Red Rice Mango Salad with Chicken & Peanuts

Guys, I have a new obsession with grain salads. I can't get enough of them lately. I know, green salads are literally one of the healthiest choices you can make when it comes to food, and I do try to eat them, I really do, but there are just some days when the prospect of lettuce for lunch just sounds like a complete and utter snore fest. There. I said it. Sometimes lettuce is just plain boring. Does anyone else feel me on this?

But when you swap out lettuce for a unique ancient grain like this nutty, earthy Bhutanese red rice as the base for your salad, now that's a game changer, isn't it? There's nothing boring about an exotic heirloom grain- black rice is my jam right now too- and don't worry, there's still plenty of room for fruits, veggies and lean protein in this stunning summer salad.

With its Indonesian inspired flavors (mango, peanut, fish sauce) and fresh, spa-like ingredients (cucumber, avocado, scallion) this is the sort of dish I like to picture being served to me as I lounge beachside at a Balinese resort. Go ahead, I'll give you a moment to picture yourself in that idyllic little scene, too...

Seriously, though, imaginary Bali vacations aside, it is just as perfect scarfed down with chopsticks in your living room at 5 pm, like a little mini getaway in itself.

serves 4
Ingredients
1 cup red rice
2 tbsp. grapeseed or vegetable oil
2 tbsp. lime juice
1 tbsp. fish sauce
2 tsp. agave nectar or honey
1 tbsp. coconut oil
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
salt and pepper, to taste
1 medium ripe mango, peeled, pitted and diced
1/2 cucumber, thinly sliced
1 avocado, diced
2-3 scallions, thinly sliced
1/4 peanuts, roughly chopped

Instructions
1. Bring rice and 2 cups of water to a boil in a medium sized saucepan. Season lightly with salt. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer until all liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, about 20-25 minutes. Remove pan from heat and let stand, covered, until cooled to room temperature.
2. Meanwhile, make the dressing and cook the chicken. Combine grapeseed oil, lime juice, fish sauce and agave, whisking to combine. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
3. Melt coconut oil in a skillet over moderately high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper on both sides and cook for about 5-6 minutes per side, flipping once. Remove from heat, let stand for 5-10 minutes and cut into 1-inch cubes.
4. Combine rice, chicken, dressing, mango, cucumber, avocado, scallions and peanuts in a large salad bowl. Toss gently and season to taste. Chill for at least one hour before serving.

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Quinoa Sliders with Green Goddess Aioli

Correct me if I'm wrong, but we are in the midst of springtime, are we not? I only ask this because generally, during this time of year in this neck of the woods we are fortunate enough to revel in mild and pleasant climate. Yet here I sit, schvitzing like potato salad at a picnic in this sweltering 90 degree heat that decided to show up to the party about 2 months early. It's a bit discombobulating, really...I mean, peaches at the market? Already? Did I nap straight through May and June and suddenly wake up in July?

Not that I mind waking up to gorgeous, clear, sunny skies terribly, but it's not the most comfortable thing in the world when you spend every day slaving over a hot stove for a living. But alas, what can one do?

Stick one's head in the freezer every 15 minutes, that's what.

I'll tell you one thing: this sizzling, stifling, blistering weather has got summer flavors on my radar more than ever. We've already started the grilling fest at home, and the other day I got all giddy over a lovely salmon with white peach and basil chutney that I made for some clients.

But what I'm really excited about are these crispy, golden quinoa sliders, paired with a delightfully herbaceous green goddess aioli (not totally from scratch though because it is entirely too hot for all that). Vegetarian friendly, but meat lover approved, they're the perfect crowd pleaser to kick off the first big BBQ of the season- Memorial Day appetizer anyone?

makes about 6 sliders
Ingredients
for the sliders:
1/2  cup coarsely grated zucchini
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup quinoa, cooked and cooled
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp. breadcrumbs, preferably homemade
2 tbsp. freshly grated parmesan
1 clove garlic, grated
1 tsp. fresh dill, chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 tbsp. olive oil
6 mini slider buns
Cucumber, thinly sliced
Roma tomato, thinly sliced
Butter lettuce leaves, rinsed and torn

for the green goddess aioli:
3 tbsp. assorted fresh herbs, such as parsley, basil, dill and chives, finely chopped
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 clove garlic, grated
1/4 cup mayonnaise (I used Vegenaise)
1 tsp. anchovy paste (optional)
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Instructions
1. Squeeze the liquid from the grated zucchini by wringing it out in a paper towel or cheesecloth. Combine zucchini and beaten egg in a meduim sized bowl. Add quinoa, breadcrumbs, parmesan, garlic, dill, salt and pepper and stir until just combined. Chill for at least 15 minutes.
2. While mixture is chilling, make the aioli: combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth.
3. Using a 1/4 measuring cup as a mold, form round patties by pressing firmly in between the palms of your hands. Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and when oil is hot, add the patties and cook until crisp and golden, about 3 minutes. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil, flip the patties and repeat.
4. To assemble the sliders, split and toast the brioche buns, if desired. Layer one slider patty per bun with cucumber, tomato, lettuce and a dollop of green goddess aioli.

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Pea Soup with Morel Mushroom Cream

 

I do love me a good pea soup, especially in the Springtime when you can buy peas by the bushel at the farmers market and shell them yourself. By the way, what is a bushel? Can someone tell me? I imagine it as an armful but I could be way off...is it like the size of a bush?

Anyway, some people might shy away from the laborious task of shelling peas, but I quite like it. It's one of those tedious, repetitive chores, like folding laundry or drying dishes, that allow your hands to take over and your mind to space out and wander freely to far off places.

When it comes to life I like to pile a lot of things on my plate, so I tend to get stressed out easily because  my habit is to try to cram too many things into one day. I really need to work on that, but what can I say? I'm a busy bee. I thrive when things are buzzing.

One of the ways I cope with the stress is with yoga and more recently, meditation. A mere 10 minutes first thing in the morning of just sitting there and breathing and clearing my mind can do wonders for the rest of my day. You'd think that I would have learned by now to incorporate this into my daily routine. But the problem is that when there is so much going on (which is when I really need it the most), I either completely forget or worse, I think, I don't have time to meditate today, I'm way too busy!

Since this happens more often than I'd like to admit, I've learned to recognize and appreciate those brief opportunities throughout the day when you can switch off for a minute, breathe, and slow down. Little mini meditation moments. Like when you have to shell a bushel full of peas for a batch of silky pea soup with a ribbon of earthy morel mushroom cream swirled throughout. And then you'll have to slow down again to savor it, of course.

adapted from Food and Wine
serves 4
Ingredients
1/2 oz. dried morel mushrooms
1/2 cup hot water
1 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 medium shallots, thinly sliced
1 large potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 tbsp. white wine
3 1/2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup heavy cream
Salt
2 tbsp. olive oil
5 cups peas, fresh or frozen and thawed
1 1/2 tbsp. chopped mint

Instructions 
1. In a small bowl, cover the dried morels with the hot water to soften them. Let sit for about 15 minutes. Remove the morels and rinse well, reserve the soaking liquid. Set aside some morels for garnish (1-2 per serving) and chop the rest.
2. Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add the chopped morels and half of the shallots and cook over medium heat until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the white wine and cook until evaporated, about 2 more minutes.
3. Add 1/2 cup of the chicken stock and the reserved morel soaking liquid, but do not include any grit that has settled at the bottom. Boil until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add the cream and simmer on low until thickened, about 5 minutes. Season the morel cream with salt and remove from the heat.
4. Transfer the mixture to a food processor and puree until smooth.
5. In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil. Add the remaining shallots and cook over moderate heat until they are softened, about 3 minutes. Add the remaining 3 cups of chicken stock and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the potatoes and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add the peas and chopped mint and simmer until the peas are just tender, which should only take a few minutes. Remove from heat and puree the soup with an immersion blender until smooth. Pass through a mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing on the solids with the back of a wooden spoon or a plastic spatula.
6. Return the soup to the pot, reheat gently and season with salt and. Cook over moderately high heat until hot, about 1 minute.
7. Ladle the pea soup into bowls and swirl in the morel cream. Garnish with the whole morels.

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