Chicken Enchiladas

Posted by zeeechef in Casserole and tagged with , , , , , , ,

So this makes six servings, but it’s worth it. I was looking for inspiration and read about twenty enchilada recipes but they were embarrassing, recipes you can make without utensils other than a scissor to help open packages of processed fonoods. I decided that since I speak Spanish, I would search for recipes in Spanish. They were just as bad and also suggested buying rotisserie chicken rather than cooking chicken myself. So, I decided to make it up myself.

I knew I wanted chicken, beans, and rice filling in the enchiladas. Originally, I planned to use green enchilada sauce on top, but several of the Mexican recipes suggested dredging tortillas in the enchilada sauce, so I decided to make a crema de chorizo topping instead. My reasoning was it sounded so odd, that it had to be something special. It was.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup rice
  • 2 cups water
  • 1/2 TBSP Chicken bouillon
  • 1 TBSP olive oil
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/2 yellow onion diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, sliced
  • 2 serrano peppers
  • 1 poblano pepper
  • 2 jalapeno peppers
  • 1 sweet bell pepper (happened to be yellow)
  • 1.5 pounds chicken thighs
  • Enough water to cover everything.
  • 1/2 tbsp chicken bouillon
  • 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • Green Enchilada Sauce. (Las Palmas 19 oz. can)
  • 6 burrito size flour tortillas
  • 9 oz. pork chorizo
  • Pint heavy cream
  • Radish, cilantro, peppers, corn, onions, shredded cheese, whatever inspires you for garnish. I used radishes and cilantro.

I made some rice. I used basmati rice because I am allergic to short-grain white rice. I think short-grain white rice is more authentic and would be a better rice for a filling as it coheres while basmati tends to fluff and not cohere. I think regular rice would make the filling stick together more and be preferable for most of you. I used 1 cup of rice to 2 cups of water. I added some chicken bouillon to the water to flavor the rice. There was rice enough left over for two tamago kake gohan breakfasts.

I put a 2 quart pan on the stove, added the olive oil and cumin. I sauteed the onions, garlic, and peppers until I was seeing a bit of browning. I added the chicken thighs and let cook for a few minutes. I added enough water to cover everything. I added bouillon so it was a broth. You could buy broth and use it instead, if you like. I brought the kettle to a boil and then turned heat down to a simmer. I put the lid on and let it simmer about an hour. Simmering means it cooked through without getting tough. Boiling is faster, but the chicken would get tough.

I pulled the chicken out on its own – setting it aside to cool. When cool, either cut it in small slices or pull apart with a fork. I strained the remaining peppers and onion, leaving me with a delicious and spicy chicken broth that could be used in other dishes this week. The peppers and onions, I mixed in with the can of black beans.

All this prep can be down ahead, the day before, the morning of…

Preheat oven to 350°.

Assembly time. Be sure to have everything in place because this is messy and you will have to wash your hands to pick up anything you forget.

Heat a non-stick pan to medium

Put the enchilada sauce in a flat bowl big enough to lay burrito size flour tortillas in. Dredge on both sides and toss into pan. Push it down when it bubbles up. You want the sauce to brown just the tiniest bit. The tortilla will still be soft and flexible because it’s got all the enchilada sauce. Use tongs and be careful. It’s hot!!!

Spray a 9 by 13 inch baking dish with some PAM or put some olive oil on a paper towel and rub all the inside.

Lay the tortilla down, Add a handful of rice, another of chicken, and lastly of black bean/peppers mix, all about a third of the way. Roll starting on the side with the filling, after the filling is rolled in, bring the sides in, and finish rolling up. Lay in a 9 by 13 inch pan, seam side down. Repeat, making 6 tortillas.

In the same nonstick fry pan, add your chorizo. If it’s in sausage form, removing the casing, you want to break it down into small pieces. Cook until down, around 5 minutes. Add a pint of heavy cream and simmer at a relatively low heat so it doesn’t scorch at all. This will try your patience, but keep waiting. Simmer until it thickens into a thick, creamy sauce.

Pour over the enchiladas. Bake for 30 minutes at 350°.

So, I had shredded cheese for garnish but it was so rich with the crema de chorizo, I left it off. I also left cheese out of the rolled enchilada and on top before baking. I ended up not using cheese.

Roasted Fennel and Tomatoes with Cabbage and Spinach Soup

Posted by zeeechef in Gluten-Free, Soup, Vegan and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , ,

I had an extra fennel bulb and wanted to make a fennel soup. My best friend likes roasted tomatoes in soup and I had a hankering for some cabbage, so I set out to find a soup recipe that called for fennel, tomatoes, and cabbage. I found an Italian recipe with sausage, fennel, cabbage, tomatoes, beans, and pasta shells. It was cooked with thyme which is not one of my favorite flavors. When I think of fennel, I think of the aromatics, so I decided to use that recipe as a launching pad but to go my own way. I ended up leaving out the meat and pasta, and going for the aromatics, some spinach to make it prettier and give it a bit of earthiness, and a lemon to bring out the flavors.

I ended up with one of the most delicious soups I have ever made. It tastes like spring, or what spring should be, fresh, a bit zingy and zesty.

Ingredients

  • 8 Campari tomatoes (or 12 oz. of alternate)
  • 2 small or 1 large fennel bulb (stems and fronds removed)
  • 1 TBSP chili-infused oil
  • 2 TBSP olive oil
  • 2 tsp coriander seeds
  • 2 tsp cumin seeds
  • 2 tsp fennel seeds
  • 1 tsp anise seeds
  • 1 medium yellow onion
  • 1 small green cabbage or 1/2 large cabbage
  • 2 cans of Cannellini beans
  • 4 cups of vegetable broth (or water with veggie broth cubes)
  • 2 small lemons or 1 large lemon
  • Baby spinach

Directions

Heat oven to 450º. Trim the fennel, cut into quarters, then slice into 1/4 to 1/2 inch slices. Place on cookie sheet and sprinkle chili oil on them. I used a brush to spread the oil over all of the fennel. Put in the oven to roast. Fennel will take about 10 minutes more than tomatoes, so while the fennel is roasting, you can quarter the tomatoes. Add to the cookie sheet and roast about 20 more minutes or until the fennel and tomatoes have a nice bit of char for that deep roasted flavor.

While that’s roasting, heat olive oil in a stockpot on medium low and add all the spices. You want to heat the spices first to infuse the oil and get the spices to bloom. Their aroma will fill the air. While they heat up, you can chop the onion. Add the onion and let cook until softened. While the onion is cooking, you can chop the cabbage to add. Stir and cook until tender.

Add the roasted vegetables and stir them in.

Add two cans of beans and the vegetable broth. Don’t drain the beans, the water it is cooked in has absorbed the bean flavor and is a bit thicker than water so it will give the soup a wee bit more substance. If you insist on draining and rinsing the beans, add 5 cups of vegetable broth rather than 4 cups.

While everything is heating, zest and juice the lemon(s) and add that to the soup, stir it in.

To serve, place the raw baby spinach in the bottom of the serving bowl and pour the soup on top. The soup’s heat will cook the spinach. Don’t add to the soup directly as it keeps its own substance better if added right before serving.

You can garnish with a leaf or two of basil is you like, but I thought it was too pretty as is.

Swedish Pot Roast

Posted by zeeechef in Dinner, Lunch and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , ,
A picture of pot roast in a bowl. In addition to beef, there are carrots, rutabaga, onions, and parsnips.

Chuck Roast was on sale at Fred Meyer. It was buy one, get one free. The Instacart shopper chose one that one $32 and then for the free one, just $16. Jeez, he works for Instacart, not Freddy’s. However, it was still delicious. I had the idea of making a Finno-Irish meal for St. Urho’s Day (I am from Minnesota) and St. Patrick’s Day. Irish Pot Roast requires Guinness and I didn’t have any. Finnish Pot Roast called for mace which I also didn’t have, so I looked up a few other recipes and finally decided to just make it up as I went along. I decided to use a Swedish flavor profile and those favorite root vegetables of Swedes everywhere, rutabagas.

  • 3.5 to 4 pound Chuck Roast
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 Onions, sliced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 parsnips, peeled and cut
  • 2 carrots, peeled and cut
  • 1 rutabaga peeled and cut
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tsp ginger
  • 2 tsp nutmeg
  • 1 tsp mustard powder
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 star anise
  • 2 cardamom pods
  • 1 stick cinnamon
  • 4 bay leaves.

Take the roast out of the fridge about an hour before cooking and let it rest. Preheat oven to 300º F when you start to cook the roast on the stove top.

Using a large pot with a lid or a Dutch oven. Add olive oil to the pot and bring the heat up to medium. In a small bowl mix the powdered spices, ginger, nutmeg, mustard powder, salt, and pepper. Using your fingers, work the spices into the meat and sear in the oil. You want that Maillard reaction that changes the flavor of meat, making it richer. Once you have browned the meat, remove it and add the onions and garlic and saute until translucent. Put the meat back in the pot and remove from the stove.

Add the chopped root vegetables, the parsnips, rutabagas, and if you wish, potatoes. If you do add potatoes, do not use Russets as they will simply fall apart. Use red potatoes or Yukon Golds.

Add a mesh bag (I actually use a tea infuser.) with the star anise and cardamom pods. Toss in the cinnamon stick and 4 bay leaves. Stir the brown sugar and vinegar together (you could try it with wine, too.) and pour on top. It you need to add a little water, you can. Remember that cooking the veggies will release water so you may not need to add any. I didn’t add any.

Put the cover on the pan and put in the oven, Cook for three hours or so, until the meat breaks apart easily with a fork.

The vegetables absorb more of the spice flavor than the meat and they are out of this world delicious but the meat and the juices are also extraordinary. The flavor is warm, tangy, and very aromatic. It was a hit. This will make eight generous servings.

I know a Swedish pot roast often contains dried fruit and there is nothing stopping you from adding some dried apricots, figs, or cranberries if you like.

Wilted Romaine & White Bean Salad

Posted by zeeechef in Salad, Vegan, Vegetarian and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Wilted White Bean Salad

I love wilted salads. My childhood babysitter used to fry up some bacon in her cast iron frying pan and add some tomato slices and lettuce at the end, squeeze some lemon juice on top and call it a day. It was delicious. I was thinking of her for some reason and decided to make a wilted salad, but I didn’t want to use bacon. I thought beans would make a good non-meat protein, so this is what I came up with.

  • 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tsp fennel seeds
  • ½ of a red onion, diced
  • 3 or 4 cloves of garlic, chopped
  • 1 can of Great Northern Beans
  • ¼ cup of dried currants (could use dried cranberries, sour cherries, or other tart dried fruit)
  • ¼ cup of chopped cilantro
  • 1 lemon, zest and juice
  • 4 or more cups of chopped romaine
  • Kosher salt to taste
Wilted White Bean Salad

Set your electric stove dial to 4 out of 10, or just a but under medium. Add the olive oil and fennel seeds. Let the oil warm up and get infused with the fennel. The room will become aromatic. You can chop the onions and add them. While they saute, you can add the garlic. You want to add it later because overdone garlic is bitter.

Wilted White Bean Salad

Drain the can of white beans and rinse thoroughly before adding to the onions. You can add the dried fruit now as well, giving it time to absorb some moisture and loosen up a bit.

Wilted White Bean Salad

Add ¼ to ½ cup of cilantro. If you don’t like cilantro, try parsley instead. I used dried cilantro, so I used a little less than I would with fresh cilantro. Mix it in well.

Wilted White Bean Salad

Zest a lemon and squeeze the juice. Add this after the onions are soft, the beans warm and tender. You add at the very end.

Wilted White Bean Salad

While the lemon juice is still sizzling, add 4 to 6 cups of lettuce. Overfill your pan because it will reduce as it warms. Fold it in gently so you don’t have half of it ending up outside the pan. You have to stir it so that it gets nice and warm and wilts into the flavor, not just steaming on top without getting any of that garlicky-lemon-fennel flavor. This is a quick process and you want to remove it before the lettuce softens into mush. It won’t have lettuce crunch, but it will still retain its substance.

This is a delicious salad, warm and inviting. There is still a bit of bite to the lettuce. The main flavor is garlicky lemon, but there are other notes from the fennel and the small bit of dried fruit. It’s kind of irresistible.

Beer Cheese Soup

Posted by zeeechef in Soup and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
  • 4 slices thick cut bacon, chopped (Leave out if you’re vegetarian, of course.)
  • 2 cups diced carrots
  • 2 cups diced yellow onion
  • 2 cups diced celery
  • 1 Serrano chili diced.
  • 8 cloves minced garlic
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • ⅓ cup unsalted butter
  • ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 (12-ounce) bottle Pilsner beer
  • 3 cups chicken broth
  • 2 cups whole milk or half-and-half
  • 1 tablespoon mustard
  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon dry mustard
  • 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (Sriracha or Tabasco)
  • 12 ounces sharp Cheddar cheese or Gruyere shredded (about 4 cups)
  • popped plain or salted popcorn, for garnish

Chop bacon into small pieces. Cook on medium to render the fat. Remove bacon pieces and rest on paper towels. Save to add later or use as garnish.

Add carrots, onion, and celery to drippings and increase heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 6 to 8 minutes

Stir in garlic, salt, pepper, and cayenne; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add butter and cook, stirring constantly, until melted. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, until lightly browned, about 2 minutes.

Stir in beer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 2 minutes.

Stir in broth and half-and-half; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium to maintain a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, just until mixture lightly coats the back of a spoon, 12 to 15 minutes.

Stir in Dijon, Worcestershire, dry mustard, and hot sauce until fully incorporated. You can also add the bacon at this time. Remove from heat.

Add cheese, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly until melted before adding more.

Serve hot, topped with popcorn and reserved bacon or add bacon back with the mustard, etc.

SE Asian Meatball and Noodle Soup

Posted by zeeechef in Dinner, Lunch, Soup and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Soup in a white soup mug. There are meatballs, bok choy, yaki soba noodles, carrot, mushroom, and onions. Broth is clear, not creamy.

I tried to recreate a delicious soup from memory with some changes. I shared an apartment with some women from Malaysia in college and one of them made this amazing soup, or to be honest, amazing until she added shrimp paste which was just a bit too much for me. I don’t care for fermented seafood whether it’s shrimp in blachan or herring in surströmming. I loved the soup, though, and thought I should give it a try. I looked through recipes from Japan, Thailand, and India and found nothing that sounded quite right, so I set out with a flavor profile in mind and drew ideas from the several recipes I had read. It turned out to be amazing.

First I made the meatballs. I mixed everything together, rolled them into small meatballs. This made 18 meatballs. I sprayed just the slightest bit of oil in a nonstick pan on medium heat (4 of 10 on the dial) turning so they were browned on both sides. I did not cook until done because they need to cook in the soup, too, so I didn’t want to overcook them and make them tough. I set them aside in the pan after they were nicely browned .

  • 1 lb. hot Italian sausage
  • 1/2 bunch cilantro chopped
  • 1.5 inch ginger root, peeled and grated
  • 5 cloves of garlic, pressed
  • 1 egg
  • 3 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce
  • Oatmeal

On to the soup broth. I used a stock pot and put a couple tablespoons of sesame oil in the bottom. I added the anise seed and red pepper flakes and heated until the aroma filled the air. Then I added the scallions that I had chopped fine. I let them cook a bit to infuse the flavors in the scallions before added the water and chicken bouillon. I used less bouillon than the jar of bouillon suggests simply because I am adding lots of other flavors. Bring this up to a simmer and add the carrots and ginger strips.

After 10 minutes add the bok choy and chopped cilantro. After five minutes, add the lime juice and rice vinegar, tasting the broth and adding lime and vinegar to bring it to taste.

  • 2 TBSP Sesame Oil
  • 1/2 tsp Anise Seeds
  • 1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
  • 2 scallions chopped
  • 6 cups of water
  • 1 tbsp chicken bouillon (yes, less than on the box)
  • 3 inches of ginger root, peeled & julienned
  • 1 carrot, peeled and julienned
  • 2 baby bok choy, chopped
  • Remaining cilantro, chopped
  • Yaki Soba Noodles
  • Lime Juice
  • Rice Vinegar

Ten minutes before serving, bring it up to a low boil and add meatballs. As soon as they float, add the noodles and cook for a couple more minutes to heat the noodles. It’s done.

If you want to garnish, add a slice of lime.

A spoonful of soup strikes you first with a rich, satisfying sense of umami and is followed by a bright bit of tang. It’s just so satisfying. One bowl will fill you up simply because so satisfying.

Warm Cucumber Soup

Posted by zeeechef in Soup, Vegan, Vegetarian and tagged with , , , , , , , , , ,
A white soup bowl with a handle on a cutting board. The soup is a bright green with dark green specks. It is garnished with sour cream with a few sprigs of cilantro and two thin slices of lemon.

I bought some English cucumber to make a chilled cucumber soup. And then the temperature dropped. I waited for a warm day, but it’s just not happening. I still wanted to make some soup with the cucumbers so I read a bunch of recipes that were too obviously bland, asked for ingredients I didn’t have, or were too rich. I thought I would try to make a vegan cucumber soup (if you don’t count the garnish) and so decided to make it up as I went along. It turned out to be fantastic and I will definitely make it again. This will make four generous servings.

Everything will be pureed, so don’t fret the chopping. Big pieces are fine.

  • 1 TBSP olive oil
  • 1/2 a yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 stalks of celery, chopped
  • 3 small or 2 large potatoes, peeled and chopped
  • 1 bay leaf (or 2 small ones which is what I had)
  • Water
  • 1 TBSP of vegetable bouillon powder
  • 2 English cucumbers, peeled, de-seeded, and chopped
  • 5 cloves of garlic, crushed
  • 1 cup of chopped cilantro leaves
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • Salt and Pepper
  • 1 tsp of Yondu *Absolutely optional.

Set the stove on medium-low, 3 on the 1 to 10 dial. Add onions, salt, and pepper and let the onions soften. When softened, add the celery. Saute for a couple minutes and add the potatoes. Stir so they get all that onion goodness on them. Add enough water to about a half-inch over the top of the potatoes, around 4 to 5 cups. Add a tablespoon of vegetable or chicken broth, depending on whether you’re making this vegan. Add more salt and pepper and a bay leaf and bring to a boil. Continue on a low boil for about 20 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.

Peel the cucumbers, cut in half and remove the seeds. Cut them in big chunks. After the potatoes are tender, add them to the soup. Don’t worry if half is out of the water. They are so full of liquid it won’t be a problem. Let the soup simmer another 10 minutes.

Now it’s nearly done. Add 1 cup of cilantro, five crushed garlic cloves (there is a different flavor when added later) and the juice of one lemon. You can also add a bit of Yondu. I use Yondu all the time, adding some to vegetables and vegetarian dishes. It is mostly made of soybeans and adds that umami depth that makes a completely vegetarian meal satisfying for us carnivores.

Puree! Serve with the garnishes of your choice. You have many options, some kernels of frozen corn, cilantro leaves, lemon slices, toasted nuts, or sour cream. Maybe some tortilla chips or crackers. Whatever appeals to you.

This does not make a thick soup, but it still feels rich even though there is no heavy cream or yogurt. The lemon is wonderful. You might even want more, feel free to add as much as you like.

Brussels Sprouts, Potatoes, and White Bean Soup

Posted by zeeechef in Single Serving
A bowl of soup with a light, thin broth. Thinly sliced onions, potato chunks, sausage pieces, and Brussels sprouts and some Cannellini beans
  • 2 TBSP butter
  • 2 yellow onions, thinly sliced
  • 2 tsp thyme
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • `1 TBSP kosher salt
  • 5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 Andouille sausage, sliced (level out for vegetarian soup)
  • 3 potatoes, peeled and cubed
  • Sriracha to taste
  • 1 can of Cannellini beans
  • 2 cups of Brussels sprouts, tripped and cut in half or quarters, depending on size.

On medium-low heat (3 of 10 on electric dial) melt the butter. IF you’re going vegan, use olive oil). Using a mandoline, slice the onions very thin. Add the herbs. Put on a lid and dial down to a 2. Go watch a TV show or read a book. Come back in an hour.

Add minced garlic and potatoes and bring the heat up. Add the chopped potatoes and 4 cups of water. Add the beans, no need to rinse, that liquid will just add flavor. I added a squeeze of sriracha just to lift the broth a bit.

Keep at a low boil until potatoes are tender. Add Brussels sprouts and cook 10 more minutes. Serve.

I didn’t garnish this, but you could garnish with some parsley or sour cream.

Andouille, Red Chard, & Yellow Pea Soup with Roasted Tomatoes

Posted by zeeechef in Soup and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , ,

I saw Campari tomatoes were half price and I’ve never eaten one, so I thought why not. Then I was thinking about Red Chard, it’s been at least a year or more since I’ve made something with it. From there is was a short jump to deciding to make soup. I roasted the tomatoes on a whim. This is a step I will repeat in the future because it added a deeper tomato flavor. I like it.

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds
  • 1 tsp anise seeds
  • 1 small yellow onion chopped
  • 3 cloves of garlic minced
  • 2 stalks of celery, chopped
  • 1 Serrano chili, cleaned and diced
  • 4 Andouille sausage sliced. (I like Aidell’s Cajun Andouille sausage so much I’ve never tried any other of their sausages.)
  • 10 Campari tomatoes roasted in the oven with olive oil, salt, pepper, & garlic.
  • 1 bunch red chard (chop the stalks, chiffonade leaves separately)
  • 1 cup yellow peas
  • 1/2 bunch green onions
  • 1 lemon juiced
  • Salt and Pepper

You can roast the tomatoes ahead of time, or if like me, you cook on the fly, it’s fine to roast while you’re cooking. I put the oven on broil and turned them to broil both sides about 15 minutes each side. You could turn the oven to 500 and cook them a little longer without the broiler. Slice Camparis in half, Romas into quarters. The thing is, you want the most possible light charring to get that deep-roasted flavor into your soup so it tastes like you labored over it. This will make 8 servings, but soup almost always tastes better as leftovers.

Heat olive oil on medium low (3 on a 10 point electric stove) and add fennel and anise seeds. Warm until the air smells delicious. Add onions, celery, serrano chili, and garlic. Add salt and pepper and sauté until tender.

Add the andouille sausage. I like Aidell’s Cajun Andouille, but use what you prefer. You could remove the casing and break it up into small pieces, but I like the little “coins” in my soup. Cook until they start to brown.

Here is where you would stop if you are making ahead. You would then reheat and continue. Finishing it off with chard leaves and lemon juice.

The soup is waiting on the stove with the chard and lemon juice ready to jump in as soon as it’s right before serving.

Add the chopped up stems of the red chard and the fire-roasted tomatoes. Salt and pepper. Stir and cook about 5 minutes.

Add 1 cup of yellow peas and four cups of water and bring to a slow boil. Boil for about 20 minutes.

While it’s boiling you can prepare the green onions and red chard leaves. Add them about 10 minutes before serving. Also add the lemon juice to brighten and bring out the flavors.

You could serve it with a piece of fresh baguette. Or garnish with some fresh parsley, sour cream, or a thin slice of lemon. Let your imagination go with it.

This was delicious. First, when I think of Red Chard, I think of anise. They are made for each other. I also think tomatoes are great with chard and of course course, sausage goes with tomatoes and pretty soon the soup made itself. The flavor is deep, roasting tomatoes before adding to the soup really brings a lower note to its flavor, blending so beautifully with the chard and yellow peas, there’s a lingering bit of heat from the Serrano, but it’s a mellow heat. The lemon juice really brightens the flavor and brings it all together. Yum! I will definitely make this again.

Wild Rice Salad

Posted by zeeechef in Lunch, Salad, Vegetarian and tagged with , , , , ,
Photo os Wild Rice Salad in a white bowl.
  • 1 cup wild rice (See Red Lake Nation Foods)
  • 4 cups water
  • 1 pomegranate
  • 1 cup salted, roasted pistachios chopped so they are about the same size as arils and rice
  • 4 green onions (Some goes in the dressing.)
  • 1 cup feta cheese
  • 4 cups of cleaned salad greens or Spring Mix (mesclun, spinach, red leaf, frisée, radicchio, and arugula)

Dressing

  • Zest from 1 large lemon
  • Juice of 1 large lemon
  • 3 TBSP thinly sliced green onion tops (Save the rest for the salad)
  • 1 tsp maple syrup
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/2 tsp ground coriander
  • 2 TBSP high quality extra virgin olive oil
  • Maldon salt flakes to taste
  • Pepper to taste

Bring the wild rice to a boil in lightly salted water. Turn down to a simmer, put the lid on, but not completely (I put a wooden spoon in to keep the lid slightly ajar) and let cook for about 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, remove from heat, put the lid completely on for about 5 more minutes. Dump into a large colander and let it drip dry. Leave it for an hour or more. I made it the day before and just fluffed it up when I was ready to make the salad.

Remove the arils from the pomegranate and clean, removing all the pith. This method I learned on YouTube works well.

How to prepare pomegranate

In a large bowl, add the wild rice and put the dressing on. If you dress the wild rice first, all the rest of the salad gets dressed as it is added. Add the greens and the remaining half of the green onions. Stir a bit, then add the pomegranate and pistachios.

Just before serving, break up the feta cheese and add it.

It’s crunchy, nutty, tart, umami, and ever bite is delicious. Except for the greens, everything is small.

Serves 8.