Rosemary Brown Rice Fritters

Sweet brown rice is one of my favorite kinds of rice because it has pleasing texture, flavor and color. I have found one of the better ways to cook brown rice is to boil it in a pot full of water until almost done, drain it, return it to the pot, cover it and allow it to finish cooking on its own. The boiling method takes the same if not less time and results in a perfectly cooked grain every time. I found inspiration for these fritters while reading an article in Saveur magazine on brown rice grown in California. Rice fritters are delicious with mustard green soup and beer stewed pork.

Other herbs may be substituted for either parsley or rosemary. A mechanical ice cream scoop works the best because it helps the rice mixture compact and hold together.

2 c cooked sweet brown rice

½ c parmesan, grated

¼ c flour plus more for coating fritters

¼ c parsley, finely chopped

1 tbsp rosemary, finely chopped

1 egg

2 tbsp olive oil

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

1. Thoroughly combine rice, flour, parmesan, parsley, rosemary, salt and pepper in a medium mixing bowl. Place 2 tbsp flour on a plate for coating rice patties. Form rice mixture into 1" fritters using two spoons or a mechanical ice cream scoop. Coat both sides of fritters with flour and place on parchment or wax paper lined baking sheet.

2. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Gently transfer fritters to skillet with spatula. Brown fritters on each side, 3-4 minutes, adding olive oil to skillet as necessary. Once both sides have browned, remove fritters from heat.

3. Serve fritters warm or room temperature.

Serves 3-4

Chicken and Vegetable Tagine with Garlic Currant Couscous

I became interested in cooking tagines a few years ago, while making a northern African inspired meal for a belly-dancing event at the Feathered Pipe Ranch. Tagines are braised stews of spiced meats and vegetables found in Morocco. They receive their name from the clay pot they are cooked in, which consists of a wide shallow bottom dish and a conical cover. A close friend gave me a tagine a few years ago, but alas it is in storage so I made do with a Dutch oven. Beet and tangerine salad or arugula and orange salad are bright citrus additions to a tagine.

Larger golden beets will work as well; I would not use red beets, as they will dye the entire dish. Additional carrots, squash or turnips may be used instead of beets. Water could substitute for wine. If you are using a tagine pot, the braising portion of the recipe would happen in the oven after being readied on the range.

Chicken and Vegetable Tagine

1 lb chicken thighs, skinned and boned

1 medium yellow onion, trimmed and chopped

2 medium yukon potatoes, cut into 1 inch cubes

2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into ½ inch rounds

10 small golden beets, quartered

1 zucchini, trimmed, halved and sliced into ½ inch segments

½ green pepper, trimmed and finely diced

1 tart apple, cut into 1 inch cubes

2 cloves garlic, pressed or chopped

½ c white wine

1 c chicken stock

½ c water

½ tsp cinnamon

1 tbsp honey

1 sprig of thyme

¼ c parsley, roughly chopped

3 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper

Garlic Currant Couscous

2 c cooked couscous

½ c currants

½ red onion, finely diced

1 clove garlic, pressed or chopped

¼ c parsley, finely chopped

1 tbsp butter

1 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper

Chicken and Vegetable Tagine

1. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add chicken and brown both sides, about 4 minutes per side. Remove chicken from Dutch oven, place in a large mixing bowl and set aside.

2. Working in separate batches, brown onions, apples, potatoes, carrots and beets in the Dutch oven over medium heat, placing browned vegetables aside with chicken and adding olive oil to Dutch oven as necessary.

3. Next, combine white wine, cinnamon, honey thyme and garlic to the Dutch oven and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Once simmering, return browned chicken and vegetables to the Dutch oven and bring liquid back to a simmer. Once simmering again, add water and chicken stock, stir to combine. Cover Dutch oven, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.

4. Add zucchini and green pepper, cover and continue to simmer until tender, about 5 minutes, adding water ¼ c at a time as necessary to maintain cooking liquid.

5. Once all vegetables are tender, add parsley and remove from heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve warm over garlic currant couscous.

Garlic Currant Couscous

1. Heat olive oil and butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add onions and sauté until onions begin to brown slightly. Add currants and continue sautéing until currants are soft. Turn heat off, add parsley and garlic and sauté off heat until fragrant, about 1 minute.

2. Combine sautéed ingredients with cooked couscous in a mixing bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serves 3-4

Acorn Squash Stuffed with Red Quinoa

I grew up eating quinoa, thanks to my whole food roots, and although I was not always fond of it as a child, I have been able to appreciate quinoa again as an adult. Quinoa, from the Andes, is not actually a grain but instead a chenopod, closely related to beets and spinach. Red quinoa is especially nice because it maintains its color after cooking and provides a good contrast to the yellow of the squash. Greens such as mustard green soup, orange pecan kale or walnut lemon chard compliment the sweet flavor of squash.

Other varieties of similarly sized squash could be used. Most fresh herbs may be used in addition to or as a substitute. Any type of quinoa may be used in place of red quinoa.

Dedicated to the lovely Samantha Wren, who joined my sister and I in eating these squash.

1 acorn squash, halved and seeded

1 c cooked red quinoa

1 medium carrot, trimmed and finely diced

½ white onion, trimmed and finely diced

1 stalk celery, trimmed and finely diced

5 button mushrooms, halved and thinly sliced

1 tbsp thyme

1 tbsp sage, finely chopped

1 tbsp olive oil plus more for rubbing squash

salt and pepper

1. Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees. Rub squash halves with olive oil and place in oven. Bake until tender and slightly browned, 30-45 minutes. Remove squash from oven when ready, set aside and leave oven on.

2. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add onion, carrot and celery, sautéing until the onion is translucent. Add mushrooms and continue sautéing vegetables until mushrooms are tender. Turn heat off; add herbs and sauté off heat for another minute or until the herbs are fragrant.

3. Combine cooked red quinoa with the sautéed vegetables in a medium mixing bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

4. Finally, stuff each squash half with red quinoa stuffing and place both stuffed halves in a baking dish. Return the squash to the oven and bake until the red quinoa begins to brown, 10-15 minutes. Serve warm or room temperature.

Serves 2-4

Orange Pecan Kale

When I went to make this kale salad, I thought I was going in an entirely different direction, with lemon and pine nuts, which I have made before and is also delicious but very different. I discovered I did not have pine nuts and so shifted my vision. Toasted pecans and oranges sounded like both a good combination and more seasonally appropriate. I do believe this is my new favorite way to prepare kale. I like kale with many things including fried sweet potatoes and feta roasted potatoes.

Any variety of kale will work. Walnuts may be substituted for pecans and tangerine may be substituted for orange. Rosemary, lavender or thyme could be used in addition to or in place of sage.

1 bunch kale, thinly sliced

¼ c pecans, roughly chopped

1 tbsp sage, finely chopped

1 tbsp finely diced shallot

1 clove garlic, pressed or finely chopped

½ orange, juiced

¼ c parmesan, grated

2 tbsp olive oil

½ tsp brown sugar

salt and pepper

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add kale to water and boil until brilliant green and tender, 2-3 minutes. Once tender, strain kale and place under cold running water to stop cooking process. Squeeze excess water from kale, wrap kale in a clean kitchen towel and set aside.

2. Next, heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Add pecans and sauté until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Add shallots and continue sautéing until shallots are translucent. Turn heat off, add sage and garlic, sauté off heat until fragrant for about 1 minute and set aside.

3. Meanwhile, combine orange juice and brown sugar in a medium bowl, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Once sugar has dissolved, add remaining olive oil and sautéed ingredients, stirring to combine.

4. Place kale in a large mixing bowl, add parmesan and dressing. Gently toss ingredients until thoroughly combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve room temperature.

Serves 2-3

Feta Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

Potatoes are an excellent staple. They can be cooked in so many different ways with so many different ingredients, though cheese and herbs do suit them very well. I like to roast potatoes in higher heat because it creates a delicious combination of crispy exterior and creamy interior, of which I am very fond of eating. Feta, first recorded during the Byzantine Empire, is a good cheese to roast because it maintains its integrity when cooked, melting slightly and browning easily. Bacon braised chicken and winter wheat berry salad are both delicious with these feta roasted potatoes.

I like the combination of parsley and feta, but other herbs will be just as good including rosemary or thyme. Other new potatoes may be used instead of or in addition to fingerlings. More or less garlic can be added depending on preference.

Dedicated to my dearest Layli, who roasted many batches of potatoes with feta during our first year at college.

½ lbs fingerling potatoes, quartered

½ small white onion, finely diced

1 stalk celery, trimmed and finely diced

1 clove garlic, pressed or finely chopped

¼ c parsley, finely chopped

1 tbsp sage, finely chopped

¼ c crumbled feta

3 tsp olive oil

salt and pepper

1. Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees. Coat potatoes with 1 ½ tsp olive oil and spread potatoes onto the baking dish. Place potatoes in the oven and bake until golden brown and tender, 30-40 minutes. Once done, remove potatoes from the oven and set aside, leaving oven on.

2. Meanwhile, heat remaining olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add remaining onions and celery and sauté until onions are translucent. Turn heat off, add garlic and herbs, stirring to combine.

3. Combine the sautéed ingredients and feta with potatoes in the roasting pan. Return the pan to the oven and roast until the feta starts to brown slightly, 5-10 minutes. Once done, remove the potatoes from the oven.

4. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve warm or room temperature.

Serves 3-4

Brassicas Marinated with Fresh Herbs

Blanched brassicas may be my favorite way to eat them because they become milder, tender and brilliantly colored. Because they are members of the mustard family, brassica flavors tend to be similar and so compliment each other well. Brassicas are also known as crucifers or cross bearing due to their four-petaled flowers reminiscent of crosses. I first made this salad for a friend's birthday, to compliment an Italian inspired meal. Marinated brassicas can be served with any number of other side dishes including creamy polenta and mashed carrots.

Other combinations of herbs will work as well. I used baby spinach but arugula or mixed greens would be good too. More garlic may be used depending upon preference.

1 small bunch of broccoli, stemmed and cut into florets

1 medium head of cauliflower, stemmed and cut into florets

1 medium carrot, peeled and julienned

1 c radishes, sliced lengthwise into thin rounds

1 small red pepper, trimmed and diced

1 onion, trimmed and finely diced

1 clove of garlic, pressed or chopped

¼ c basil, finely chopped

¼ c parsley, finely chopped

2 tbsp olive oil

2 c baby greens

salt and pepper

1. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Working in individual batches, blanch cauliflower (1-2 minutes), broccoli (1-2 minutes), radishes (1-2 minutes) and carrots (2-3 minutes) until brightly colored and slightly tender. Once cooked, place each vegetable under cold running water to stop the cooking process. Gently towel dry and add to large mixing bowl. Set aside.

2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until translucent. Add the red pepper and continue sautéing until soft. Turn heat off, add garlic and herbs, stir to combine and allow to cook off heat until fragrant, about 1 minute.

3. Add sautéed vegetables to the blanched brassicas and gently combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and allow to marinate for a few hours at room temperature. Serve over baby greens.

Serves 3-4

Caesar Salad

Caesar salad is what I order the most when eating out because, aside from loving the flavors, it is a fairly standard salad and therefore less likely to be inedible, though not all Caesars are created equally. Though the true origins of the salad are debated, it likely arose in California during the early to mid-twentieth century. Caesar salads are easy to make on one's own and are best fresh with homemade dressing and croutons. Caesar salads are great with pizza and bacon braised chicken.

The anchovy may be increased or omitted depending upon preference. Fresh eggs are best. Other types of bread may be used as well. Traditionally the dressing is prepared in the salad bowl prior to adding the salad ingredients, which works very well, though I find blending the dressing ingredients most evenly distributes them in the final salad.

Dedicated to my dearest Heather, who requested a Caesar recipe for the holidays. Happy cooking in Washington.

½ c olive oil plus 1 tbsp for croutons

1 clove garlic

1 c French or sourdough bread, cut into ½ in cubes

1 egg

1 lemon, juiced and strained

1 tsp salt

1 anchovy

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

½ tsp white wine vinegar

½ c grated parmesan

2 heads romaine lettuce, washed and roughly chopped

freshly ground pepper

1. Combine garlic and ½ c olive oil in a small bowl, infuse at room temperature for at least 24 hours.

2. Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees. Gently combine bread and 1 tbsp olive oil, arrange in single layer on a baking sheet and place in oven. Allow croutons to bake until golden brown, 8-10 minutes. Once golden brown, remove from oven and set aside.

3. Meanwhile, bring a small saucepan of water to a boil, gently place the entire egg in the boiling water and boil for 1 minute. Once the egg has coddled, remove from heat and immerse in cold water to stop the cooking process.

4. Place olive oil, garlic, anchovy, lemon juice, salt, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar and egg in a blender or food processor. Blend until ingredients are well combined, about 1 minute.

5. Combine lettuce, croutons and Parmesan in a large mixing bowl. Add dressing and gently toss ingredients until they are evenly coated. Season to taste with freshly ground pepper. Serve immediately.

Serves 3-4

Celeriac Purée

Celeriac seems to be one of the more commonly overlooked root vegetables, which is a shame because it is one of the more delicious roots we eat. I find it to be nice to cook with because it has a creamy texture and a milder celery flavor, so it is an easy replacement for celery in many dishes. Although the exterior may be a bit intimidating, generally celeriac is fairly easy to trim with pairing knives and peelers. Celeriac is also known as celery root or turnip-celery root. Celeriac purée accompanies many other dishes well, including feta roasted potatoes and stuffed bell peppers, due to its rich and creamy celery flavor.

This purée can easily be made vegan by substituting the remaining steaming water and olive oil for the dairy. An immersion blender or regular blender will also work to purée the ingredients together.

1 lb celeriac, peeled and roughly chopped

½ lb carrots, peeled and roughly chopped

1 tbsp butter

½ c whole milk

¼ fresh thyme

salt and pepper

1. Steam celeriac and carrots until soft, 20-30 minutes. Once vegetables are soft, remove from heat and place in a food processor.

2. Next, add butter and milk to the vegetables and purée until mixture is smooth. Add thyme and purée for a few seconds more until combined.

3. Season to taste with salt and pepper. May be served warm or room temperature.

Serves 3-4

Winter Wheat Berry Salad with Bacon, Corn and Arugula

I have found grain salads to be an excellent way to increase the use of whole grains in my cooking. There are many different grains to choose from and each one is unique in flavor, texture and appearance. Grains are easy to cook in boiling water, but generally take a few hours. I like to make grain salads throughout the year as they are versatile, a great addition to most any meal and delicious on their own. Wheat berry salad tastes good along side blue potatoes and fennel beet salad.

Other types of grain may be substituted for hard red winter wheat berries. Spinach would also work well, depending on availability and preference.

2 c cooked hard winter wheat berries

2 strips bacon, finely sliced

1 medium red onion, finely diced

1 c corn, fresh or frozen

2 c fresh arugula, roughly chopped

1 tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped

salt and pepper

1. Place cooked wheat berries in a large mixing bowl and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add bacon and brown, stirring occasionally. Once bacon has browned, add onions and cook until translucent. Add corn and rosemary, continue cooking until rosemary is fragrant and corn is cooked, about 2-3 minutes. Once ingredients are ready, remove the skillet from heat.

3. Next, add arugula to the skillet and stir to combine, allowing arugula to wilt slightly. Place all ingredients in the large mixing bowl with the wheat berries and gently combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve warm or room temperature.

Serves 3-4