Millet and Rice Salad with Sweet Chile Dressing

I made this salad to test the concept of Thai sweet chile sauce, which you can find in larger supermarkets alongside the other Asian condiments, in a vinaigrette over a grain salad. Why grain salad? Because I have plenty of whole grains in my pantry that aren’t doing anybody any good just sitting there. Why Thai sweet chile sauce? Because I love it.

For a condiment with the word “chile” in its title, Thai sweet chile sauce isn’t really all that spicy. I had hoped it would pack a bigger punch in this salad, but I really liked this salad anyway. If you’d like something spicier, you could always add some kind of hot sauce to the dressing. The short grain brown rice and millet that I used here can take in a lot of flavor, so I kept adding chile sauce and rice vinegar until I thought the flavor was right. The result is hearty, as rice and grain salads tend to be, but lightly sweet, tangy and refreshing.

I really like the combination of scallions, red bell pepper and peanuts as additions to the rice and millet, but different seasons could certainly call for different vegetables. I’d especially like to add diced cucumbers, peas or snap peas, or even diced radishes or some little snips of toasted nori. The peanuts could also be replaced with sunflower or sesame seeds if you avoid peanuts, and, while I really like the flavor of the roasted peanut oil in the dressing, you could replace that with canola oil or some other neutral-tasting oil.

I start the recipe instructions with uncooked millet and rice, but if you already have some cooked grains on hand, you could, of course use those instead. I chose these grains because they needed to be used up, and I like the combination. The short grain brown rice has a pleasantly floral fragrance and the chewy millet fills in the spaces between the rice grains. The flavor of neither grain is very strong, so they’re great as a foundation for this flavorful salad.

Millet and Rice Salad with Sweet Chile Dressing

The cooked rice amounts to a generous 3 cups and the millet about 2 cups. You can start with these measurements if you happen to have cooked grains on hand.

You could certainly use a different kind of rice or a different grain than millet to make this salad. Just adjust cooking water and times as needed.

1 cup short grain brown rice

½ cup millet

3 cups water, divided

½ cup diced red bell pepper

½ cup finely chopped scallions

3 tablespoons roasted peanut oil

1 tablespoon dark sesame oil

¼ cup rice vinegar

3 tablespoons Thai sweet chile sauce

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup chopped peanuts (I used lightly-salted cocktail peanuts)

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the rice and 2 cups water. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and boil gently until the rice is tender and the water is absorbed. Meanwhile, combine the millet and remaining 1 cup water in a small saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and boil gently until the millet is tender and the water is absorbed. Transfer both of the cooked grains to a bowl to cool. Stir gently occasionally to keep from getting too sticky.

2. When the rice and millet have cooled to room temperature, stir together along with the red bell pepper and scallions.

3. In a small bowl, combine the peanut oil, sesame oil, rice vinegar, chile sauce and salt. Whisk until well combined and slightly thickened. Pour over the rice mixture and stir to coat. Stir in the chopped peanuts.

Makes about 6 servings. Leftovers will last a few days in the refrigerator, but the peanuts will likely soften upon storing.

Other recipes like this one: Black Rice Salad with Snap Peas and Avocado, Chicken and Rice Salad with Spicy Peanut Dressing, Sweet Asian Salad Dressing

Winter Squash and Rice Casserole

I can’t remember clipping this recipe from a magazine. (Maybe because it was published in September 2002!) I can’t remember how it sifted itself to the top of my recipe to-do list. I can’t even remember how I decided that I had to make this NOW, rather than some other time this fall, except that I had a squash laying around and all the rest of the ingredients seemed to be on hand.

Remembering all that stuff might be overrated, however, as long as I remember to make this Winter Squash and Rice Casserole whenever squash is in season. Since it is made with hot broth and Arborio rice, it’s kind of like an oven risotto, but less soupy and creamy. And less demanding of your undivided attention. The squash is roasted first, some aromatics are sautéed, the rice gets a quick blast in the sauté pan, and then everything is tossed into a baking dish and the oven does the rest of the work. Oh yeah, it all gets topped with Parmesan cheese near the end. What could be bad about that?

 

I loved the flavors of the sweet squash, sage, garlic and onion in this fairly simple casserole. I used a butternut squash, since butternuts seem to be the easiest to peel and chop. If you happen to have a tougher squash to handle, you could pierce the skin several times with a knife, roast it whole at 350 F for 20-30 minutes, cool it until you can handle it easily, and then peel it and cut it into cubes. These cubes of squash might be tender enough to add right to the recipe as described, or you might need to cook them a little more. However you cook the squash, that part of the recipe could even be done a day or two ahead of time.

I also think this might work with another variety of rice. I’d like to try it with brown rice to bump up its Whole Food Quotient and add some nutty, whole grain flavor. Perhaps if that works, other grains, such as barley or quinoa, might work as well. Cooking times are likely to vary with these other grains, of course. I’m getting away from the risotto idea with these thoughts, but the casserole that comes out of the oven isn’t much like risotto in texture anyway.

 

This Winter Squash and Rice Casserole is really, really delicious, though, and quite simple to put together. I’m glad this recipe reached out and grabbed my attention from amidst the ancient recipe stacks and archives in my ridiculous collection. Even if I don’t remember how it got there.
 

Note: Sorry about the bad pics, folks. It’s that time of year when there’s no sunshine at suppertime, and food photos by a rank amateur like me suffer greatly.

 

 

Winter Squash and Rice Casserole

Adapted from Cooking Light magazine

I find butternut squash to be easiest to use here, but any good squash that you don’t mind taking the time to peel and cut into small cubes will work.

1 pound peeled winter squash cut into 1-inch cubes

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
¾ teaspoon coarse salt, divided
3 cups vegetable broth
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
1 cup finely chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup uncooked Arborio rice, or other short-grain rice
¼ cup dry white wine
¼ teaspoon black pepper, preferably freshly ground
½ cup freshly grated or shredded Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. In a large bowl, toss the squash cubes with 1 tablespoon olive oil and ¼ teaspoon salt. Place in a single layer on a lined or greased baking sheet or in a roasting pan. Bake at 350 F for about 30 minutes or until the squash is tender, but still holding its shape.

2. Remove the squash from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 400 F. Prepare a 13 x 9-inch baking dish by coating it with cooking spray or by greasing it with your preferred method. Set aside.

3. In a medium-size saucepan, combine the vegetable broth and sage. Bring just to a simmer. Do not boil. Keep warm.

4. In a large skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and ¼ teaspoon salt and sauté, stirring frequently, until tender, about 5-6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook about 30 seconds more. Add the rice and cook 1 minute, stirring often.

5. Add the wine and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the cooked squash, hot broth, remaining ¼ teaspoon salt and black pepper. Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

6. Transfer the rice mixture to the prepared baking dish. Bake at 400 F for 30 minutes. Stir the mixture gently. Top with the Parmesan cheese. Bake 5 minutes more or until the cheese is melted.

 

Makes about 6 1-cup servings.

 

Another recipe like this one: Winter Squash Risotto

One year ago: Cheddar Jalapeno Scones

Black Rice Salad

This post is the documentation of another adventure in a new-to-me grain: Chinese black rice, also known as “forbidden rice.” I cooked up a pot of it and combined it with fresh sugar snap peas and avocado in a salad based on a recipe in Fine Cooking magazine. I was so happy with this dish that I’ve come to the conclusion that black rice might have to share the title with faro as my new best grain friend.

Chinese black rice is a medium-grain rice. The bran layer is intact and is responsible for its shiny black appearance. This rice is quite nutritious, largely because that bran layer has been left where it grew. It’s not only high in fiber but is also loaded with antioxidents, vitamins, minerals and iron. More important, though, is its deliciousness.

 

When cooked, black rice is chewy in texture and a little nutty in flavor. It doesn’t have a very strong flavor. It is, after all, rice, but it’s unique enough to put an interesting spin on your usual rice dishes. Let’s not underestimate, however, the effect of its striking appearance. Even after being cooked, the grains maintain a deep, deep purple hue that really is almost black. The bright greens of the snap peas, avocados and scallions made a pretty contrast in this salad.

 

I made a lime juice and roasted peanut oil dressing for my salad, which was quite a nice accompaniment with the rest of the ingredients. The peanut oil really gives the whole salad a peanutty flavor, so be prepared for that if you use it. If you wish to avoid peanut oil, olive oil or even a neutral oil like canola would make a nice salad dressing, too. I loved the roasted peanut flavor, so I added a handful of roasted salted peanuts to the salad as well.

You could use this salad as a starting point and add whatever vegetables are in season. I will say, however, that I particularly liked the contrast of the smooth, buttery avocado chunks with the chewy black rice. Leave them in if you can and you’ll be rewarded with something interesting.

 

For my first experience with Chinese black rice, I think this dish went really rather well. The recipe below makes a lot, and can probably be halved if desired. I’ve been taking leftovers to work in my lunchbox and they have held up very well. (The dressing appears to be acidic enough to keep the avocado from darkening too much to be unappetizing.) That convenience alone has made it worth it for me to make this big batch. It’s so delicious that I’m not getting tired of it, either…Plus, black rice is quite a conversation-starter among co-workers.

It’s new to me now, but I think Chinese black rice is going to be making many appearances on my dinner table…and in my lunchbox. Forbidden, schmorbidden!

 

Black Rice Salad with Snap Peas and Avocado

Adapted from Fine Cooking April/May 2013

If you can’t find Chinese black rice, aka forbidden rice (you might find it in the bulk and specialty foods sections of supermarkets or at natural food stores) you could use Thai black rice or any brown rice.

1 ½ cups Chinese black rice

2 ¾ cups water
4 ounces sugar snap peas, strings removed, coarsely chopped
½ cup chopped scallions
2 avocados, peeled and chopped
3 tablespoons lime juice
3 tablespoons roasted peanut oil
½ teaspoon Aleppo pepper (optional)
½ teaspoon coarse (kosher) salt
½ cup chopped roasted salted peanuts

1. Place the rice in a bowl and cover with plenty of water. Swish the rice around the bowl to rinse it. Drain and rinse again.

2. Place the rinsed rice in a medium-size saucepan. Add the 2 ¾ cups water and bring to a boil. Cover and boil gently about 30 minutes or until the rice grains are tender, but still separate. The water may not all be absorbed. Remove from the heat and partially cover. Cool to room temperature. The rice can be cooked a day or two ahead of time. If you do this, cover and chill until needed.

3. Place the cooked and cooled rice in a large bowl. Add the snap peas, scallions and avocado. Toss together to mix well.

4. I a small bowl, combine the lime juice, peanut oil, Aleppo pepper and salt. Whisk together until smooth and emulsified. Pour the dressing over the rice mixture and stir to coat. Sprinkle the salad with the peanuts.

 

Makes 6-8 servings. Cover and refrigerate leftovers for a few days.

 

Other recipes like this one: Brown Rice Salad with Walnuts, Pears and Blue Cheese, Brown and Wild Rice Salad with Asparagus and Peas, Chicken and Rice Salad with Spicy Peanut Dressing

One Year ago: Pasta with Sausage, Kale and Fresh Herbs

Winter Squash Risotto: As Far as I Know

As far as I know, I know how to make risotto. The only risotto I’ve ever eaten, with the exception of a taste of a chain restaurant offering from my grandmother’s plate, I have made myself. Since what I’ve been making seems to match well with what I’ve read that risotto is supposed to be like, and, more importantly, tastes very good, I’ll have to assume I know what I’m doing. I could be wrong.

I’ve tried several recipes for risotto with various ingredients added for flavor, but the method is pretty standard. Short grain rice, typically Arborio (although I’ve also read about Carnaroli rice) is slowly plumped in successive additions of broth while the cook stirs more or less continuously. That sounds demanding and daunting, or at least not something for the really busy or the really lazy to attempt. Actually, you don’t need to be that much of a perfectionist to tackle risotto. It does take some of your time and attention, say, significantly more than microwaving a Hot Pocket, but nothing is tricky and the labor isn’t grueling.

You can put just about anything you like in your risotto pot, and my recipe files contain risotto for all seasons. Recently, I made a winter squash risotto, since I’ve got an abundance of that vegetable again this year, flavored with a little onion, garlic and fresh sage. Based on what I could find in my sketchy notes on what I tried last year, there seem to be two schools of thought when it comes to squash risotto. One involves roasting cubed squash or simmering it in broth before starting on the rice, then stirring the cooked squash pieces into the risotto later.

The other method involves stirring squash puree into the nearly-finished risotto, and this is what I did in the recipe below. Peeling and chopping winter squash loses its novelty for me pretty early in the season so I tend to roast and puree most of my CSA squash. Several zip-top bags full of the stuff have already accumulated in the freezer (I’m afraid to look, but there might even be some of last year’s crop buried in there, too), and using it was just easier. I can’t find any evidence in my notes of where I might have got the idea to make squash risotto this way. Convenient and at hand as the squash puree may be, however, I find it hard to believe that I came up with this method entirely on my own.

The flavors of this dish are soft and subtle. The risotto is very creamy, but the creaminess comes only from the squash puree and the starch that the rice gives up as it is stirred with the broth. Oh yeah, and the little bit of Parmesan cheese that I stirred in at the end. The squash flavor isn’t overwhelming or cloying and the tanginess of the cheese and earthiness of the fresh sage balance it well. I serve this as a main dish, with a salad or fruit, but you could serve it as a side along with turkey, chicken, pork, or pretty much whatever you like. Overall, I find this risotto hot, creamy, nourishing and comforting for a cold time of the year. As far as I know, that’s exactly how it’s supposed to be.

Winter Squash RisottoI used a homemade vegetable broth with very little salt added. It's a good idea to taste the risotto, especially near the end of cooking, and decide if it needs more salt.

5 cups vegetable broth
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ cup finely chopped onion
½ teaspoon kosher (coarse) salt
1 medium garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons minced fresh sage
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 ½ cups Arborio rice
½ cup dry white wine
¾ cup roasted winter squash puree or canned squash or pumpkin
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. Pour the vegetable stock into a medium saucepan. Warm just until beginning to simmer. Keep hot, but do not boil.

2. In another medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and salt and sauté 5 minutes, or until softened. Add the garlic, sage and pepper and cook 1 minute more. Add the Arborio rice and stir to coat well with the oil mixture.

3. Stir in the wine. Cook, stirring for about 1 minute. Add about ½ cup of the heated broth and cook, stirring constantly until the broth is nearly all absorbed. Repeat, adding about ½ cup of broth at a time and stirring more or less constantly, for about 20-30 minutes.

4. After about 20 minutes and/or only about 1 cup of warm broth remains, taste the rice to determine if it is near done. The rice should be tender, but not yet mushy. There should be a very little bit of firmness left in the center of the rice grains. If the rice is not yet done, continue adding broth and stirring as described above.

5. When the rice is creamy and tender, stir in the squash puree. Cook and stir until heated through. Stir in the Parmesan cheese. Taste the risotto for salt and add more if desired. Serve right away for best texture. (Discard any remaining broth or reserve for another use.)

Makes 4-5 main dish servings or about 8 side dish servings. Cover and refrigerate leftovers. They can be reheated, and are still quite good, but will not be as creamy as when just made.

Other recipes like this one: Pasta with Squash Puree and Blue Cheese Sauce, Savory Squash Bread Pudding with Bacon and Onions

One year ago: Winter Vegetable Galettes with Cheddar, Mustard and Caramelized Onions

Rice Salad

Why don’t we make more rice salads? Okay, maybe you make them every day, so I’m really asking, “Why don’t I make more rice salads?” You can make just about any pasta or grain salad into a rice salad. You just play swap the starch and you’re there.

Recently, while I was filing some papers, I came across a rice salad recipe with a spicy peanut dressing. I think I had set it aside with the intention of making it to use up some bok choy, which has been really nice from the CSA this year. I only had to change dinner plans a little bit to make this right away, and I’m quite happy that I made that delicious detour. I only used one large stalk from the huge bok choy head, however, so I’m going to have to find something else to do with the rest of it.

The dressing for this salad is similar to other peanut dressings and sauces I’ve tried, but that just makes it more popular around here. I was originally skeptical about the texture of a thick peanut butter dressing on brown rice, thinking it would just be sticky and mushy, but the chicken-and-vegetable to rice ratio is high enough to keep things from getting too stodgy. The dressing is also a bit simpler than others I’ve made. It consists of just peanut butter and liquid ingredients, so there’s no mincing garlic or grating ginger to hold you back. I warmed the peanut butter in the microwave briefly to make it easier to mix with the other ingredients.

This salad is particularly easy if you happen to have leftover rice and chicken on hand. I used grilled chicken breast, but you could use any cooked chicken. The original recipe called for grilled tofu, so you could use that, or even shredded cooked pork. To save time, you could also use packaged grated carrots or a coleslaw mix in place of the bok choy and carrots. Really, as long as you keep a good balance of rice, protein, vegetables and dressing, you could put anything you like in a salad like this. Gee, if that’s the case, why don’t we make more rice salads?

Chicken and Rice Salad with Spicy Peanut Dressing
Based on a recipe in Cooking Light magazine

1 ½ cups cooked brown rice
4 ounces (about 1 cup) shredded or chopped cooked chicken
1 cup shredded carrot
1 cup thinly sliced bok choy stems and leaves
½ cup finely chopped green onions
¼ cup chopped cilantro
¼ cup creamy peanut butter
1 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce (I used reduced sodium)
1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce
1/3 cup chopped peanuts

1. Combine the rice, chicken, carrot, bok choy, green onions and cilantro in a large bowl.

2. Place the peanut butter in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH for 20 seconds. (This will make the peanut butter easier to stir.)

3. Add the rice vinegar, soy sauce and chili garlic sauce to the peanut butter. Whisk until very smooth and shiny. Add the dressing to the rice mixture and stir to coat completely. Top with chopped peanuts.

Other recipes like this one: Peanutty Noodles, Cabbage Slaw with Spicy Peanut Dressing