Florentine Rice Recipes

FLORENTINES (ITALY)

Steps:

• Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
• Pulse the almonds in a food processor until finely chopped, but not pasty. Stir together the nuts, flour, zest and salt in a large bowl.
• Put the sugar, cream, corn syrup and butter in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes to a rolling boil and sugar is completely dissolved. Continue to boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla, then pour mixture into almond mixture and stir just to combine. Set aside until cool enough to handle, 30 minutes.
• Scoop rounded teaspoons (for 3-inch cookies) or rounded tablespoons (for 6-inch cookies) of batter and roll into balls. Place on prepared baking sheet, leaving about 3 to 4 inches between each cookie since they spread.
• Bake 1 pan at a time, until the cookies are thin and an even golden brown color throughout, rotating pans halfway through baking time, about 10 to 11 minutes. Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool. Repeat with remaining batter. Serve.
• Optional chocolate topping: Put the chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl. Bring a saucepan filled with 1 inch or so of water to a very low simmer; set the bowl over, but not touching, the water. Stir the chocolate occasionally until melted and smooth. (Alternatively, put the chocolate in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Melt at 50 percent power in the microwave until soft, about 1 minute. Stir, and continue heat until completely melted, about 1 to 2 minutes more.)
• For sandwiches: Drop about 1/2 teaspoon chocolate onto on the flat side of half of the cookies and press together with remaining halves. Return to rack and let chocolate set.
• For chocolate decor: Drizzle melted chocolate over Florentines as desired. Set aside at room temperature until chocolate is set.

CHICKEN FLORENTINE SOUP

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, celery, and garlic; cook and stir until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in baby spinach.
• Pour chicken broth, diced tomatoes, and lemon juice into the pot. Stir in pepper, oregano, and basil. Bring to a boil; stir in chicken and rice. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until flavors combine, about 30 minutes.

CHICKEN FLORENTINE RICE CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In a medium saucepan, boil 2 cups water and chicken bouillon. Stir in rice. Remove from heat, and set aside. In a small bowl, mix cornstarch with remaining water.
• Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Place chicken in skillet with thyme, sage, basil, parsley, and marjoram. Cook until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear. Drain and cube.
• Stir onion into the skillet, and cook 5 minutes, or until browned and tender.
• In a large bowl, thoroughly mix rice, cornstarch mixture, chicken, onion, spinach, and cottage cheese.
• Transfer the mixture to a medium baking dish. Season with salt and pepper. Top with Parmesan cheese, and dot with margarine. Bake, covered, 45 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove cover, and continue baking 15 minutes, until surface is lightly browned.

RICE FLORENTINE

Steps:

• Add water and soup in a medium saucepan.
• Stir until well blended.
• Bring to a boil.
• Stir in the rice and spinach leaves.
• Cover.
• Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes.
• Stir gently and serve.

FLORENTINES

Steps:

• Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Line a heavy large baking sheet with parchment paper. Stir the almonds, flour and zest in a medium bowl. Stir the sugar, butter, cream, and honey in a heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Bring the mixture to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the almond mixture. Cool the batter for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Using 2 teaspoons of batter for each cookie, spoon 8 mounds of the batter onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing evenly apart (the cookies will spread). Flatten the batter slightly with your finger.
• Bake the cookies until they are lacy and golden brown, about 10 minutes. Gently slide the parchment paper with the cookies onto a rack and cool completely. Transfer the cookies to paper towels. Repeat with the remaining batter, lining the baking sheets with clean parchment for each batch. (The cookies can be made up to this point 2 months ahead. Cool completely, then store airtight in the freezer. Defrost before continuing.)
• Stir the chocolate in a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water until the chocolate melts. Spread the melted chocolate over the bottom of 1 cookie. Top with a second cookie, bottom side down, pressing lightly to adhere. Repeat with the remaining cookies and chocolate.

15 MINUTE CHICKEN & RICE FLORENTINE

Steps:

• Heat oil in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken; cover. Cook 4 min. on each side or until cooked through. Remove chicken from skillet.
• Add water, soup and nutmeg to skillet; stir. Bring to boil.
• Stir in rice, spinach and cheese. Top with chicken; cover. Reduce heat to low; cook 5 min.

BROWN RICE FLORENTINE

Steps:

• Heat butter in saucepan over medium-high heat until just beginning to sizzle.
• Add onion, and saute until softened.
• Add rice and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until rice is lightly browned in places and beginning to get translucent.
• Remove from heat, and gradually stir in chicken stock or water.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper, return to heat, and bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 40 minutes.
• Add spinach, stir thoroughly and continue cooking for another 10 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed.
• Serve hot.

FLORENTINE RISOTTO

Steps:

• Bring broth to a boil in medium saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to low to keep broth barely simmering.
• Meanwhile, heat oil in 3-quart saucepan over medium-high heat until hot. Add mushrooms, onion and garlic; cook and stir 2 minutes. Add rice; cook and stir 1 minute.
• Carefully stir in 1 cup hot broth and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook and stir until almost all of liquid is absorbed. Continue adding broth, 1/2 cup at a time, cooking and stirring after each addition until liquid is absorbed. Rice should be tender and creamy but still slightly firm in center.
• Add spinach and artichoke hearts; cook and stir 2 to 3 minutes or until spinach is wilted and artichokes are thoroughly heated. Stir in cheese. If desired, garnish with additional Parmesan cheese.

FLORENTINES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C/gas 4. Line two baking sheets with baking parchment.Melt the butter, sugar and golden syrup in a small saucepan over a low heat, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat and whisk in the flour then add the cherries, flaked almonds, pistachios and orange zest.
• Scoop 10 flat tbsp of the mixture onto the baking sheets, leaving room for them to spread. You will need to do these in batches. Bake for 10 mins until golden. Leave to cool for 2 mins until firm enough to lift onto a wire rack. Cool completely. Repeat with the remaining mixture.
• Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a simmering saucepan of water or in the microwave in 30 second bursts. Turn the florentines over on the wire rack. Spoon chocolate onto the base of each florentine and gently spread to the edges. When the chocolate is firm enough to hold its shape, use a fork to draw wavy lines across the chocolate. Leave to set and then store in an airtight container.