black rice | One Is Hungry

For a whole host of reasons, we are not having a Christmas tree in our condo this year. First, thanks to Hurricane Sandy, we only have half a floor. Second, we are making a long visit home to the land of cotton blossoms for the holidays. Third, there is a distinct possibility that I am allergic to them (usually that would not be a factor for consideration, but this year, as my doctor put it yesterday, I’m already behind the eight ball!). Finally, all of our Christmas decorations are in storage, as we eagerly anticipated the possibility of having sold our condo by now. By the way, yes, the whole losing our floor bit really put a damper on our plans to get this place on the market in a hurry. On the plus side, we know we will be passing on a mold-free, beautifully re-floored and re-doored apartment to the eventual owners, and that is a nice, cozy feeling!

Because we don’t have any holiday decorations up, my soul has been longing for some traditional seasonal color and sparkle. Say hello to Christmas on a plate!

Aren’t the colors gorgeous? We had a bit of black rice left over in the pantry from the last time we made Broiled Salmon with Spicy Greens and Black Rice, and green beans that didn’t all make it into this fabulous dish. Tiny clementine segments and small diced red onion are fantastic, but the star on top is the pomegranate seeds. Breaking into the luscious, glimmering interior of a pomegranate is an aesthetically satisfying experience for me. You can see why some scholars believe the fruit in the garden that tempted Adam and Eve was not an apple, but this glorious jewel box of an hundred rubies.

A light vinaigrette to pull all the flavors together, and your salad is complete. We had ours with garlic crusted lamb chops; how would you serve it? Do you have a food that sings “Happy Holidays” to your soul? Leave a note in the comments below, and tell me all about it!

This recipe is great for those on the Allergy Elimination Diet. IF you are testing for citrus (i.e. have eliminated citrus from your diet) be sure to substitute another fruit or veg. for the clementine slices! Fresh carrot slices would give the same beautiful color and a fantastic crunch to boot! This salad opens itself to a world of easy substitution; play around and make it your own.

Black Rice Jewel Box Salad

serves 4-6 as a side

Salad

2 cups of cooked rice, cooled slightly

1/4 of a small red onion, small dice

2 clementines (or carrots), segmented (or slices)

handful of fresh green beans, sliced on the diagonal

pomegranate seeds

Vinaigrette

1 Tbs sherry or red wine vinegar

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp dijon mustard

1/2 tsp maple syrup

2 1/2 Tbs olive oil

Assemble salad. Place vinegar and salt in mason jar or bowl, and agitate until salt has dissolved. Add mustard and maple, and shake or whisk to combine. Now add oil, and shake it like a piggy bank!

chard

I’m going to keep this short and sweet after yesterday’s marathon read. If the idea of fish and dark leaf greens for breakfast strikes you as odd, you are not alone. My husband looked at me with a wary eye when I suggested this experiment. Since returning from our Australian health-pocalypse, I’ve been trying harder than ever to make sure each meal we consume is jam packed with wellness-inducing goodness. This meal, if you can overcome its strangeness to the American breakfast palate, is overflowing with omega 3 fatty acids, folic acid, vitamin c, amazing lean protein, vitamins B12, A, C, K, E, etc. The combination of the salmon, greens, garlic and olive oil make this an anti-inflammatory powerhouse. If you can’t find black rice, try brown rice or quinoa. I used chard as my green, but collards, spinach or kale would work wonderfully. If you find you simply cannot convince your stomach that fish is an acceptable breakfast food, switch it in for lunch or dinner (Jason really likes the meal, just not in the morning). To make morning prep. shorter and more efficient I cook the rice, check the salmon for bones, and clean and chop the greens the night before.

broiled salmon with spicy greens and rice

Broiled Salmon with Spicy Greens and Black Rice

serves 2

Ingredients

3 to 5 ounces of salmon per person

3 cups cleaned and chopped dark leafy greens

1/2 lemon

1 or2 cloves garlic, sliced

1 cup cooked black rice

olive oil

salt

pepper

red pepper flakes

Directions

Cook rice per directions of chosen variety. For the rice I use, 1/2 c. uncooked rice and 1 cup of water brought to a boil, covered and heat reduced to low. Cook roughly 25-30 minute, then check to see if rice has absorbed liquid. If so, remove from heat, cover with a clean towel and allow to steam for 10 minutes. Fluff rice with fork before serving.

Arrange salmon on parchment covered baking pan; season with salt and pepper and brush with sparingly with olive oil. In oven, move rack to highest position and turn broiler on high. Just before transferring salmon to the over, squeeze fresh lemon juice over it. Cook to desired doneness, but do not overcook (overcooked salmon is closely akin to shoe rubber).

Meanwhile place garlic in a cold pan with 1 Tbs of olive oil and turn heat on to medium high. Once you begin to smell the garlic, add greens and stir to coat with oil. Season lightly with salt, and with red pepper flakes to taste. The point is not to reduce the greens to dark squiggles of slime, but to wilt and warm; they should finish up precisely in time with the salmon. Squeeze remaining lemon juice over greens before serving.

See, short and sweet! Ciao.

One Is Hungry

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Black Rice Jewel Box Salad

Broiled Salmon with Spicy Greens and Black Rice. . .for breakfast!