Donut Army

I make this salad regularly throughout the year. I usually start to crave it if I've gone through a patch of over-eating or of general sluggishness. This salad helps snap me back into shape, physically and mentally. It actually makes for a terrific packed lunch, as well -- definitely jealousy-inducing as well as tasty. Superfood Salad Jamie Oliver 1 sweet potato , 25 oz pinch red pepper flakes pinch coriander pinch cinnamon olive oil coarse salt pepper 7 oz quinoa 12 oz broccoli 1.5 oz nuts , walnuts, almonds, pistachio 1 pomegranate olive oil juice of 2 lime 1 splash balsamic vinegar 1.5 oz bean sprouts 1 head arugula 1 red chili pepper 1 bunch cilantro 1 avocado 3/4 oz feta cheese Preheat the oven to 400º. Scrub and chop the sweet potatoes into chunks. Place chunks in a roasting tray with the red pepper flakes, coriander and cinnamon, a drizzle of olive oil and a little salt and pepper, then toss well. Spread out into an even layer and ...

I have been making this dish for nearly 20 years and I still love it. It's rare for fennel and pomegranate to be available at the same time in the grocery, so I only get the chance to make it once or twice a year. Tabouli with Fennel and Pomegranate 50 Quick and Easy Vegetarian Dishes 1 c bulgur wheat 2 bulbs funnel 1 red chili pepper, seeded and diced (opt) 1 stalk celery, finely sliced 2 T olive oil zest of 2 lemons juice of 2 lemons 6-8 scallions, chopped 6 T mint, chopped 6 T parsley, chopped 1 pomegranate salt and pepper Place bulgur in a bowl and add water to cover. Let stand 30 minutes. Drain bulgur, pressing out any extra water. Halve fennel bulbs and cut into very fine slices. Mix all remaining ingredients together. Season well, cover, and set aside 30 minutes before serving.

I've craved this rice from one of our local falafel sandwich shops for years. I never realized what the secret ingredient was -- barberries! A mysterious combination of tangy and sweet. This dish, like everything that comes from this particular cookbook, is highly recommended. As described below, this dish is a complete meal with protein and starch. You could omit the chicken and use the rice as a side. This dish is seriously one of the best things I've ever put in my mouth. Note - the tah dig part didn't work for me, and just made a sticky mess on the bottom of the pan that took several hours to soak out. Feel free to either approach the tah dig as practice, or, consider not worrying about that bottom layer too much. Barberry Rice From A Taste of Persi a, by Najmieh K Batmanglij 3 c basmati rice 3 lb whole roasting chicken 2 onions, 1 peeled and left whole, 1 thinly slicd 1 cloves garlic, peeled 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper 1 tsp saffron threads, dissolve...

I found this dish very hearty, and surpringly quick to put together. There was time to prep all the ingredients while the dish was cooking, which is very handy when working with a busy schedule or a crowded kitchen. This dish comes from Martha Stewart Living and originally called for adding preserved lemon. I tasted the dish before adding the lemon and thought the flavors blended perfectly. Then I tried a bite with a piece of lemon mixed in, and found it way to strong, so I opted to omit entirely. If you would like to try it with the preserved lemon, be sure to remove the seeds, then thinly slice and add after cooking, with the herbs. If you click on the Martha Stewart link below, you'll see that the food editors there opted to halve their radishes, which seems risky to me in terms of cooking time. And, it certainly seems unfriendly to those eating. So I simply halved mine and then sliced into half-moons. Barley Risotto with Swiss Chard and Radishes Based on a recipe featu...

This is a terrific send-off for end-of-season kale. Or, because it is just very yummy and filling, a good way to incorporate more kale into your diet. Oven Risotto with Kale Pesto Bon Appetit 1/2 c walnuts, coarsely chopped, divided 4 T olive oil, divided 1 onion, finely chopped 1 c arborio rice salt and pepper 1/2 c dry white wine 1 clove garlic 1 c parsley leaves 3 T chives, chopped 2 c Tuscan kale, divided 2 T butter 3 oz parmesan, grated (about 2 c) Preheat oven to 350°. Toast walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing occasionally, until golden brown, 8–10 minutes. Let cool. Meanwhile, heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a large ovenproof saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until softened and translucent, 5–8 minutes. Stir in rice; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until some grains are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add wine, bring to a simmer, and cook until pan is almost dry, about 3 minutes. Add 2 cups very hot water; season with salt a...

The color in this picture is a little other-worldly, largely because I was using my cell phone to grab a picture quickly. But also because cooked beets are pretty ethereal in a grain salad like this.  This is one of those dishes that you can eat and literally feel stronger while having dinner. I like the texture of wheat berry - how it is firm and squeaky as you eat it. But, not everyone might feel the same way, preferring food with a little more give. Up to you. The original recipe called for serving this salad with a horseradish and yogurt dip. I completely found the dip unnecessary and am not including it here. Link to the original recipe is below, if you would like to try it for yourself. (The original recipe also called for rye berry, which I did not have. In this case, the grain is really pretty interchangeable.) Wheat Berry and Beet Salad inspired by a recipe in Food and Wine 1 1/2 lbs beets, scrubbed, greens trimmed, beets chopped 5 T olive oil 1 c wheat berries...

Aromatic Yellow Rice (Peelay Chaaval) Madhur Jaffrey's Indian Cooking 2 c basmati rice 2 2/3 c water 1 1/4 tsp salt 3/4 tsp turmeric 3-4 whole cloves 1" stick cinnamon 3 bay leaves 3 T unsalted butter, cut into small pieces Put rice in bowl and wash in several changes of water. Drain. Pour 5 c water over rice and let soak 30 minutes. Drain. Combine drained rice, water, salt, turmeric, cloves, cinnamon and bay leaves in a large pot. Bring to a boil. Cover, turn heat very low, and cook 25 minutes. Let pot rest, covered and undisturbed, for 10 minutes. Add small pats of butter to the rice and mix gently with fork. Remove whole spices before serving.

I was introduced to freekeh several months ago, at a restaurant in New York. While I really enjoyed the smoky flavor of the grain and its substantial crunch, the most memorable part of the introduction to freekeh for me was how the server waxed poetically about the grain, but wound up getting every characteristic of the grain wrong in her description. Still, freekeh is delicious, very familiar (since it is similar to bulgur wheat), and tremendously fun to say out loud! Here is a recipe I highly recommend -- present it as a variant of tabbouleh and no one will be concerned about your describing the salad as if you were a Valley Girl trying to say "freaky salad." Freekeh Salad Adapted from Wise Monkeys Salad: 2 c freekeh 4-5 tomatoes, roughly cut 1-2 cucumbers, roughly cut 1 red onion, roughly cut 1 bunch parsley 1 bunch mint zaatar, to taste slivered almonds, dry roasted feta cheese Dressing: 1/4 c olive oil juice of 2 lemons salt and pepper Important ...

A very easy side dish to prepare, and a simple variation on wild rice. Will make this again and again! Wild Rice and Carrots Cooking Light , July 2012 1 c wild rice 2 1/2 c water 1 1/2 tsp unsalted butter 1 c carrot, thinly sliced 1 T parsley, chopped 1/2 tsp pepper 1/4 tsp salt Bring water to a boil and add rice. Lower heat to a simmer, cover, and cook according to package directions (around 40 minutes). Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add carrot and cook 8 minutes, or until tender. Stir in rice, parsley, pepper and salt. Cook 1 minute, then serve.

I brought this to a recent family gathering, and it was one of the hits of the day! Which is particularly nice because it takes all of 30 minutes to assemble (most of that just sitting in a chair, reading a magazine), and feeds a crowd. Folks reported hints of ginger in the dish. I am thinking it was the particular olive oil I used. If you don't have a particularly flavorful olive oil, consider adding a bit of fresh, grated ginger because it would be a nice addition. Bulgar Pilaf with Carrot and Scallions Gourmet magazine, March 1997 1 carrot, minced 1 T olive oil 1 c water 3/4 c bulgur wheat 1/4 tsp salt 2 scallion, sliced thin In a small saucepan, cook carrot in oil over moderate heat. Cook until softened. Transfer to a bowl. In pan, stir together water, bulgur, and salt. Bring to a boil. Cook mixture, covered, over low heat for 12 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed. Remove pan from heat and let bulgur stand, covered, for 5 minute...

This recipe is for those family members of mine who are just now experimenting with collard greens. I love this dish - simple to assemble and versatile in its presentation. Plus, something about this particular combination makes the final rice dish so smoky and rich! Highly recommended! Collards and Rice Johnson's Backyard Garden 2 c stock 1 c rice 1 T butter 1/2 tsp salt 3 c collard greens, chopped pepper Boil broth add the rice butter and salt.  Stir once, and add collards, handful by handful, stirring constantly. Cover, bring to a boil, reduce heat, and cook until the rice is done, approximately 20 minutes. Season to taste. 

I admit that I am partial to Indian cuisine. If you find that you are a bit afraid of it -- afraid of the heat, or intimidated by the ingredient list -- there are many dishes out there that work very well with Western palates and pantries. This is one of them! Zucchini Rice Manjula's Kitchen 1 c rice 2 c water 1 c zucchini, shredded (with skin on) 1 T oil 1 tsp butter 1/2 tsp cumin seeds 1/2 tsp black mustard seeds 4 dried red peppers, whole 2 bay leaves 1/2 tsp salt 1/2" piece cinnamon stick 1 tsp lemon juice Heat oil and butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add cumin seeds and mustard seeds to the oil. After seeds crack, add red pepper and bay leaves. Add rice and stir-fry for about 2 minutes. Add water, zucchini, salt and lemon juice. Stir and bring to a boil. After rice comes to a boil, turn heat down to low and cover the pan. Cook rice for about 15 minutes, or until tender and the water has evaporated.

Just when you think you have your favorite version of a staple, there will be a recipe in there that surprises you. Like this one! I have my favorite versions of Indian-influenced rice. But then I made this one, and it may change everything. Very very tasty!  It does require some somewhat specialty ingredients that do not have easy substitutes. If you like cooking Indian food, however, these ingredients will be staples and you should go ahead and get them. Do take note of the rice preparation steps. You can skip these steps, but, it will make the rice stickier and less "Indian." If you haven't soaked your rice before, I recommend you try it at least once to notice the difference in texture that this step creates. Coconut Rice Pilaf Betty Crocker's Indian Home Cooking 1 c basmati rice 1 1/2 c cold water 1 T vegetable oil 1 tsp mustard seeds (yellow or black) 1/4 c split black lentils (urad dal) or yellow split peas (chana dal) 1/4 c...

While I love carrots, they can pile up. This was a great, simple salad that keeps well for several days. Easy to prepare, and refreshing for hot summer days! Bulgur Pilaf with Carrot and Scallions Gourmet magazine, March 1997 1 medium carrot, minced 1 T olive oil 1 c water 3/4 c bulgur wheat 1/4 tsp salt 2 scallion, sliced thin In a small saucepan, cook carrot in oil over moderate heat. Cook until softened, then set aside. In pan, stir together water, bulgur and salt. Bring to a boil. Cook mixture, covered, over low heat for 12 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed. Remove pan from heat and let bulgur stand, covered, 5 minutes. Stir in carrot, scallions, salt and pepper.

Have you ever made something, only to then go "Ooooooh, THAT'S how they do it!?" This is one of those recipes. This is how you get a texture where the grains of rice are separate, and each one flavored. Highly, highly recommended! Arroz Verde Diane Kennedy's From My Mexican Kitchen 1 1/2 c long-grain rice 1/4 - 1/3 c vegetabl oil 1 T white onion, finely chopped 3 1/2 c stock 1 small carrot, peeled and thinly sliced 2 T peas 1 c pureed herbs (I used all cilantro) Pour hot water over the rice and let soak 5 minutes. Strain. Rinse in cold water and strain again. Be sure to shake strainer well to remove excess water. Do not do this step in advance as it will make the rice damp. Heat oil in the pan. Stir in rice and cook 5 minutes, until grains are evenly coated. Add onion, garlic, and herb puree. Continue frying until they sound brittle, about 10 minutes. Tip pan to one side and remove excess oil. Add stock and optional ingredients along with salt to ta...

I like to impulse buy unusual items from grocery stores -- foods I've never heard of and ingredients I don't know how to use. Recently, I found a package of Goji berries -- some kind of dried red berry, about the size of a cranberry, but drier looking. I've since learned that the goji berry is one of many new health-food crazes, being touted as a way to stave of cancer and "boost your immune system." (For more on why you may not even want to boost your immune system, read this .) Despite this trendy claims, I found many references to the Goji berry being a traditional part of eastern diets. And, I had picked it up in a Mediterranean market, where it is often used like a cranberry -- as a source of both tartness and sweetness. I tried this rice dish, which I found to be quite lovely. Highly recommended! Goji Berry and Green Pea Pilau 1 T olive oil 1 stick cinnamon 1 tsp cumin seed 1 onion, thinly sliced 1 carrot, grated 1 c basmati rice 1 3/4 c wat...

Learning to make this dish has increased my confidence in preparing Indian food one hundred fold. Why? You know why -- there is something special about getting the rice at an Indian restaurant. It's just different from what you do at home. Right? Well, no more! Follow this recipe and you'll be serving Indian-style rice like the pros. Trust me - it is significantly better tasting than simply boiling basmati rice in water. Black Cardamom Basmati Rice San Francisco Herb Company 1 c basmati rice 5 pods black cardamom 2 T ghee (or butter, or oil) 1 1/2 c water salt, to taste Put rice in a saucepan and cover with hot tap water. Drain off water and fill again. Stir to release starches. Drain off and add cold water. Drain off and fill with cold water again. Let rice soak in cold water for 15 minutes. Drain. In a heavy bottomed pot, heat clarified butter. Add cardamom pods and stir a 1-2 minutes, enough for the cardamom to release its flavor. Add rice and stir to coat wi...

This recipe comes from a book I don't fully trust -- I have many notes in the book where the recipe was bland. But others were total winners. I am going to move this recipe into the category of winners! Bulgur and Dilled Zucchini Vegetarian Express Lane Cookbook 3 c water 1 tsp salt 1 1/2 c bulgur 5 zucchini 2 T olive oil 1 c parsley, chopped 1 T fresh dill, chopped, or 1 tsp dried 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper feta cheese, crumbled Bring water and salt to a boil in a medium pot. Add bulgur, cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook 5 minutes, or until barely softened. Remove from heat and set aside. Wash zucchini and cut into small cubes or slices. Combine with parsley, dill and red pepper flakes. Heat oil in a wide skillet over high heat. Add zucchini, herbs and spices. Cook until zucchini is done to desired taste (I cooked them for about 10 minutes). If your pan is big enough, add the bulgur to the zucchini and stir to combine. Scoop onto serving plates and tos...

'Tis the season for casseroles, stews, and root vegetables! Try your hand at this nice combination of winter vegetables. My recommendation to you, though, is to try to eat it up on its first night. It keeps fine, but, it does get a bit gloppy as a leftover. Spicy Rice Bake with Black-Eyed Peas, Collard Greens, and Sweet Potato Three Bowls 2 T olive oil 1 onion, diced 1/2 tsp salt 6-8 cloves garlic, minced 1 sweet potato, peeled and diced 6 leaves collard greens, ribs removed, torn until chunks 1 1/2 c brown rice, uncooked 1 c blackeyed peas, cooked or canned 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper 1/4 c tamari 1 T balsamic vinegar Preheat oven to 350. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and salt and saute until onion begins to soften, 2 minutes. Add garlic and saute until onion is almost translucent, 3-4 minutes more. Stir in the sweet potato and collard greens and saute until collards are bright green (d...

Once the winter root vegetables start coming in, I can't help myself. I just have to have a big heapin' plate full of them -- roasted, warm, and lightly spiced. Just delicious. So after our first CSA box to feature these fall veggies came in, I made myself a fast, easy-to-prepare (but not necessarily well-balanced) dinner of roasted fall vegetables and a side of curried couscous. Roasted Root Vegetables (and Fruit!) no source sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped onion (red, white or yellow), peeled and quartered carrots, washed and chopped garlic, peeled and broken into individual cloves peaches (fresh), chopped several sprigs of rosemary (or other herb of your choice) olive oil salt and pepper There is no set recipe for this dish. Simply preheat your oven to 350. Then, gather whatever vegetables (and fruit, occasionally) you plan to use for dinner.Begin with the vegetables that will take longer to roast -- potatoes, onions, and carrots, for example. Coa...