This month I am teaching art classes for a group of 1st through 3rd graders. Last week we worked on painted salmon. I got the project from a great site for children’s art classes: deepspacesparkle.com. The children and I had a great time. I have posted a few photos. And since I promised some recipes this week, I ‘ll follow the pictures with a couple of recipes using garlic.

 

SEMI-QUICK FRAGRANT GARLIC RICE
This is a quick standard pot of rice with the addition of some seasonings which change “blah” and boring rice into a dish with a little character: dresses things up a bit.

2 cups white rice
4 cloves garlic, smashed (or more to taste)
3/4 teaspoon sea salt (up to 1 teaspoon to taste)
1-1/2 teaspoons italian seasoning (added mainly for color)
2 Tablespoons olive oil or butter
4 cups water

Measure rice into pot, add smashed garlic, salt, italian seasoning and oil.
Add 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Gently boil uncovered until water has boiled down to just over the level of the rice in the pot. Then cover the pot and turn the heat down as low as possible. Finish cooking until water is absorbed. Rice can be stirred or fluffed for serving.
Note: This rice cooks relatively fast, 15-20 minutes on boil, 15 minutes on low covered – approximately.

GARLIC FAJITAS
We use these pan-grilled vegetables as a side dish with rice and beans, or to dress up tacos or burritos or eggs or…???

3 onions (or more), sliced
3-4 red and/or green peppers, cored, seeded and cut into large strips
Oil for pan: we use coconut, olive or butter
4 cloves garlic (or more), minced

Heat oil in cast iron frying pan over medium to medium-high heat depending on the oil you use and the smoke point of the oil. Add onions and stir occasionally. When they begin to grill nicely – just beginning to lightly brown and carmelize – add peppers. Stir regularly. When all vegetables are cooked through – we like ours limp and pan-charred in places – add garlic, stirring constantly. Do not brown or burn the garlic; it will become bitter. I turn the pan off shortly after adding the garlic and the garlic mainly cooks through the radiant heat of the other vegetables in the pan. Yum! Enjoy!