Festive Rice Salad

I have no recollection of eating this salad prior to making it here the other day but it was in my “tried and true” recipe box so I must have at some point. The recipe card is written in my aunt’s handwriting. Perhaps she brought the salad to a family gathering and jotted the recipe down for me to take home? I don’t know.

At any rate, it’s a delicious salad.

I used a type of rice called “forbidden rice”. It’s an heirloom variety I found at a little shop in the city. It’s very black and surprisingly keeps that color even after cooked. I think it’s beautiful. It tastes like wild rice so you could use that instead. Or really, any rice. My recipe card here says long grain brown rice. Use what you’ve got!

Oh, one more note. Do not substitute any type of vinegar for the white stuff called for here. It gives the salad a special tang. Well, you could substitute, I suppose, but it wouldn’t be the same and me thinks just not quite as yummalicious.

Festive Rice Salad

Adapted from Taste of Home

3/4 cup uncooked rice

10 oz (about 2 cups) frozen peas, thawed

1 small red pepper, diced (I used frozen)

3 T minced onion

1/2 cup craisins

1/3 cup peanut oil

1/3 cup white vinegar

2 T maple syrup

1/2 t dried dill weed

1/4 t salt

1/4 t ground mustard

1/8 t black pepper

Cook the rice. Cool. Mix it with the peas, peppers, onion, and craisins.

In a small bowl, whisk  the oil, vinegar, maple syrup, dill, salt, mustard, and pepper. Drizzle over the salad and toss to coat. Serve at room temperature or refrigerated.

Yield: 5 – 6 cups

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Mayonnaise

When I first whipped up this mayonnaise, I was sure I wouldn’t like it. I’m not a big fan of mayonnaise to begin with (I usually only use it as a salad dressing, not on my sandwiches) so when I smelled my fresh mayo, I thought it sort of stank (stunk?). But I stuck it in the fridge and when I pulled it out later that day to make some coleslaw, I realized it actually smelled quite good! It made a delicious coleslaw dressing.

I have yet to try it on a sandwich but Brad did. He said, “It’s different but good.” That usually means, “I don’t love it but I’ll eat it.” I guess that’s not too bad coming from a guy who doesn’t particularly like changing his food habits! And even if I end up keeping a small jar of the bought stuff for Brad’s sandwiches, I am going to try to have this homemade version around for salads and such, especially during the summer when we eat cucumber salad all of the time.

Mayonnaise

This recipe is a conglomeration of a whole slew that I’ve read in the last few weeks. Really, though, how different can basic mayo recipes be?

1 whole fresh egg, room temperature

1/2 t salt

1 t dry mustard

black pepper, to taste

1 cup plus 2 T neutral flavored oil (I used peanut), room temperature

2 T white wine vinegar or lemon juice

In a food processor, place the egg, salt, mustard, and pepper. Whirl to mix and then with the machine still running, VERY slowly (I mean, super slow, hair-thickness thread) pour in the oil. Stop a time or two and scrape down the bowl of the processor to make sure all of the ingredients are being incorporated evenly. Once the oil is completely blended in, slowly add the vinegar and then you are finished.

If your mayonnaise “breaks”, beat a fresh egg yolk in a clean bowl and gradually beat in the curdled mayonnaise.

Yield: about 1 1/4 cups

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Everyday Bread 2

This is the bread I’ve been making lately. We’ve been wolfing it down so fast I have to make a batch about every week.

If you don’t have whey, just use water. I really prefer the whey, though. I think it helps the bread to stay soft longer.

Everyday Bread

4 cups whey (scalded and cooled to 115F) or warm water

1/3 cup Sucanat (or brown sugar)

1/2 cup instant potato flakes

2 1/2 T active dry yeast

1/2 cup peanut oil

1 T salt

3/8 cup gluten

6 cups whole wheat bread flour

2-3 cups hi-gluten white flour

In a large bowl, stir together the whey, sugar, potato flakes, and yeast. Let sit 5 minutes. Add the oil, salt, gluten, and whole wheat flour. Beat vigorously. Stir in enough of the white flour to make a knead-able dough. Knead at least 10 minutes or until the dough is smooth. Place back into the bowl (I don’t bother greasing it). Cover and let rise until doubled, about an hour. Scrape the dough out onto the counter and divide it into 3 (for large loaves) or 4 (for smaller loaves). Shape the loaves, place into your bread pans, cover, and let rise again until doubled. I like to slash the loaves just before baking but it’s not necessary. Bake in a preheated 350F oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until nicely browned and hollow sounding when tapped on the bottom. Remove from pans immediately and cool on a wire rack.

Yield: 3 – 4 loaves

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Veggie and Cheese Stuffed Shells

I already have a stuffed shell recipe on the blog but this one is different so I had to post it. It’s just chock full of vegetable-y and cheesy goodness and we loved it.

I used some of my homemade cottage cheese in these babies and it was so delicious. I made a double batch of the stuff the other day and got over 3 pounds of it. I’m obsessed with it, in case you couldn’t tell.

So if you are swimming in cottage cheese, or just need a delicious, meatless meal to serve, give these a shot. I think you’ll be pleased!

Veggie and Cheese Stuffed Shells

Adapted from here

20 – 24 jumbo pasta shells, cooked until 3/4 of the way done

2 T olive oil

2 carrots, peeled and grated

1/2 pound mushrooms, chopped

1 onion, diced

1/2 cup chopped Swiss chard

1 roasted red pepper, diced

2 cups cottage cheese

1 cup grated mozzarella cheese

1 egg

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

1 t Italian seasoning

2 1/2 cups spaghetti sauce

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Heat the oil in a skillet. Add the carrots, mushrooms, and onion. Saute until all veggies are soft, about 15 minutes. Add the chard and roasted red pepper.

In a bowl, stir together the cottage cheese, mozzarella, egg, 1/2 cup Parmesan, and Italian seasoning. Stir in the sauteed veggies.

In a 7 x 11- or a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish, pour half of the spaghetti sauce. Fill the shells with the filling and place them in the dish.* Pour the remaining sauce over top and sprinkle with the 1/4 cup Parmesan. Bake, covered, at 350 until bubbling and hot through, about 30 to 45 minutes. Remove the cover the last 5 minutes. Let shells sit at least 15 minutes before serving.

Serves: 6 – 8, depending on appetites and what else is served

*Note: I had a bit of leftover filling as I only had 19 shells to fill. Save the remaining filling for putting in omelets the next morning. Yum!

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Peanut Butter

I finally made peanut butter! I was chatting with my neighbor (or more like e-mailing) and she said she was mixing up a batch that night. That was the shove I needed, I guess, because peanuts went on my grocery list and I made some peanut butter as soon as I got my hands on them.

Delicious! I like it better than bought natural peanut butter, but still not as much as Jif and Skippy. Old habits die hard, I suppose!

Any suggestions for making it even tastier without adding any sweetener? I know I could throw in some honey or some other natural sugar but I’d really prefer not to. Can I double roast the peanuts? Add some other sort of ingredient to up the flavor a bit? How many of you have made your own peanut butter?

Coming later…a delicious snack recipe using some of this tasty peanut butter!

Peanut Butter

1 pounds roasted unsalted peanuts

salt, to taste (1/4 t maybe?)

Throw the peanuts and salt into the food processor. Turn on and let go until smooth and creamy. The peanuts will go through a few stages…chopped, very finely chopped, then dry and paste-like (at which time you may wish to stop the processor and scrape the bowl down), and then finally creamy, smooth, and oily. Transfer to a jar and store in the fridge to slow down oil separation. I like to get the jar out of the fridge about 30 minutes before using it to let it soften up a bit. It spreads easier on bread and works into baked goods easier. I do the same thing with commercial natural peanut butters.

Yield: about 1 3/4 cups

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