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

Read Full Post »

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

Read Full Post »

Quinoa Salad with Dried Cranberries and Pecans

My aunt Krista brought this salad to a family get together over the weekend. I tasted it and promptly fell in love. She sent the recipe to me. I made it…and could hardly stop eating it.

I don’t usually buy parsley out of season but I happened to be testing some recipes for a locally produced cookbook and needed fresh parsley. Sometimes I love an excuse to buy EXACTLY the ingredients needed for a recipe instead of substituting things I have on hand! So I have a large bunch of parsley that needs used up right now and this recipe used a few tablespoons. Perfect.

Also perfect was the jar of dried cranberries I have in the pantry right now. I haven’t bought dried cranberries in a looong time so I’m guessing these things are almost 2 years old. They aren’t spoiled but they aren’t the tastiest to eat out of hand so I’m using them in granola and baked goods. This salad was a good use for a few tablespoons.

I love when delicious food happens like that. Jada thought it was delicious, too. I had given her a taste after I mixed it up and then when she saw it on the table for supper, she hollared, “I’m gonna have a big, big pile of that stuff! I really, really like it!”

So there you have it…a family approved healthy salad and without further ado, here you go…my version of Quinoa Salad with Dried Cranberries and Pecans!

Quinoa Salad with Dried Cranberries and Pecans

Adapted from here

1 cup dry quinoa, rinsed well

1 1/2 cups water or veggie stock

1/2 t salt (if using water)

1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley

1 T finely minced onion or fresh chives

2/3 cup chopped pecans, toasted and cooled

1/3 cup dried cranberries

2 T fresh lemon juice

2 T olive oil

a few grinds of fresh black pepper

a pinch of granulated garlic

In a sauce pan, cook the quinoa, water or stock, and salt (if using). Bring the mixture to a boil and then leave it to simmer for 15 minutes (lid on). Cool quinoa to room temperature.

Meanwhile, mix the remaining ingredients. When quinoa is cool, mix that in, too. You can either serve it immediately or chill and serve later.

Yield: about 5 cups

Read Full Post »

Spice Cake

I like baking things. I especially like baking old-fashioned sorts of goodies. Is spice cake old-fashioned? I don’t know but it feels like it to me.

This cake is muy delicioso…tender, spicy, a bit rich. Usually I make desserts with substance (you know, like with fruit for the vitamins or dairy for some protein) but there are times that I just want dessert. A few weeks ago I wanted spice cake. So I made one. Yum!

Spice Cake

Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated, Jan/Feb 2008

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened (divided use)

1 T ground cinnamon

1/2 t ground allspice

1/2 t ground cloves

1/4 t freshly grated nutmeg

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

3/4 cup unbleached flour

1/2 t baking powder

1/2 t baking soda

1/2 t salt

2 large eggs

3 large egg yolks

1 t vanilla extract

1 T grated fresh ginger

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 T mild molasses

1 cup buttermilk or sour milk

Heat 4 T butter in a small skillet until melted. Cook until slightly browned. Add spices and cook, stirring, for another 15 seconds. Remove from heat and let come to room temperature.

While butter is cooling, whisk the flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In another small bowl, beat the eggs, yolks, vanilla, and ginger. Set this aside, too.

In a mixer bowl, place remaining 8 T butter, sugar, and molasses. Beat until pale and fluffy, scraping bowl as needed. Add cooled butter/spice mixture and egg mixture. Beat well.

Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the bowl. Beat until incorporated. Mix in 1/2 of the buttermilk, another third of the flour, the rest of the buttermilk, and the rest of the flour. Beat just until combined.

Pour batter into a greased 9 x 13″ pan. Run a knife through the batter to remove any air bubbles. Slide into a preheated 350 degree oven and bake for about 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature before frosting.

Cream Cheese Icing

5 T butter, softened

8 oz cream cheese, softened

2 cups confectioners’ sugar

1/2 t vanilla extract

Beat butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add sugar and vanilla and beat until fluffy. Frost the cooled cake.

Read Full Post »

Quick Cherry Cobbler

This has been my go-to cherry cobbler recipe lately. It’s super easy. And we think super delicious.

It’s actually kind of a cross between a cobbler and a crisp. There aren’t any oats in it to make it an official crisp but it’s more crunchy than it is soft like a more traditional cobbler. Whatever you want to call it, it tastes yummy.

Quick Cherry Cobbler

adapted from Mamas Minutia

1 quart frozen sour cherries, thawed (I already have a 1/2 cup sugar on my frozen cherries)

1 T lemon juice

2 T quick cooking tapioca

3/4 cup multi-grain flour

1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 small egg

5 T butter, melted

Dump the cherries into an 8-inch baking dish. Sprinkle the lemon juice and tapioca over them. Slide into the oven and turn it onto 350 degrees.

While the oven comes up to temp and the cherries get hot, mix the flours and sugar. With your fingers, mix in the egg. It will be crumbly/sandy. That’s how it’s supposed to be.

When the cherries start to bubble around the edges, sprinkle the topping over them. Last, but certainly not least, drizzle the butter over all.

Slide back into the oven bake for another 45 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven. Eat warm or room temperature with your choice of milk, ice cream, or whipped cream. We usually do the milk.

Serves: 4

Read Full Post »