Pamela Toman

Tag: wild rice

Wild Rice Dressing

A good amount of work, but very festive.

Ingredients Step
⅓ c. brown basmati Cook the basmati (perhaps soaked, then boiled with ⅔ c. water, then lid added to steam over simmer for 30 minutes until the water is gone, then let stand).
½ c. wild rice Cook the wild rice (perhaps boiled 45-60 minutes with 1½ c. water).
½ c. sushi rice Cook the sushi rice (perhaps rinsed well, then boiling ½ c. water without rice, then adding rice and stirring for 2-3 minutes, then simmering with lid for 10-15 minutes, then let stand).
1½ medium onion, diced Saute.
1 c. carrot, diced
4-5 stalks celery, diced		 Add and continue to saute until the vegetables are fully relaxed.
¾ t. thyme, dried
½ t. red pepper flakes		 Stir in and saute a bit longer. Then remove vegetables from skillet.
8 oz. tempeh Crumble into the now-empty skillet. Cook over high heat until golden brown. Maybe start with a splash of water to get some steaming too.

When cooked, stir the vegetables back in and heat through.
balsamic vinegar
soy sauce/tamari		 Pour atop. Let sizzle. Stir together. Taste and repeat as necessary.
½ c. sunflower seeds, toasted
½ c. parsley		 Sprinkle atop and/or stir together.

Source: unknown

Wild Rice Dressing was published on 17 November 2023.

Recipe uses: basmati, wild-rice, sushi-rice, tempeh, sunflower-seeds, parsley

Broccoli Spoon Salad

A lovely salad that works as a side dish for omnivores and an entree for vegetarians. The raw broccoli tenderizes in the vinegar and doesn't eat like raw broccoli.

Consider cutting the honey if it's broccoli season. Leave it at the whole amount if it's late spring/summer and the broccoli isn't at its prime. (More often than not, I've thought the full amount of honey was too sweet overall when attached to sweetened cranberries.)

Do not sub cranberries with pomegranate seeds. The texture doesn't work.

Consider wild rice instead of quinoa. (I haven't tried this yet but it should be delicious and still protein-packed.)

Ingredients Step
1 c. raw quinoa Wash. Boil in well-salted water until plump and tender, about 15 minutes. Drain in sieve, rinse with cool water, and drain well. (Don't treat it like rice with the cloth and lid; it will retain too much heat in the salad.)
zest and juice of 1 lemon
3 T. olive oil
3 T. Dijon mustard
2 T. honey
2 T. apple cider vinegar		 Whisk together in a very large bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
2 heads of broccoli (~1½ pounds) Finely chop the broccoli and add to dressing. Let it macerate as you prep the rest.
1 tart green apple
4 oz. sharp cheddar		 Finely chop the apple and cheese. Add to broccoli. Toss to combine.
cooked quinoa
¾ c. pecans
½ c. dried cranberries		 Add. Toss to combine. Taste. Add more lemon juice, salt, and pepper to taste.

Source: Sohla El-Waylly (NYT)

On Quinoa

I usually buy quinoa from the bulk section at Sprouts, in whatever color(s) I'm feeling.

I wash it first until the water runs clear (well, clear enough), similar to basmati. Some people run water over it in a fine sieve for a few minutes, but my sieve loses a lot of grains. I tend to swirl and rub it in the saucepan before putting heat under it, with 3-4 changes of water. (Yet other people argue you don’t need to wash it at all, but that's dangerous — depending on your quinoa producer and your taste buds, you might end up with a bitter/soapy/ugly flavor rather than a vaguely earthy grain.)

This recipe boils the quinoa like pasta. That makes it easy to taste-test and see when it is done to your preference. The final texture you want is similar to fine couscous. Maybe up to half of the grains will have unfurled little tails as they cook, and all the grains will plump up and no longer be at all crunchy.

Broccoli Spoon Salad was published on 17 September 2023.

Recipe uses: quinoa, cheddar, broccoli, wild rice, apple