Curried Rice Salad

Main-course salad with plenty of flavor and fiber. Make sure to let it sit for at least an hour before serving; also excellent the day after. Recipe adapted from the one in Simple Vegetarian Pleasures by Jeanne Lemlin (LOVE this book!) — starred items are my additions. Make the rice a day ahead and undercook slightly.

Curried Rice Salad with Apples and “Smoky” Tofu

For the Tofu (optional)*:

• 1/2 package tofu, squeezed, drained, and cubed evenly into cubes 1/2″ to 1″
• 1/3 c olive oil
• 1 Tsbp toasted sesame oil
• 1/2 tsp liquid smoke / hickory smoke flavor
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce

For the Salad:

• 2 1/2 – 3c cold cooked long-grain brown rice (made from 1 cup rice boiled in 2 cups water; OR use 1 2-cup package pre-cooked microwave-pouch brown rice
• 1 red-skinned apple (fuji, pink lady, jazz; or gala, red delicious), cut into 1/2″ dice
• 1/3 c chopped dry roasted peanuts
• 1 c thawed frozen peas
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced (or 1 shallot or 1/4 small yellow onion), minced superfine
• 1/2 jar (about 3 oz) roasted red peppers, chopped finely*
• 1 sm. or med. Roma tomato, chopped small*
• 10 snow peas cut into thin strips the short way using kitchen scissors
• 1/2 to 1 full cup crumbled feta cheese*

The Dressing

• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons fresh ginger root (peeled & minced)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Generous season freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 cup olive oil

(For stronger dressing, use instead: 4 Tbsp lemon, 2 1/2 – 3 tsp ginger root, 3 garlic cloves, 3 tsp curry powder, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 to 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, 1/3c olive oil.

1. For tofu, if using: combine liquid ingredients for tofu in a small bowl and whisk vigorously. Add in tofu cubes, swish around, and let sit 5-30 minutes. Meanwhile, chop other ingredients and heat very-nonstick skillet over medium. Add tofu and remaining liquid ingredients for tofu and brown on each side (turn every few minutes). Set aside.
2. Combine the rice, raisins, apple, peanuts, peas, scallions and snow peas in a large bowl and toss well.
3. Combine all the dressing ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake vigorously. Pour the dressing on the salad and toss to coat well. Add tofu.
4. Chill at least 1 hour or up to 8 hours; bring to room temperature before serving.

Lemon-Lime Basil Shortbread Cookies

Great shortbread cookies with a gentle zing. The original recipe called for 375°F and a full 1/2 cup of chilled butter, so you could probably do it that way if you want them more flaky and buttery. Measurements below are for a double batch because this recipe makes only about 10 cookies otherwise. They don’t expand much, so they fit on a good-sized baking sheet.

Makes: about 20
Prep + bake time: 25-30 min

Lemonier Lemon-Lime Basil Shortbread Cookies

• 2 c all-purpose flour
• 1 c powdered sugar plus more for pressing cookies
• 14-15 Tbsp butter, at room temperature
• 2 full Tbsp fresh basil leaves, chopped up finely with a scissors and then measured
• 4 scant tsp finely grated lemon zest
• 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp finely grated lime zest
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 c Sanding sugar (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place flour, powdered sugar, butter, basil, both zests, lemon juice, and salt in a food processor. Pulse until uniformly mixed, scraping frequently. Let sit at room temperature for a few minutes.

Measure level tablespoonfuls of dough; roll between your palms to form balls. Place on a large baking sheet, spacing 2″ apart. Using fingers or a flat measuring cup dusted with powdered sugar, press cookies into 2″ rounds, re-dusting fingers with powdered sugar as needed to prevent sticking. flatten edges in to prevent them crumbling and burning. Sprinkle tops of cookies with sanding sugar, if using.

Bake until edges are barely blushed with a little color, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool.

Jono’s Wild-Cod Fish Tacos Feast

My housemate Jono makes excellent food. Here’s the approximate outline of a dinner he put together at our place as a thank-you for a friend. Tangy lemon and garlic flavors predominate, offset by the the mild buttery flavor of the fish & its beurre blanc; the sweet, mildly rich flavors of the salad; and the denser texture of the Mexcian black beans. This has “a lot going on” and takes a bit of prep time, but each step is easy and the result is fantastic.

Feeds 5 or 6. No “do-or-die measurements here because Jono does stuff by instinct, so just go with the flow. Start an hour and a half ahead of time if you don’t have help, & if you’re doing a shopping list here, don’t forget to get the stuff hidden under the links to the Mexican Beans recipe and the salad recipe.

Important: Do the beets (see salad) and the beans 1 day ahead.

A. The Tacos:

→ Item 1: Fish – Wild Cod in Lemon-Pepper “Beurre Blanc”

Sharp & mellow flavors in the marinade make a beurre-blanc-esque sauce for the cod.

• 2 1-lb packages frozen wild Alaskan cod, thawed
• up to 1 tsp reshly ground black pepper
• up to 1 tsp Hungarian smoked paprika (we used Szeged, which has a mildly bitter flavor, but McCormick is fine)
• 5-8 cloves garlic, smashed and minced (or just sliced ultra-thin)
• ~1/8 to 1/4 c lemon juice
• 1 stick butter

Lay the fish out flat (not stacked) in a glass baking dish and rub with pepper and paprika, then cover with the garlic. Sprinkle liberally with lemon juice until soaked. Set aside to soak in the flavors while you do the kale, then the salad (below). Chop the cilantro & onion (below).

Heat olive oil or peanut oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat, then lay marinaded fish in it to sautee. Turn over twice, cooking evenly. Remove from pan, put fish in a shallow bowl, and pour marinade into butter gradually, whisking, and allowing sauce to reduce by half. Pour into a small cup or bowl for drizzling.

Assemble: On a corn tortilla, add kale and fish, top with cilantro & onion, and drizzle a bit of the sauce over it all.

→ Item 2: Kale

• 5 c purple kale

Douse liberally with up to 1/3 c lemon juice (just until visibly soaked), then sprinkle liberally with sea salt. Rub between your fingers — kale is normally bitter and thick, but this process helps break down the fibers, softening the texture and flavor both.

→ Item 3: Cilantro & Onion

• 1 yellow onion, chopped finely
• ~1/4 c to 1/2 c fresh cilantro, chopped

Mix, to your preference

→ Item 4: Corn Tortillas

• 2 packages organic corn tortillas

B. The Mexican Beans:

Jono makes his own brand of Mexican black beans that involve a bay leaf, fresh ginger, onion and garlic, but this simple version is fine.

C. The Salad:

• Spinach Salad with Fennel, Beets, Toasted Walnuts, and Balsamic-Lemon-Pomegranate Dressing

 

Spinach Salad with Fennel, Beets, and Balsamic-Lemon-Pomegranate Dressing

My roommate Jono makes this; it’s sweet and tangy and has a ton going on. the body of the spinach, cheese, and nuts, and the richness of the beets and pomegranate flavors lend complexity to the sweeter notes.

• 2 red beets, roasted (or 1/3 to 1/2 of a can)
• 1 package baby spinach
• 1 /2 package mache or spring greens
• 4 inches fennel bulb, halved and sliced as thin as possible
• 1/2 – 1 c walnuts, chopped a bit (not too much) and toasted in a small saucepan (no oil) until they start to smell like toast and just barely change color
• 1 – 1 1/2 c slices of tangerines (about 3 tangerines)
• 1 1/2 small fuji apple, cored, sliced into 1/8 slices, and then sliced thinly
• 1/3 cup (about 3 inches) good-quality, firm, crumbly bleu cheese (should have a musty odor when broken)

Ahead of time, roast beets (cut off greens 1 in away from tops, place in a Pyrex or stoneware dish that has a lid, drizzle with olive oil, and roast, covered, on 350° for 1 hr – 1:20)

Chop all other salad ingredients; toss; top with dressing (below) and several turns of freshly ground black pepper; toss again.

For dressing, whisk together “to taste” these ingredients in a jar and then “shake the shit out of it” (or place in food processor):

• 3/4 c olive oil
• 1/4 c balsamic vinegar
• 1-2 cloves garlic
• barely a pinch of sea salt
• 2 tsp pomegranate molasses
• lemon juice to taste (1-2 Tbsp)
• 1-2 Tbsp stone-ground mustard (something spicier – stone-ground with horseradish is fine)
• 2 tsp honey (or agave nectar)