Kale and Scallion-Fried Brown Rice

I've become pretty enthusiastic about kale, to the point where I got this t-shirt for Christmas as a joke (though I wear it often with pride).  Vince isn't completely convinced, but one batch of kale chips was enough to get Alexa onto my side too.  It makes it's way into soups and stews pretty often, and into my lunches as massaged kale salads, but I've been looking for more side dishes to use it in.

This kale and scallion fried rice was a great side for teriyaki salmon.  It came together quickly, and the earthiness of it balanced the sweetness of the teriyaki and the richness of the salmon perfectly.  The leftovers were perhaps even better warmed up and topped with a runny poached egg and a few dabs of Sriracha.  If you're not a fan of kale yet, this is a nice way to sneak some in.

Kale and Scallion-Fried Brown Rice
adapted from the The Kitchen Daily

What's in it:

1/2 lb kale, stems discarded
1 1/2 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
5 scallions, thinly sliced
2 1/2 c cooked brown rice
1 Tbsp soy sauce

How to make it:

Chop the kale into bite-size pieces.  Cook the kale in a deep saute pan with 1/4-1/2 cup water until tender.   Drain the kale and squeeze out the remaining water when it's cool enough to handle. 

Wipe out the pan, then heat the vegetable oil over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes, being careful not to brown the garlic. Raise the heat to medium and add the kale and scallions. Cook for 2 minutes and then add the rice and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring. Add the soy sauce and cook for 30 seconds more.

Porcini Polenta

Do me a favor and don't scroll down to the photo yet.  Hey, no peeking!  This was one of those dishes that just is not pretty, even though it tastes amazing.  I had planned to make Alton Brown's savory polenta to go under Josie's chicken with tomato-herb pan sauce, but rediscovered a package of dried porcini mushrooms in the fridge that hadn't made it into the risotto I had bought them for.  The water used to reconstitute dried mushrooms takes on their earthy, rich flavor, and I wanted to add that flavor in the polenta.  But as you might expect, the deep brown color of the mushroom broth results in this rather unfortunately-colored polenta.  Okay, you can look now....

Told you it was bad!  But covered up with the chicken, sauce and some sauteed spinach, this polenta made a sturdy base for the rest of the meal, and it's flavor managed to stand out without overpowering the others.  So close your eyes, take a bite, and pretend it's a more appetizing shade.

Porcini Polenta

What's in it:

1 oz dried porcini mushrooms
1 c hot water
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 medium onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 c white wine
2 c low-sodium chicken broth
3/4 c yellow cornmeal
1/3 c shredded Parmesan cheese

How it make it:

Soak mushrooms in boiling water for 10 minutes, or in warm water for 30 minutes.  Drain and dry mushrooms, reserving the resulting broth.  Finely dice the mushrooms.

Heat the oil in a medium pot until shimmering.  Add the mushrooms, onion and garlic, cooking until soft and just starting to brown.  Add wine to deglaze pan, then add chicken and reserved mushroom broth, and bring to a boil.

Add cornmeal slowly, whisking constantly until combined.  Reduce heat to low, and continue to cook until the polenta is thickened and smooth, about 15 minutes.  Stir in the Parmesan, and serve immediately.

Salmon and Quinoa Salad

For Mother's Day this year, part of my gift from Vince and Alexa was a bag of beautiful heirloom variety black quinoa.  This might not seem like a big deal, but I took it as a sign of Vince's surrender to the addition of less-than-mainstream ingredients to our diet.  Since then, I've been keeping an eye out for quinoa recipes, so when I saw the combination of quinoa and salmon on The Way the Cookie Crumbles, I added it to our weekly menu.

I used fresh salmon rather than the smoked salmon Bridget used, omitted the dill and cucumber and added sliced scallions.  This was a hit in our house, surprisingly so with Alexa.  She sneaked salmon from the mixing bowl while we were waiting for the quinoa to cook, and practically ate her weight in "funny rice."  With a side of lightly steamed sugar snap peas, this was a delicious, healthy dinner that the whole family enjoyed.

Salmon and Quinoa Salad

What's in it:

1 c quinoa
2-3 c chicken broth
1/2 tsp salt
16 oz cooked salmon, flaked
1 lemon, juice and zest
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2-3 scallions, thinly sliced4 oz feta cheese, chopped or crumbled

How to make it:

Rinse the quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer until water runs clear and foaming stops.  Cook the quinoa according to the package directions, using chicken broth in place of water and adding the salt and the zest of the lemon.   Drain off any unabsorbed water.

Let the quinoa cool slightly, then mix in the salmon and remaining ingredients.   Let sit for a few minutes, then serve.

Mediterranean Grain Salad

The first time I saw this recipe in Cooking Light last spring, it did catch my eye.  I was looking for more recipes using grains like barley, quinoa and farro, but when a quick skim through the ingredients revealed fennel, I skipped over it, not being a fan of it.  Luckily for me, Josie at Pink Parsley changed things up, omitting the fennel and adding more veggies.

This has been in steady rotation ever since.  It's a great make-ahead, since it tastes better with more time for the dressing to really soak in.  It's forgiving, since you could really use any grain or even pasta here.  This time around, I used a mix of barley and brown rice.  I like to make a batch over the weekend, have it as a side for grilled shrimp or chicken, then eat it on its own for lunch a few times during the week.

Mediterranean Grain Salad

What's in it:

3 cups cooked and cooled grain of your choice- barley, rice, couscous, pasta, etc.
1 1/2 tsp lemon zest
2-3 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp red wine vinegar
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley
2 Tbsp freshly chopped dill
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup grape tomato halves
1/2 cup diced cucumber
8 pitted olives, roughly chopped (I usually grab a variety from the olive bar, but kalamata are a good choice)
1 (15-ounce) can white beans, rinsed and drained
2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
1/3 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

How to make it:

Combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, mustard, and vinegar in a bowl.  Whisk to combine, and season with salt and pepper.  Add the parsley through feta, stirring gently to combine.  Cover and allow to sit either at room temperature or chilled for at least 30 minutes.  Fold in the walnuts, and serve.

Quinoa Pilaf with Peas and Asparagus

Do you fall into the weeknight starch and veggie rut?  I definitely hit weeks where I am just completely uninspired when it comes to side dishes.  Cook some pasta, steam some broccoli, call it a day.

But luckily, spring is here, and with it beautiful vegetables just begging to be paired with something lighter than pasta or potatoes.  I kind of started with this beautiful green version from Bon Appetit, but streamlined the process because pulling out the food processor just seemed like too much work.  I also added a bit of lemon juice, because it just seemed to need some brightness.  The leftovers were great on their own the next day for lunch- filling, flavorful, and really good at room temperature.

Quinoa Pilaf with Peas and Asparagus

What's in it:

1 cup quinoa, regular or red, or a mix 
1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 small onion, diced

1 small bunch asparagus, trimmed, cut on diagonal into 1-inch pieces

1 cup frozen peas, thawed

2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves
Juice from half a lemon

How to make it:

Cook quinoa according to package instructions, replacing water with broth, and salt to taste.

Heat oil in a large pan, and sautee garlic, onion, and asparagus until asparagus is cooked, but still crisp.  Stir in quinoa, then peas and mint, and squeeze lemon over.  Season with salt and pepper.  Serve hot or at room temperature.