Wild Rice Salad

• 1 cup wild rice (See Red Lake Nation Foods)
• 4 cups water
• 1 pomegranate
• 1 cup salted, roasted pistachios chopped so they are about the same size as arils and rice
• 4 green onions (Some goes in the dressing.)
• 1 cup feta cheese
• 4 cups of cleaned salad greens or Spring Mix (mesclun, spinach, red leaf, frisée, radicchio, and arugula)

Dressing

• Zest from 1 large lemon
• Juice of 1 large lemon
• 3 TBSP thinly sliced green onion tops (Save the rest for the salad)
• 1 tsp maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 2 TBSP high quality extra virgin olive oil
• Maldon salt flakes to taste
• Pepper to taste

Bring the wild rice to a boil in lightly salted water. Turn down to a simmer, put the lid on, but not completely (I put a wooden spoon in to keep the lid slightly ajar) and let cook for about 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, remove from heat, put the lid completely on for about 5 more minutes. Dump into a large colander and let it drip dry. Leave it for an hour or more. I made it the day before and just fluffed it up when I was ready to make the salad.

Remove the arils from the pomegranate and clean, removing all the pith. This method I learned on YouTube works well.

How to prepare pomegranate

In a large bowl, add the wild rice and put the dressing on. If you dress the wild rice first, all the rest of the salad gets dressed as it is added. Add the greens and the remaining half of the green onions. Stir a bit, then add the pomegranate and pistachios.

Just before serving, break up the feta cheese and add it.

It’s crunchy, nutty, tart, umami, and ever bite is delicious. Except for the greens, everything is small.

Serves 8.

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Tangy Banana Tostada

I had an overripe banana and absolute no desire to turn the oven on for muffins or bread. It was in a bowl right next to the package of  pre-made tostadas and I got this wild idea that it just might work. It did.

I crushed the banana with a fork and spread it on the tostada. Then I sprinkled some Tajín on it, though you could just use some chile powder and salt. Then I chopped up about two inches from a green onion and sprinkled on top.

I liked the flavor mix the tart and sweet and salty, but I do think the banana might be even better spread on two tostadas. A bit more salt and crunch ratio would make it a bit more tasty. Next time I have overripe bananas, I will try it again. It was a nice breakfast and would make a good snack.

 

Springtime Strawberry Asparagus Salad with Pea Shoots

This is insanely delicious. When I finished lunch I was tempted to make another right away. It’s super easy taking less than 10 minutes from start to finish.

I already had some toasted almonds from a salad I made yesterday, but if you don’t have any, just chop about 5 or 6 almonds and toast in a dry skillet for a few minutes until they brown. You can toast the almonds while preparing the rest of the salad.

Using a vegetable peeler, I cut thin strips from 3 asparagus spears and layered half in the bottom of my salad bowl. I then cut two strawberries in thin slices and layered half of them. I took 4 pea shoots and pulled the leaves from the stems except for the tendrils at the top which I left whole. I chopped the leaves and layered on top of the strawberries. Then I put the rest of the asparagus and strawberries on top in layers. I cut thin slices from the top of a green onion, about 2 tbsps or so. I added about 1/2 ounce or so of chevre (goat cheese), crumbling it over the top. I sprinkled the almonds on top, squeezed a quarter lemon over the top and added some salt, pepper and a drizzle of olive oil.

The strawberries and the toasted almonds complement each other as does the chevre. Meanwhile the pea shoots and asparagus love the bit of lemon and oil and the sweetness of the chevre brings them together beautifully. It’s a fabulous mix of flavors and tastes like springtime in a bowl.