Orange-Scented Wild Rice Pilaf with Almonds and Cranberries

The semester is finally over!

I just took my last final (Organic Chemistry, uck!) yesterday at 7:30AM, a schedule which was clearly designed to bring all college students to their knees from the pure misery of walking outside when the sun is still down and it is 0F in order to take a test that decides if we can go on in our majors.

No big deal.

Now that the studying, frantic note taking, and long nights fueled by coffee are over, I'm finally getting back into the swing of things! I went for a run this morning for the first time in months, and got in some relaxing Yoga and coffee afterwards. I've actually had time to cook, too, and I figured I would introduce something that I love to make for big holiday get-togethers (on that note, can you believe that Hanukkah has already started and Christmas is only five days away?? How the heck did we jump from New Years 2014 to Christmas 2014 so soon?? Is anyone else having this problem?? I swear I was just rebelling against New Years resolutions, and now I'm up to my ears in shopping lists... Good golly!)

I've found that a meal can really benefit from having mainly savory dishes with a few savory-sweet sides. This can be in the form of sweet potatoes with chipotle, corn grilled with sweet basil butter, or some type of grain that you can throw a mix of crunchy-sweet-citrus things into. The recipe I'm sharing today is a pilaf that benefits from a plethora of ingredients: hints of vibrant orange, crunchy toasted almonds, and slightly tart dried cranberries. Folding the almonds and cranberries into a mix of tender wild and basmati rices gives so much delicious texture and flavor. If you haven't had wild rice before, it has more of a distinct savory flavor and a really nice mouthfeel. It's even better if you end it on a sweet note with a drizzle of decadent, warm honey. Which, as we all know, makes basically any food better, be it sweet or savory (I actually had a delicious raspberry-cinnamon honey recently made by one of my professors, who I will be TAing for, and I'm going to try and recreate it because it was so so good!)

But, I digress.
 
Are you drooling yet?

Orange-Scented Wild Rice Pilaf with Almonds and Cranberries Serves 4        

Ingredients:

• 1/4c. uncooked wild rice
• 1/4c. uncooked basmati rice
• water as needed
• 1/2c. fresh orange juice
• 1/4c. dried cranberries
• 2tbl whole almonds, chopped and toasted
• 1tbl honey, warmed (microwave works wonders)

Instructions:

1. Rinse wild rice according to package directions. Cook according to package directions, but replace 1/4c. of the water needed with orange juice instead. Expect a longer cooking time.
2. Meanwhile, combine almonds in a small bowl with cranberries. Set aside.
3. In a separate pan, cook basmati rice according to package directions, but replace 1/4c. of the water needed with orange juice (just like before). Expect a longer cooking time.
4. Once both rices are cooked, combine in a medium bowl. Add in almonds and cranberries, and toss to coat. While still hot, drizzle the warm honey over the top of the pilaf (you can warm the honey by microwaving it for a short amount of time). Toss gently, and serve still warm.

Nutrition Information
Sodium: 2mg
Total Fat: 2g
       Saturated: 0g
       Trans: 0g
Sugar: 12g
Protein: 3g
Calories: 149

Coconut Vegetable Curry

Do you ever find yourself feeling sentimental?

 

I was talking to a friend of mine and she mentioned how she is really starting to feel sentimental about high school and our high school teachers. It was weird to me to think about, because I hated high school, but I also did really like a few of the teachers I had. The math department, in particular, was fantastic. But after our talk, I realized that I couldn't really recall very many moments where I have truly felt sentimental. That could partly be because I am young-- not a lot of experience in sentimentality yet. But I also think that I tend to focus so much on the task at hand that I sometimes ignore the better parts of my past. Yeah, high school had its awful moments, but my experience there helped me into Colorado State University. I find that I miss my college professors (particularly my SOC teacher, who I will have next semester again-- yay!!) much more, maybe because they teach the topics that contribute to my current and future life goals. 

Speaking of sentimentality: this is a recipe that appeared on my old blog, but that I remember fondly. I'm kind of in love with eggplant at the moment, so when I was looking for what to make I saw this recipe and flipped. It's super simple to make, but there are a plethora of flavors in this guy. Eggplant is cooked in a rich coconut red curry sauce until tender, then mixed in with hearty bella mushrooms, bright lemongrass, and sweet bell pepper. There are some hints of ginger, sesame, and curry powder, and an added health bonus of serving it over brown rice.

I hope everyone has a good week. I'm off to a two-day hike up in the granite hills of CA, and I'm so excited! All my gear is packed and we are about to take off (I'm going with my father, since I only have a few weeks left with him here in CA. Then I'm off to school again! So excited!). Pictures to come, eventually! 

Coconut Red Curry with Vegetables

Serves 4             Serving Size: 1/2c. rice plus 1/4 of curry mixture

Ingredients:

• 1tbl olive oil
• 1 medium eggplant, cut into 1" cubes
• 8 oz slices bella mushrooms
• 1 yellow (not bell) pepper, minced
• 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
• 2c. light coconut milk
• 2tbl red curry paste
• 1 stick lemongrass, cut into 4 pieces
• 1/4tsp curry powder
• 1/4tsp ground ginger
• 2tbl toasted sesame seed
• 1/4tsp salt
• 1/4tsp pepper
• 2c. cooked brown rice

Instructions:

1. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the eggplant to the pan; cook for 5 minutes on medium. Add the mushrooms, peppers, coconut milk, curry paste, and lemongrass to the pan. Bring to a simmer, then turn to low and cook for 20 minutes, or until eggplant and mushrooms are tender. 
2. Take the lemongrass out of the pan; add the curry powder, ginger, sesame seed, salt, and pepper.
3. To serve, ladle 1/2c. rice into each of four bowls. Divide curry evenly among the dishes.

Nutrition Information:
Sodium: 356mg
Total Fat: 12g
     Saturated: 7g
     Monounsaturated: 3g
     Trans: 0g
Sugar: 7g
Protein: 8g
Calories: 299

Tofu and Veggie Rice

I really used to not like tofu.

Turns out, I was eating it from places that didn't really know how to do it justice.

When you get good tofu -- like good tofu-- it's one of those eye-opening, "oh!" experiences. Almost like Brussel Sprouts. I used to hate those too, until my art teacher (who loved to cook) made the best recipe ever and I fell in love. The same thing happened with tofu for me. I had been failing to find any tofu I actually liked, but then I stepped into a Thai place back in Flagstaff about five years ago and had this fantastic dish of tofu and curry with rice. Instead of being mushy, the tofu was crisp and had a beautiful golden skin on the outside.

I figured I should learn how to do that. As my friend Spencer always says about tattoos, "Start small and work your way up." And you're probably thinking, Michelle, why are you even talking about this? Answer: reasons. Ok, I just wanted an excuse to mention tattoos. But! It does relate. When cooking a new ingredient, I figure the same concept applies. Start small (simple) and work your way up (complex). That's why the first recipe I did was this Tofu and Vegetable Rice. It's very simple, easy to put together, and definitely highlights each ingredient. Tofu is a fantastic ingredient because it is like a sponge in texture: it soaks up whatever flavors you let it. The marinade, which is a combination of sweet-spicy-just-a-touch-salty, permeates the tofu and the rice; plus, it compliments that natural texture of the vegetables. It looks pretty, tastes awesome, and is super healthy. Anyone else as excited for this as I am?

You should be.

Tofu and Vegetable Rice

Serves 4              Serving Size: about 1c.

Ingredients:

Marinade:

• 2tbl freshly ground chile paste (Sambal oelek)
• 2tbl hoisin
• 1tbl honey (strict vegans: use maple syrup or agave)
• 1tsp low sodium soy sauce
• juice of one lemon

Rice:

• 6 oz extra firm drained tofu, pressed of liquid, cut into cubes
• 4oz bella mushrooms, cut into cubes
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 2 small summer squash (such as zucchini or yellow), cut into cubes
• 1/2c. sliced green onions
• 1c. fresh or frozen peas
• 2c. cooked brown rice

Instructions:

1. Whisk together the Marinade ingredients in a medium bowl. Add tofu, and toss to coat. Allow to sit twenty minutes.
2. Meanwhile, preheat a large skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Add the mushrooms, red bell pepper, and squash to the pan; cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until starting to turn tender. Add the green onions and tofu (with the marinade) to the pan; cook another 4 minutes on medium, stirring often. Add the peas to the vegetable-tofu mixture; cook 2 minutes or until warmed through.
3. In a large bowl, combine the rice and the vegetable-tofu mixture, and toss well to combine (you want that marinade coating everything!) Serve with more green onions, if desired.

Nutrition Facts:
Sodium: 386mg
Total Fat: 4g
     Saturated: 1g
     Poly: 2g
     Mono: 1g
     Trans: 0g
Sugar: 11g
Protein: 12g
Calories: 254