for brown rice. I know what you are thinking- be creative Rena and experiment to make this better for us—but no, I won’t. I can’t! The flavors and the textures are impossible to mimic using brown rice, and I am going to have to let tradition rule for these dishes.

Timen Asfar, or yellow rice, gets its stunning color from saffron. Saffron is the world’s most expensive spice because of its tedious harvesting process and exotic locations. It turns white rice into a gorgeous yellow hue and the flavor is bursting. Fortunately, you really only need to use a few strands of the spice when cooking, so one jar should last you awhile. We serve raisins and slivered almonds atop this rice dish, which add a sweet crunchiness. Timen Asfar is a perfect side dish for meat and fish.

{General Rule of Thumb for Rice: For every 2 people, measure 1 cup of dry rice}

Timen Asfar

Serves 6

Rice:

4 TBS Canola Oil

3 cups water

3 tsp. chicken bullion (or 2 tsp salt)- if using chicken bullion, Knorr brand is preferred because it is not as salty

Pinch of Saffron Threads

3 cups Basmati Rice

Topping:

1 cup Raisins

1 cup Slivered Toasted Almonds

1 tsp. Canola Oil

To get a vibrant yellow color, it is best to soak the saffron overnight. In a large pot, put the canola oil, pinch of saffron threads,water, and chicken bullion (or salt). Let soak overnight.

Put the dry rice in a bowl and put enough water to cover the rice. Let soak for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, bring the mixture in the pot to a high boil. Drain the rice completely and add to the pot. Stir the mixture to evenly coat the rice and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Once the water is level with the rice, lower the heat to medium-low and cover the pot, stirring the rice before to make sure it doesn’t stick to the bottom. Over ten minutes, keep lowering the heat and by the end the rice should be fully done. Put the pot on warm until serving.

For the topping, heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium high heat. Add the raisins and cook for one minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the almonds. Set aside in bowl and cover until serving.

{Simmering Rice}

{Finished Rice with Topping}

To make a complete meal, I made Salmon with Hoisin, Orange and Bok Choy as our main dish with the rice, how pretty is this little package?

{Salmon on top of bok choy topped with Hoisin and Orange Marinade and Cilantro, before wrapping and putting in oven}

{Salmon and Bok Choy After Oven}

Wrapping fish in foil or parchment paper when putting in the oven ensures a more flaky and moist outcome. Plus, you can add veggies to the packet and they will get cooked as well which can save you time in the kitchen.