Arugula Quinoa Citrus-y Salad

I tend to sound like a broken record at times here - but, I do love the rice cooker. I use it a lot and not just for cooking rice. Anything from cous cous to polenta, millet, kasha, steamed veggies, kichdi, and quinoa, I trust my rice cooker to help out. Of course, the first few tries of any new item is experimental, until I figure out the amount of liquid needed and whether one regular cycle is enough etc.

Quinoa comes out perfectly in the rice cooker. I buy quinoa in bulk. Per cup of dry quinoa, I use 1 cup of liquid - either stock or water. Typically, I soak the quinoa in warm water for about 5 minutes and drain the stuff that floats to the top. Rinse and repeat washing a couple of times. And then I am ready to measure out the water and cook it in the regular cycle of the rice cooker. And to keep the grains from getting clumped and sticky, I like to add a small amount of olive oil (or any favorite oil). Rice cooker is particularly helpful for making flavorful brown rice and pilaf (pulao/pulav), of course.

The Berry Sweet Citrus Dressing is something I came up with for this salad as I was in the mood for it. This recipe here yields about half a cup of this delicious dressing. I tend to dress the salad on the conservative side for serving; however, I also serve extra dressing on the side.

Berry Sweet Citrus Dressing:
2 Tbsp Raspberry Red Wine Vinegar (I use Pompeian™)
1 tsp agave nectar
1 Tbsp fresh orange juice
1 tsp black raspberry jam
1 tsp sambal oelek (less if preferred)
½ tsp Italian seasoning herbs
⅛ tsp salt (optional)
⅛ tsp smoked paprika powder
½ tsp freshly grated ginger
4 Tbsp Olive Oil

Simply whisk all the ingredients together, taste and adjust as preferred.

For the salad:
¼ medium red onion, sliced thin
¼ medium red pepper, sliced thin
1 or 2 sweet mandarin oranges, peeled and sectioned
¼ cup julienned cooked beets
2.5 oz Arugula, cleaned and ready to use
1 cup cooked quinoa, cooled to room temperature
Slivered almonds (optional)

Toss the salad ingredients together, reserving the beets, almonds, and the orange slices as topping.

Cabbage & Zucchini Slaw with Spicy Citrus Dressing

Until a few years ago, when I stared this food blog, I hadn't bother to ponder on the origins of some of the culinary terms, especially the names of some of the common dishes enjoyed today. One of the first ones that stuck in my head is this: colis → koolsalade → koolsla → cold slaw → cole slaw, nicely summed up in See The Globe.

Cabbage salad, cabbage borscht, home-made sauerkraut, home-made baechu kimchi, cabbage paruppusili, cabbage arachu vitta sambar, cabbage koottu, cabbage molagoottal, cabbage coconut-chili poduthuval... this antioxidant-rich, nutrients-packed, fiber-filled vegetable is consumed in many forms in our house.

As I was debating posting yet another cabbage salad recipe, it occurred to me that this Spicy Citrus dressing thrown together on a whim yearns to be shared. Especially with its crisp and crunchy freshness and zesty orange flavor, the salad definitely has earned its own post.

Ingredients
1 cup julienned or shredded zucchini and carrots, combined
2 cups red cabbage, shredded
2 cups green cabbage, shredded
1 jalapeno, seeded and julienned or slivered thin (optional)
1 tsp orange zest for garnish (optional)

Spicy Orange-Citrus Dressing:
2 Tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice
½ Tbsp orange zest
½ Tbsp blue Agave syrup/nectar
½ Tbsp crushed red pepper flakes (less if preferred)
½ Tbsp all-natural creamy peanut butter
½ Tbsp pomegranate red wine vinegar
½ Tbsp distilled white vinegar
½ Tbsp Bragg™ Liquid Aminos
½ Tbsp pure Chinese-style sesame seed oil

Combine the dressing ingredients and whisk to a thick consistency. Pour over the veggies. Marinate for at least 15 minutes before serving, longer the better. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Blood Orange, Beets and Black Plum Salad

Blood oranges, ruby grapefruits, tangelos, navel oranges, clementines, kumquats... it's been a citrus fiesta for the last couple of months in our house.

While the adults enjoy a fresh grapefruit as breakfast or as dessert, the kids don't seem to care for it, except in blended fruit smoothies.

The deep red flesh (thanks to anthocyanin) and the sweet mellow taste makes blood oranges a special treat. That, and the fact that other than this season it is unaffordable in my budget :) While grapefruit feels quite a bit harshly acidic, bothering my teeth, blood orange seems pretty mild in comparison. The Moro oranges grown in the U.S. are deep red, almost burgundy, and happens to be our favorite.



As I was browsing for interesting ways to present blood orange, this Roasted Beet and Blood Orange Salad recipe caught my attention and inspired me to present my version of it for a weeknight dinner, along with some roasted fingerling potatoes.

Salads are very much a favorite first course or even a whole meal on some weeknights, especially in summer when we get fresh greens and tomatoes from our garden. Now, the dressing/vinaigrette is what makes the salad for me. I have been meaning to post a compilation of my favorite dressings here... maybe soon. Sometimes it is just a quick vinaigrette thrown together with no thought, at other times it is based on a special craving, a special flavor to bring out the salad's strength...

Anyway, the ginger-soy hot-and-sweet vinaigrette for this salad is one of our favorites. But, a light red wine vinaigrette or sherry vinaigrette would be good too.

Ingredients
1 blood orange
1 navel orange
1 small black plum
1 can whole beets
4-6 cups baby spinach

Hot-and-Sweet Ginger-Soy Vinaigrette:
2 Tbsp sambal oelek
2 Tbsp kecap manis
4 Tbsp cup blood orange juice, or plain orange juice
2 Tbsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp fresh grated ginger
1 Tbsp light soy sauce
¼ cup canola oil (more or less)
1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds
Blend the ingredients together, adjusting flavors as desired.

Preparation

1. Cut the canned whole beets into chunks and pan roast them with some canola oil and sambal oelek. Sambal oelek is optional, can use cayenne pepper instead; or leave it out. I like the way the heat of the sambal oelek complements the natural sweetness of the beets as they roast together
2. Cut chunks of flesh from the oranges, toss together with baby spinach, plums, and pan-roasted beets, adding just enough vinaigrette to suit your taste