Brown rice cakes with sauteed vegetables

When I first saw this recipe, I thought, "Well, maybe..."  And then I promptly set it aside for a couple of years and forgot about it!  Recently I found it in my "to try" file, and thought, "Well, maybe..."

I'm glad I finally got around to actually trying it.  It's really really good!  Brown Rice Cakes with Sauteed Fennel, Broccoli Rabe, and Ricotta

Quinoa pilaf

I learned something about cooking quinoa that rocked me back on my heels...I, along with most everyone else, have been adding way too much water to the delicious little seeds, turning them into the mush that no one likes!  According to Cook's Illustrated, the secret is to toast the quinoa first in a dry pan, set it aside while you saute up your onions and whatever, and then add the toasted quinoa back with only a little bit more water than seeds.  For example, they suggest 1 1/2 c quinoa to 1 3/4 c water.  Simmer on low for about 20 minutes, stirring only once.  Remove the pan and let it sit for 10 minutes before fluffing, adding herbs and other flavorings, and serving.  This was THE BEST quinoa we've ever had.  Period.

Apricot and almond granola

Using my recipe for Basic Chunky Granola, I recently experimented with another variation, namely Apricot and Almond.  I saw this combination featured in an issue of Hannaford market's magazine, but I didn't really like the results...too dry and completely crumbled, with no chunks and not a particularly good taste.  So I messed with it, and here are the results.

Apricot and Almond Granola 

1/3 c agave syrup
1/3 c raw sugar
2 t vanilla

2 t almond extract
1/2 t salt

1 T cinnamon

1/2 t nutmeg
1/2 c canola oil
5 c rolled oats (not quick cook or steel cut) or 4 c oats and 1 c uncooked quinoa
1 1/2 c almonds, chopped, raw preferred

1 c sunflower seeds, raw preferred
2 c dried apricots, chopped 

Spray a rimmed baking sheet and line it with parchment.  Set the rack to the upper middle position and preheat to 300.  In a large bowl, whisk the syrup, sugar, extracts, salt, and spices together, and then whisk in the oil.  Stir in the oats, almonds, and sunflower seeds and work with your hands until the sugar mixture is worked through. 
Scrape out the oats onto the baking sheet and compress the mixture firmly into a thin, even, and tight layer.  Bake for about 35 minutes, rotating the pan once. Remove from the oven to a wire rack and cool thoroughly.  Break the granola into pieces and stir in the apricots.  Store in an airtight container.   

Link to my Cranberry Granola

Rice salad

I don't get very excited about Rice Salad, but this one has a bit of a tangy kick and is better than the average.  If you are requested to bring a rice salad to a summer picnic, this one ain't too bad!  High praise, huh?

Rice Salad

Brown rice (I used basmati)
Lemon, juiced and zested
Asparagus, snapped
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Shallot, minced
Feta cheese, chopped
Almonds
Parsley (optional)

Boil or steam the rice until tender.  Mix in some lemon juice and set aside.  Cook and brown the asparagus in olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat until bright green and still crisp.  Set aside to cool and then cut into pieces.

In a glass cup, whisk together some olive oil, lemon juice and zest, the shallot, salt and pepper.  Place the rice in a serving bowl; add the dressing, asparagus, and some feta and almonds, reserving a few for the top.  Toss and top with parsley if desired.  

Cranberry granola

This is just an easy variation on my Basic Chunky Granola.  I made these easy substitutions:
Agave nectar for maple syrup
Raw sugar for brown sugar
Raw peanuts for almonds
Cranberries for raisins

Basic chunky granola

I am totally fed up with cereal, and I don't even eat it.  Well, once in a great while, but not frequently.  However, Mike eats it almost every day, and that gave me reason to start looking a little more closely at the ingredients.  I'm sure most of you already know that even "healthy" cereals (by whose standards??) are loaded with unnecessary sugar, salt, and other garbage.

I'm not opposed to sugar or salt, and I use them liberally in cooking where I know exactly how much is in there.  But who needs them added to every processed food on the shelves?  The food manufacturers, that's who. They have trained our taste buds away from the taste of actual food and made us lovers of processed crap.

Ok, down off my soapbox.  I've removed nearly all the processed foods from our personal shelves, so now it's time to look at cereal.  Don't worry, there's sweetener in this recipe!

Basic Chunky Granola 

1/3 c maple syrup
1/3 c light brown sugar
4 t vanilla
1/2 t salt
1/2 c canola oil
5 c rolled oats (not quick cook or steel cut)
2 c almonds, chopped, raw preferred
2 c raisins or other dried fruit

Spray a rimmed baking sheet and line it with parchment.  Set the rack to the upper middle position and preheat to 325.  In a large bowl, whisk the syrup, sugar, vanilla, and salt together, and then whisk in the oil.  Stir in the oats and almonds and work with your hands until the sugar mixture is worked through.

Scrape out the oats onto the baking sheet and compress the mixture firmly into a thin, even, and tight layer.  Bake for about 40 minutes, rotating the pan once. Remove from the oven to a wire rack and cool thoroughly.  Break the granola into pieces and stir in the raisins.  Store in an airtight container.

Chicken soup with wild rice

We love wild rice!  It's not really rice, which you may already know, but I just learned that a few years ago...it's a type of grass seed :-)

Chicken Soup with Wild Rice

1/2 c wild rice
2 c chicken stock
2 c water
Vegetable oil
1/2 lb chicken tenders
2 leeks, white and light green parts, sliced lengthwise and then in 1/4 inch cross slices
8 oz baby bella mushrooms, sliced
1 oz dried porcini mushrooms, minced
2 carrots, sliced
1 t fresh thyme
More water or stock if needed

Steam the rice ahead of time and set aside. 

Heat a cup of the stock in a Dutch oven and place in a crock pot.  Dry the Dutch oven and brown the chicken in oil.  Place it in the crock pot and let it heat through.   This can also be done ahead of time.

Brown the leeks, mushrooms, and carrots in oil, about 10 to 12 minutes.  Add the thyme.  Stir in the rest of the broth and the water, and deglaze the pot.  Heat to a boil; reduce and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes and vegetables are tender.  Chop the chicken and add it, along with the rest of the stock and juices.  Stir in the rice or add it to individual serving bowls. 

Tabbouleh with toasted quinoa and pistachios

I love classic tabbouleh, but recently I tried a variant that was surprisingly good.  Substitute quinoa that you've toasted in a skillet first for the bulgar.  Use everything else you normally would (olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, scallions, cherry tomatoes, parsley, and mint), but add some pistachios and golden raisins too!  I also added some English cucumber to the dish shown above, and served it on mixed dark greens. 

Sushi Bowls

Here's another heart-healthy dish that's pretty darned tasty.  I came across the idea in the Fresh magazine from Hannaford, but I changed it quite a bit.  We prefer tempeh to tofu, so that's one really big change.  I'd suggest checking out their recipe and deciding for yourself.  Here's mine:

Sushi Bowls

Rice of any type, prepared in a steamer

1/2 c orange juice

1 T sesame oil

1 T rice vinegar

2 t fresh ginger, minced

1/2 t crushed red pepper flakes

2 t  soy sauce

1 ( 12 oz.) package of tempeh

3 sheets nori seaweed wrappers

1 c shelled edamame, thawed if frozen

1 carrot, shredded

1 pickling cucumber, peeled and diced

1 avocado, cubed

2 T sesame seeds

Start rice in the steamer.  Meanwhile, prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Mix orange juice through soy sauce in a bowl and crumble the tempeh into it.  Set aside, but stir from time to time.  

Heat a large non-stick skillet and heat the nori sheets one at a time on both sides until fragrant, about 45 seconds per side.  Set aside.

Place the rice in a large bowl and top with the drained tempeh (keep the sauce), edamame, carrot, cucumber, and avocado.  Top with sauce, crumbled nori, and sesame seeds.  

 

Rice with pigeon peas

I found the recipe for Rice and Pigeon Peas in Hannaford's Fresh magazine, and although I used bacon instead of salt pork, and a mix of long grain white and wild rice, I do think that I followed the spirit of the dish ;-)  We had it with Jerk Chicken, and it was pretty amazing.  The reason that the rice looks more like dirty rice is that I mixed the chicken into the rice just before serving, so you're seeing some of the jerk sauce mixed in there too. 

Tabbouleh

Tabbouleh is one of my favorite summer salads from way back in my hippy days.  My methods haven't changed much over the years, but when I saw the suggestion from Cook's Illustrated to cut up the tomatoes first and use the drained juice to soften up the bulgur, I scratched my head.  Why didn't I think of that before?

Thai basil rice

This is one of my very favorite types of rice in the whole wide world.  And I love rice!





Thai Basil Rice

1 c jasmine rice
1 1/4 c chicken stock
1 T olive oil
1 T butter
2 shallots, minced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 green onion, chopped
1/2 c basil, coarsely chopped
Cayenne pepper flakes, optional


Prepare the jasmine rice ahead of time in a steamer. 

In a large non-stick skillet, melt the butter and oil together over medium heat.  Sauté the shallots, garlic, and green onion until soft.  Add the basil and stir till wilted.  Fluff the rice with a fork and add to the skillet.  Heat through and serve with pepper flakes if desired.   
   

Beef barley soup

I love all the versions of Beef and Barley Soup that I've had, but with  few minor changes, Martha Stewart's recipe is probably my favorite.  I used homemade beef stock instead of chicken stock, portobello mushrooms instead of cremini, and I added bay leaf to the mix.

Pork chops and rice

If you're one of those people who always has to have mashed or whipped potatoes with your pork, well I'm sorry!  You might be willing to mix it up a bit to try Soy-Ginger Marinated Pork Chops with Herb & Scallion Rice, both from Martha Stewart Living magazine.  Most excellent.

Sesame-honey tempeh bowl

This concoction makes a great one-dish vegetarian meal.  When you first see a block of tempeh, if you've never actually eaten it before, you'll think it looks like horse food.  Well, grow up and don't eat with your eyes, as my mother would say!  This stuff takes on the flavor of whatever you cook it in, so make sure the sauce is to your liking! 

Sesame-Honey Tempeh Bowl

1 c quinoa
2 c water

2 c grated carrots
1 T sesame oil
1 T soy sauce
2 t rice vinegar
2 T toasted sesame seeds

Sesame oil
Canola oil
16 oz tempeh
3 T honey
2 T soysauce
3 T water
2 t cornstarch

Sliced scallions for garnish

Start the quinoa, bringing the water to a boil and adding the grain.  Return to a boil; reduce to a simmer; let cook for about 10 minutes.  Let it sit covered until the water is all absorbed and then remove the cover.

In a medium bowl, mix the grated carrots with the sesame oil through the toasted sesame seeds.  Set aside.

Break up the tempeh into bite-sized pieces.  In a large skillet, heat a couple T of sesame oil and begin to brown the tempeh.  Add a bit of canola oil if more is needed.  Mix the honey through the cornstarch in a small bowl and add to the pan, stirring quickly to thicken and coat the tempeh.

To serve, layer the quinoa, carrot slaw, and tempeh in bowls.  Top with scallions. 

Five-grain oatmeal

I cooked this mixture in our rice steamer, and it was fantastic.  You can alter the grains to suit yourself, or make real steel cut oatmeal by following the simple instructions at the link. 

Five-Grain Oatmeal

1/3 c steel cut oats
1/3 c mixture of oat groats, millet, quinoa, and barley
2/3 c water
2/3 c milk or soy milk
Fruit, nuts, additional milk

Steam for 55 minutes.  Stir in fruit and nuts when finished and top with more milk.

Chorizo, rice, and whitefish

Any type of whitefish will do just fine for this close cousin to Paella.  No tomatoes and no peas in this dish, so you'll need to serve some veggies on the side.

Chorizo, Rice, and Whitefish

Olive oil
4 oz chorizo, sliced thin
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1-1/4 c Arborio rice
1/2 c dry white wine
2 1/4 c chicken or vegetable stock
Whitefish fillets, chopped into bite-sized pieces or left whole

Heat olive oil a large skillet (with a cover) and cook the chorizo for a few minutes.  Add the onions and garlic and cook until soft.  Add the rice and stir to coat with oils.  Add wine to deglaze the pan and bring to a boil.  Let the wine absorb and add the stock.  Bring it to a boil and place skillet, covered, in a 400 oven for 10 to 15 minutes.  Uncover the skillet and add the fish to the top, stirring down in slightly.  Continue cooking uncovered for another 10 to 15 minutes until the liquid is absorbed. 

Lentil-Quinoa Salad with Fresh Ginger

Every once in awhile, you'll come across a recipe that is put out by a specific food brand that ends up being a keeper.  Not often, but this is one of those times.  Pompeian Olive Oil company had an ad somewhere (I can't remember where) that I tried for a very tasty salad.  No, I don't shill for them!  I served it at a large party, and there wasn't much left afterwards...a good sign.

Quinoa tabbouleh with watermelon

I love traditional tabbouleh, with bulgur, mint, and tomatoes, but I decided to try swapping out a few ingredients this time.

Quinoa Tabbouleh with Watermelon

3/4 c quinoa
1-1/2 c water
Salt
2-3 scallions, sliced
1/4 to 1/2 a watermelon, cubed
1 c flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Zest and juice of a lemon
1-2 T olive oil
3 oz feta cheese, cubed small

Steam the lightly salted quinoa for about 20 minutes and let it sit for an additional 10 minutes.  Fluff with fork as it cools.

Mix all ingredients, tossing carefully in a large bowl. 

Garlicky yellow rice

This rice is a fabulous accompaniment to all kinds of meals.  Here we had it with salmon and a fresh spinach salad.

Garlicky Yellow Rice

Olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
1-1/4 c rice (I used Arborio, but long grain is good too)
2-1/2 c stock and/or water
1 t tumeric
Salt and pepper

Saute onions and garlic for a few minutes.  Add rice and saute for two minutes.  Add water and spices.  Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and cook for 20 to 25 minutes.  Can also be done in a steamer, adjusting water as needed.