Jeweled Golden Rice with Cherries

    
     Cherry season is an anxiously awaited event in my household.  Even though the price is dear, I can't resist stocking my refrigerator with the luscious ruby-red orbs, and keep a bowl on the counter for popping in my mouth every time I pass by. In addition to being delicious, they're a nutrition powerhouse, fiber rich and full of antioxidants. Way better than bon-bons for you, but with the same "curb appeal."

     This summer rice salad showcases both sweet (fresh) and tart (dried) cherries. I don't even know where to start describing it. Saffron and curry scented rice, tangy and sweet cherries, crunchy pistachios and cashews, bursts of celery and chives, citrus and ginger dressing- it all comes together perfectly to make a mouthwatering bite. It pairs perfectly with grilled chicken or pork, but will easily stand alone as a delightful vegan (and gluten free!) main dish.

Jeweled Golden Rice with Cherries
from Eating Well, June/July 2006

Ingredients
1 cup brown basmati rice
1 can (14 oz.) reduced-sodium chicken (or vegetable)broth
1/3 cup water
1 Tablespoon curry powder (your favorite)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 generous pinch crumbled saffron threads
3 Tablespoons canola oil (I used walnut oil)
1/3 cup lemon juice
3 Tablespoons honey
1 Tablespoon freshly grated orange zest (I used dried)
1 Tablespoon minced fresh ginger (I grated the ginger)
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups chopped celery
3/4 cup coarsely chopped dried cherries
1/2 cup chopped scallions or chives, divided
1 cup fresh dark sweet cherries, pitted and chopped
3/4 cup unsalted nuts, chopped -pistachios, almonds and cashews recommended- divided

Instructions
1. Combine rice, broth, water, curry powder, turmeric and saffron in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil,stir once, cover with a lid. Reduce heat to low (simmer) and cook until the liquid is absorbed, about 35 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered 5 minutes. Fluff with fork.

2. Combine oil, lemon juice, honey, orange zest, ginger and salt in a large non-reactive bowl. Stir in the cooked rice, celery, dried cherries and 1/4 cup chives or scallions. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. (up to 2 days)

3. To serve, fold fresh cherries and 1/2 cup nuts into the rice mixture. Serve at room temperature, garnished with the remaining 1/4 cup scallions/chives and nuts.

Broccoli Ramen Salad

    
     Colorful and crunchy, with a tangy yet sweet dressing, this easy salad is great with anything from fried chicken to hot dogs. It's perfect for potlucks, tailgates, fall picnics or to accompany a quick sandwich at home for lunch. It's even still delicious the day after it's prepared, when all of the flavors have melded together and the dressing has soaked into the ramen noodles.

     The hardest (ha!) part of the preparation is chopping the onion and smashing the dry noodles into bits (fun!) which makes this ideal for those times when you need something in a hurry. And who doesn't need fast food now and then?

Broccoli Ramen Salad
1 bag Broccoli Slaw Mix (12 oz.) If you can't find this already bagged, it's just a mixture of julienne broccoli stems, julienne carrots and shredded red cabbage
1 pkg. Ramen Noodles (Beef, Chicken or Oriental flavor)
1/2-1 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup oil (Canola or light flavored olive)
1/3 cup sugar (up to 1/2 cup if you prefer a sweeter taste)
1/2 cup vinegar
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 medium red onion, finely diced

Break up the ramen noodles (in the bag) and place them in a large bowl with the broccoli slaw mix, almonds, cranberries and onion.
Mix together oil, vinegar, sugar and seasoning packet (optional) from the ramen noodle soup. Pour over the slaw mixture and toss together. If you prefer not to use the seasoning packet, you may want to add some salt. Serve immediately (ultimate crunch!) or refrigerate to serve later.

It's Hip to be Square (or Tomato Egg Salad with Basil Onion Dressing)

Can you see it? There's a surprise hiding inside the tomato. Here- I'll show you.

Here's a little item I picked up at a local thrift store. Too funny.

And it does this. Too cute.

So I did this. 

What would you have done with a cute square egg?

Tomato Egg Salad with Basil Onion Dressing

You'll need:

1 small/medium sized tomato and 1 hard-boiled egg for each serving

mixed salad greens

Onion Basil Dressing

Directions:

• Make Onion Basil Dressing (Recipe follows.)
• Wash tomatoes. 
• Slice each egg into uniform slices. (I used an egg slicer.)
• Make vertical slices in each tomato, matching the number of egg slices. Cuts should go almost but not all the way through to the bottom (stem end) of the tomato. Gently fan the slices of the tomato.
• Carefully place egg slices into openings in the tomato.
• Place on a bed of greens and top with dressing.

Onion Basil Dressing

Recipe from my friend Carolyn, who served this lovely dressing over a plate full of heirloom tomatoes.

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 Tablespoon chopped onion (to taste)

handful of fresh basil leaves

2-3 Tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Place all dressing ingredients into bowl of small food processor or blender. Blend until combined.

Strawberry Pecan Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

This is definitely salad weather. It almost seems as if we've skipped spring altogether, and gone straight to summer! While I know that there are more chilly spring-like days ahead, the hot weather we've been having is perfect for salads. Salads like this one.

I begged this recipe after the salad was served at a teacher appreciation luncheon many years ago. This salad made me feel very appreciated. With the cool strawberries, tart mandarin oranges and crunchy pecans it was a perfect addition to a light lunch. Try it yourself this strawberry season!

Strawberry Pecan Salad with Poppy Seed Vinaigrette 

1 head red leaf lettuce (or your favorite mixed greens) washed and torn into pieces

1/2 lb. fresh sliced strawberries

1 can mandarin oranges (or blueberries or any other fruit you prefer)

1/2 cup toasted pecans

Toss together and serve with Poppy Seed Vinaigrette

Poppy Seed Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

1 tsp. salt

1/2 cup olive oil

2 Tbsp. poppy seeds

Directions:

In a small saucepan, warm vinegar and dissolve sugar in it. 

Let cool to room temperature.

Add the rest of the ingredients and shake together until thoroughly mixed.

Serve with Strawberry Pecan Salad

Devilish Eggs

Around here, deviled eggs disappear just as quickly as they appear so I don't know why I don't make them more often. My happy hens are laying again, so there were some extra eggs in my refrigerator. I've never really used a recipe for deviled eggs before, but have used the "dump it in until it tastes right" method. This time when I made them I actually did my best to figure out what I put in them. :) In addition to the traditional ingredients, I always add sweet pickle juice. If you don't have sweet pickles, you could also use the juice from sweet pickle relish.  And cayenne? It doesn't make them hot, it just gives them a little personality. (I made a mistake one day and used cayenne on the tops instead of paprika, and have used it ever since!) Perfect for a simple lunch with a green salad.

Start with:
Perfectly Boiled Eggs
Bring eggs to room temperature. (I always boil more than I need and use the rest for egg salad.) In a large saucepan, bring water to a rapid boil. Add a dash of salt. Gently lower eggs in with a ladle. Boil, uncovered for 14 minutes. Immediately pour off boiling water and cover with cold water to halt the cooking process. Add cold water to the eggs as the water warms. As soon as the eggs are cool enough to handle, crack and peel.

Directions:
Slice 6 hard boiled eggs in half lengthwise. Put the yolks in a small bowl. Put the whites aside on a dish. With a fork, mash yolks until all lumps disappear. Add:
1 1/2 Tbsp.mayonnaise
2 tsp. yellow mustard
dash of cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp. sweet pickle juice (the secret ingredient)
salt and pepper to taste

Mix together until blended. Spoon the mixture back into the shells or pipe it in using a star tip with a frosting bag.
Garnish with a sprinkle of paprika. (or more cayenne if you dare!)