Wild Nights of Rice

Another gorgeous summer day here. Under a week now until I start my excursion to the southern hemisphere of this country! My room is officially a war zone trying to pack, so I cook to keep my sanity.

During my internship at UCONN we had the chance to attend the NACUFS National Conference in Boston, which was a blast. The next one will be held in Minnesota, so for a freebie they gave out a package of Minnesota grown wild rice. I had an abundance of oranges kicking around the house which inspired my newest creation. I call it: Fruit & Spice Wild Rice. It reminded me of thanksgiving, which could possibly make a new addition to the spread! I'm pretty sure I will be spending this year's Thanksgiving in Alabama. A first for everything!

Fruit & Spice Wild Rice
makes about 4 cups, 8- 1/2 cup servings


1 cup uncooked wild rice
4 cups water
zest and juice of 1 orange
1 orange peeled and sliced in segments
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 tsp each salt & pepper
1 T fresh ginger, grated
1 T ground cumin
1/2 T ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg


Start by cooking the wild rice. It takes a bit of time to cook, so you can prep everything while it's cooking. Rinse the rice thoroughly, then add to a medium saucepan with 4 cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce to a low boil, and cook for 45-60 minutes, until tender and most of the water is absorbed.

While the rice is cooking, you can prep the mix-ins. Start by zesting the orange, and adding to a medium bowl. Next slice the orange skin off like by first chopping off both the top and bottom, and following the white part of the skin with your knife to cut the peel off. Then cut out each of the orange segments which you can see by the small white line separating each segment. Andrew Zimmern gives a good demo of what I mean here. Add the segments to the bowl, and squeeze the juice from the remains of the orange segments into the bowl as well.

Add the cranberries, sunflower seeds, and spices to the bowl and mix well.

Once the rice is cooked, add the remaining ingredients and combine.

Serve & Enjoy!

Wild rice is a bit more chewier than white or brown rice, but I LOVED the sweetness of the cranberries and orange. The combo of flavors is delicious, and is a great side dish especially for Thanksgiving! Better early than late, right?!




'Til Next Time!

Easter Eats

Monday, Monday, let me count the ways I loathe you... I can never decide if Sunday or Monday is worse. Sunday-anticipating monday OR Monday- When your alarm seems to go off WAY too early with a bajillion things waiting for you to do. Either way, here we are back to the grind.

I had a wonderfully (way too short) Easter yesterday. Wish that I had an extra day off, but it is nearing a close and I have survived yet again. My aunt hosted a lovely dinner with so many great dishes. The spread included lambchops, ham, cauliflower au gratin, orzo salad, sauteed green beans & broccoli, peas & mushrooms, and my dish of a quinoa salad. I found the recipe on The Kitchn, and originally was recipe for Passover, but has now made it's way to Easter! It was slightly sweet, and had lots of great textures. The colors and flavors could also be good for Thanksgiving, and was a delightfully delicious, nutritious side dish. You could even make this an entree, since quinoa is full of protein and fiber. I would just add some more veggies, and either meat or some beans for extra "fill" factor.

Easter Quinoa Salad
serves 8 as a side
adapted from The Kitchn


1 cup quinoa, uncooked
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cubed
1 1/2 T olive oil
1/2 cup sliced almonds
3 T apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons honey
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
heaping 1/2 tsp ground cumin
heaping 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup dried cranberries
3 green onions, chopped


Start by adding 2 cups of water and quinoa to a medium pan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed. Let it sit covered for at least 1 hour.

In the meantime, preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Add the cubed sweet potato to a sheet pan and drizzle lightly with oil. I just used cooking spray since I ran out of oil, and it worked just fine. Roast in the oven for about 25 minutes, or until the sweet potato is fork tender.

While the sweet potato is in the oven, toast the almonds in a dry pan over medium heat for about 3 minutes. Toss them occasionally so they don't burn. You can tell when they are done when they are slightly browned and you begin to smell them. Or do as I do and give them a taste!

Next, comes the dressing. Combine the oil, honey, vinegar, salt, pepper, cumin, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Whisk to combine and set aside. Chop the green onion, and set aside as well.

When the sweet potato is done, add it as well as the quinoa, dressing, almonds, cranberries, and half the green onions in a large bowl. Stir until everything is combined. Garnish with the remaining green onions and serve.

I really enjoyed this recipe as well as many of the guests at the party. I will definitely make it again. If you can;t find quinoa in your grocery store, couscous, brown rice, or orzo would also work.





What did you have for Easter?

5 More Weeks.

Yes. Only 5 more weeks left until graduation. Quite frankly one of the hardest things to believe, that I will be finished college in just over a month. Exciting? Yes. Bittersweet? Yes. Scary as hell? Capital Y-E-S. While I am excited for the next chapter in my life, it's quite a bit scary to pop the bubble of student life, and enter adult full-time, no month vacation-land. But it is coming regardless if I am ready or not, so I am trying to spend these last weeks doing all of the things I possibly can to enjoy myself. These include things to do in Keene, New Hampshire since I do not plan on regularly, actually ever coming back here. I've spent my time here, and four years is more than enough time to see what Keene has to offer. I'll sum it up in three statements: Pumpkinfest. Dollar Drinks. Small-town feel = Keene in a nutshell.

In the meantime, here's a quick and easy recipe for a new use for leftovers. I know WAY back in your fridge, in the land of forgotten foods, you have a container of leftover rice awaiting it's finally destiny to the garbage. But wait! There's hope! How about rice for breakfast?! I know, crazy talk. But really, I am one who hates to waste any food, and this is a new and rather tasty way to use up the last of your leftover rice for a quick change to your breakfast routine.

Brown Rice Breakfast Bowl
serves 1


1 cup cooked brown rice
1/3 milk
1/2 banana, sliced
1 1/2 T sunflower seeds, or nut of choice
1 T dried cranberries, or raisins
1/2 t vanilla extract
dash of cinnamon
drizzle of maple syrup

I just start my combining the rice, vanilla, and milk in a bowl and heating it up in the microwave for a minute or so, just to take the chill off and bring the rice back to life! I don't like it this really hot, but just bringing it to room temperature tastes best.

After that, just add the banana, sunflower seeds, cranberries and stir to combine. Top with a drizzle of maple syrup and cinnamon and enjoy! Your rice will thank you.

What's your favorite leftover food?

Eat Your Broccoli! (and enjoy it.)

Broccoli. Love it or hate it. I of course love it, and could probably polish off an entire head of it, but I am not your average veggie eater. BUT! This recipe will make you change your mind on this questionable vegetable. It is inspired by a dish that my best friend's mother would make. It's a perfect side dish for really any occasion or season. I did not have her recipe or any internet the day I made mine, so it was all an experiment, and I am pleased with the results. It's originally simply called Broccoli Salad, but since it was my own experiment, I decided to title this one 'Green Tree Salad'. It's also less daunting without the B word in the title. Here's what you'll need:

Green Tree Salad- ~serves about 6-8
1 Head of Broccoli, bite size pieces
1/2 red onion, diced
1 cup plain non-fat yogurt (regular or greek-style)
2 Tablespoons Light Mayo
1 Tablespoon Vinegar
1 teaspoon Sugar
1/4 cup Sunflower Seeds
1/4 cup Dried Cranberries

Equipment:
Knife
Cutting Board
Measuring Cups
Measuring Spoons
Small mixing bowl
Serving Dish

First, chop the broccoli into bite size pieces and place in your serving dish. Then, dice your onion and add to broccoli

I forgot to take a picture of the next step since I was on the phone, and multitasking isn't exactly my strong point. It is pretty self explanatory though. Combine the mayo, yogurt, vinegar, and sugar in a small mixing bowl. Add to broccoli and stir until combined. Stir in the cranberries and sunflower seeds.

That easy to a delicious dish! Now before serving, I just sprinkle on some more cranberries and sunflower seeds. I love the flavor of this dish, and the crunch of the broccoli. It's tangy, sweet, and creamy, and just a winning combination. It makes a great alternative to the redundant pasta or potato salad, and you're getting some veggies in!

Depending on how many servings you get, this dish is around 80 calories per serving. There's a great tool on sparkpeople.com that allows you to analyze recipes for nutrition information. If you really wanted to be accurate, or if you change any ingredients, here's the link:
Recipe Calculator

Do you have a favorite spin on classic side dishes?