If
you know me, you know I am not a cook. Oh, I can cook, it’s just that I
approach cooking as if it were a chemistry experiment. I follow the recipe.
When it comes to cooking I have no imagination…no taste buds that say to my
brain, “Why don’t you try a dash of _________?”
When
I saw a recipe in a local grocery store weekly flyer for Wild Rice Salad, I cut
it out for future reference. Today is the future.
During
the summer I usually make (alternately) potato or elbow macaroni salad. They
are quick and easy, and I can make enough to last several days. But, I wanted
something different this week. Wild Rice Salad, of course!
I
had no idea wild rice was black (or is it dark brown?). It was a shock when I
went shopping yesterday. I also got the baby spinach, cucumber, and red wine
vinegar. I already have olive oil, garlic, dill and tomatoes. The original
recipe paired the salad with salmon, but I figure I can pair it with anything.
Today I used it as a side dish for pork chops. For a vegetable I cut up and steamed one small yellow squash and one small zucchini. That will make a nice looking, appetizing,
plate!
I
was so anxious to try the salad that I didn’t even think to take a picture of
my plate. I will do that tomorrow and post it, since I will have the exact same
lunch.
(As a side note, I do not like eating a monochromatic meal. Where I used to work, the cafeteria would occasionally have breaded lemon-butter scrod, mashed potatoes and corn. Put that on a cream colored plate and it disappeared! It had absolutely no appeal.)
I
went outside on the deck to eat because it is a gorgeous day here in in
Southern New England. I knew what the pork chop and the squashes would taste
like, but the wild rice was the unknown.
I
put the first forkful into my mouth and let it rest there for a moment…savoring
the flavors. The cucumber and red wine vinegar were the most prominent. The
rice alone has a subtle taste to it and has to rely on what is added. The taste
is delicious; the texture is crunchy; the look was colorful and appetizing. What more
can I say? I liked it!
Here
is the recipe:
1
cup wild rice (I bought a .5 oz package and followed cooking directions on the
package)
1/3
cup red wine vinegar
1
tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3
cups chopped baby spinach leaves
1
cup finely chopped cucumber
1
cup chopped cherry tomatoes (I chopped up a regular tomato)
2
garlic cloves, minced
2
tbsp chopped fresh dill or 1 tsp dried
Bring
3 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan (since I had just short of 1 cup
of rice I used 2½ cups water per package directions).
Add
rice, cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer, covered, 40 minutes or so (follow
package directions on timing) or until tender. Drain.
Place
rice in a large bow. Add vinegar and oil, toss well.
Add
spinach, cucumber, tomatoes, garlic, dill and freshly ground black pepper to
taste. Toss to combine. Set aside until ready to serve (in refrigerator to
chill is best if you have time).
