The next time you make a pot of black beans save some of the cooking liquid for a batch of solar cooked black bean rice. It makes a great side dish to just about any South-of-the-border entree.

Black Bean Rice

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup medium grain rice

1 small onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 1/2 cups broth from cooking black beans

1/2 to 1 teaspoons salt, depending on if bean broth is salted or not

Preparation

Set Sun Oven out to preheat.

Combine oil, rice, onion, and garlic in a dark, light-weight pot. Cook in the Sun Oven, uncovered, until the onion begins to soften, 15 to 20 minutes. While the rice mixture is cooking bring the bean broth, seasoned with salt, to a boil. Stir the hot broth into the rice and cover. Cook until the broth has been absorbed, 20 to 30 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.

Makes 4 servings.

In the U.S. radicchio is mostly eaten raw in salads. In Italy it is usually cooked – either grilled or mixed into dishes like this risotto.

Sun Oven Risotto with Radicchio

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter

1 small onion, thinly sliced

2 small heads radicchio, cored and shredded

1 cup arborio rice

1/2 cup dry wine, red or white

3 cups broth, chicken or vegetable

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation

Set Sun Oven out to preheat.

Combine butter and onions in a dark, light-weight pot. Cook onions in the Sun Oven (or stovetop) until softened, about 20 minutes. Stir in the radicchio, put the lid on the pot and cook until wilted, about 20 minutes. While the radicchio is cooking heat broth on the stove in a saucepan to just below boiling. Transfer pot to the stove and over medium-high heat stir in the rice. Add the wine and stir until it has evaporated, about 2 minutes. Stir in the broth, put the lid on the pot and return it to the Sun Oven. Cook 20 to 25 minutes. Stir in the cheese, season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings.

The turnips and the arborio rice make this risotto creamy without adding a lot of fat. All risotto should be eaten immediately. For that reason solar cooked risotto is best for lunch. Make sure it’s a perfectly clear day. Even a small cloud means a longer cooking time and the texture of the risotto will suffer.

Ingredients

2 medium turnips, peeled and cubed (about 2 1/2 cups)

2 tablespoons butter

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 fresh sage leaves

1 cup arborio rice

1/2 cup dry white wine

Broth, chicken, beef, or vegetable

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

Set Sun Oven out to preheat.

Put the turnips in a medium pot. Add enough water to just barely cover. Put a lid on the pot and cook the turnips in the Sun Oven until soft, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Remove the pot from the Sun Oven. Leave the Sun Oven out. Drain the turnips, reserving cooking water. Mash turnips with a potato masher. Set aside.

Add enough broth to the cooking water to measure 3 cups. Bring broth mixture to a boil in a small sauce pan, reduce heat, keep the broth very hot.

Heat the butter in a large pot over medium high heat. Add the onion and sauté until softened. Add the sage leaves and then the rice, stirring constantly until the grains are coated with butter, about 2 minutes. Add the wine, stir constantly until evaporated. Add the hot broth, stir well, cover and transfer to the preheated Sun Oven. Cook until the broth has been absorbed, it will still be slightly soupy. Remove pot from the Sun Oven. Find and discard the sage leaves. Stir in the Parmesan cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Sun Oven risotto is what I like to call a hybrid, half conventionally cooked and half solar. The broth is brought to a boil on the stove before being stirred into the sauteed rice and transferred to the Sun Oven. I think the texture is far superior when it’s prepared this way. Bringing any dish with a high liquid content to a boil first will cut down on the overall cooking time by up to 30 minutes. Something to keep in mind if you get a late start.

Risotto al Pomodoro (Tomato Risotto)

Ingredients

1 tablespoon butter

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 cup arborio rice

1/2 cup dry white wine

3/4 cup strained tomato puree

3 cups broth, vegetable or chicken

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (plus extra for serving)

2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped

Preparation

Set Global Sun Oven out to preheat.

Bring broth to boil in a medium pot. Heat butter in a separate light-weight, dark pot over medium high heat. Add onions and saute until translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in the rice, saute for about 1 minute. Add wine, cook until it evaporates, about 2 minutes. Stir in tomato puree and then the hot broth, cover and transfer the pot to the Sun Oven. Cook for 25 minutes. Take a quick peek to see if the broth has been absorbed, if not continue cooking for another 5 minutes. Remove from Sun Oven, stir in the cheese and basil. Serve immediately. Pass the additional cheese for each person to add to taste.

It wasn’t until recently that I came up with my method for Sun Oven risotto and now I can’t seem to get enough of it. Risotto con Porcini is probably my favorite, solar cooked or not. The key to success is heat. Make sure the Sun Oven has time to preheat, and the broth is simmering hot before combing all the ingredients.

Sun Oven Risotto con Porcini

(risotto with porcini mushrooms)

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 cup arborio rice

2 ounces dried porcini mushrooms

1/3 cup dry white wine

Broth, chicken or vegetable

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped

Preparation

Set Sun Oven out to preheat.

Soak the porcini in 1 1/2 cups hot water for 10 minutes. Drain the porcini, reserve soaking water. Using a paper towel filter the soaking water to remove and grit. Add enough broth to the water to measure 3 cups. Heat broth and mushroom water in a small sauce pan. Roughly chop the porcini. While the broth mixture is heating melt the butter in a light-weight, lidded, dark pot over medium high heat. Add onion and cook until it begins to soften, add the rice and stir until all the grains are coated with butter, about 1 minute. Add wine, continue stirring until the wine evaporates, about 2 minutes. Stir in chopped porcini and hot broth. Cover and immediately transfer to the preheated Sun Oven. Cook for 20 minutes or until the broth is almost completely absorbed. Remove from Sun Oven, stir in cheese and parsley. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings.

This yummy risotto makes a great quick lunch if you have any leftover cooked butternut on hand. If you don’t, start by solar roasting some. If you cook up a whole squash you’ll have more than you need for this recipe and you can freeze the leftovers for future use.

Solar Butternut Squash Risotto

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter

1 small onion, chopped

4 fresh sage leaves

1 cup arborio rice

1/2 cup dry white wine

3 cups broth, chicken or vegetable

1 cup warm or room temperature cooked butternut squash, mashed

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

Set Global Sun Oven out to preheat.

Bring broth to a simmer on the stove. While the broth is heating, melt butter in a light-wheight, dark, lidded pot over medium high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often until it starts to soften, about 5 minutes. Add sage and rice, stir until rice is coated in butter, about 1 minute. Add wine, stir until completely evaporated, about 2 minutes. Add hot broth, stir well, cover and transfer to preheated Sun Oven. Cook for 15 minutes, leave pot in Sun Oven, quickly stir in mashed squash, cover, and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove pot from Sun Oven, remove and discard sage, stir in cheese, add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Risotto is probably one of the trickiest things to make in the Sun Oven. Unlike traditionally prepared risotto, where the broth is slowly added 1/2 cup at a time, all the broth is stirred in just before transferring the pot to the Sun Oven. Therefore it’s important to get the amount right, too much and you’ve got something that looks more like soup, too little and the rice is under cooked. Also, it’s best when served immediately. For this reason solar cooked risotto is a lunch food at our house.

Solar Risotto alla Milanese

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 cup arborio rice

1/2 cup dry white wine

3 cups chicken broth

1/4 teaspoon crumbled saffron threads

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

Preparation

Set Global Sun Oven out to preheat.

Bring broth to a boil in a medium pot. Heat butter in a separate light-weight, dark pot over medium high heat. Add onions and saute until translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in the rice, saute for about 1 minute. Add wine, cook until it evaporates, about 2 minutes. Add hot  broth, stir, cover and transfer the pot to the Sun Oven. Cook for 25 minutes (set timer). Remove from Sun Oven, stir in saffron and cheese. Serve with additional grated cheese.

Makes 4 servings.

Leftover minestrone can be used to make a delicious, creamy, solar-cooked risotto in under an hour. Make sure you use the right kind of rice, Arborio or, if you can find it, Carnaroli.

Risotto al Minestrone

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 cup arborio rice

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 1/2 cups leftover minestrone soup

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus additional for serving

salt and pepper to taste

fresh basil, chopped

Preparation

Set Global Sun Oven out to preheat.

Heat minestrone and broth in a medium pot. Heat butter in a separate light-weight, dark pot over medium high heat. Add onions and saute until translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in the rice, saute for about 1 minute. Add wine, cook until it evaporates, about 2 minutes. Add hot minestrone and broth mixture, stir, cover and transfer the pot to the Sun Oven. Cook for 25 minutes (set timer). Remove from Sun Oven, stir in cheese and basil. Serve with additional grated cheese.

Makes 4 servings.

This casserole is better than it looks in the picture. It can be served as a side dish or paired with solar roasted squash to make a nice vegetarian main course. Broccoli can be used in place of the asparagus.

Asparagus and Brown Rice Casserole

Ingredients

2 cups brown rice

4 1/2 cups water

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup celery, finely chopped

1 large onion, finely chopped

4 cups asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces

4 ounces neufchatel cheese

1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

Combine water, rice, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a dark pot, cover and place in Global Sun Oven. Cook until the rice is tender. About 1 hour.

While the rice is cooking heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add celery and onion and sauté until the onions are translucent. About 5 mimutes. Add the asparagus, stir to combine and saute for another 3 minutes.

Add the cheese to the skillet, breaking it up as stirring to coat the vegetables. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Combine the vegetable cheese mixture with the rice and fresh basil in a large bowl.

Spread the mixture in an oiled casserole dish, cover tightly with tin foil and a dark tea towel. Place in Global Sun Oven and bake until heated through. Serve hot.

Makes 6 servings

Sometimes I want to come home to a fully cooked dinner. No last minute side salad to prepare, no pasta to boil. I just want to take the food out of the Sun Oven and eat. This chicken and rice, and vegetable combo is a complete meal in one pot. The rice comes out nice and creamy; almost like a risotto. If you’ve got a really busy day ahead of you, do all the prep work the night before.

Chicken Thighs with Rice and Mixed Vegetables

2 cups short grain brown rice

1/2 cup dry cranberry beans, soaked over night and drained

1 leek, pale green and white parts only, chopped

1 cup butternut squash, cut into 1/2 cubes

1 carrot, peeled and chopped

1 zucchini, chopped

2 cups green cabbage, coarsely shredded

1 1/2 cup water

8 skin on, bone in chicken thighs trimmed of excess fat

salt and pepper to taste

2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon olive oil

Combine the rice and the next six ingredients (leek through cabbage) in a heavy cast iron dutch oven. Add the water. Top with the chicken thighs. Sprinkle thighs with salt and pepper. Cover and place in Sun Oven. Cooking time is approx. 2 1/2 hours.

To serve, remove chicken thighs. Stir basil, cheese, and olive oil into the rice.

makes 6 to 8 servings