Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Black-Eyed Peas and Basmati Rice Salad

I'm a man of leisure in the summer, which gives me more time to try new recipes. It's not uncommon to try 3-4 new recipes a week. Out of those recipes, my family usually approves of 70-75 percent of them. However, some recipes are greeted with scrunched up noses as a scant servings are spooned onto plates. If a recipe doesn't receive approval, my wife will politely say, "It's OK, but you don't need to make it again."

I usually agree with their assessments of recipes, but sometimes I try something, I like it, they don't like it, and I lament the fact that I will rarely get to prepare the recipe.

This was the case with the black-eyed and basmati rice salad from the recent issue of the Food Network Magazine. I liked this salad because it's a nice change from potato or pasta salads, and it's a good way to use leftover cooked rice.

Black-Eyed Peas and Basmati Rice Salad
Salad
  • 1/2 cup canned black-eyed peas, rinsed
  • salt
  • 1 1/2 to 2 cup basmati rice (For instructions on perfectly cooking rice, visit my post titled Rice, Rice, Baby!)
  • 1 teaspoon minced
  • 1/4 cup thinly slice red onion
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
Dressing:

  • 2 tablespoons coarse-grain dijon mustard (I didn't have a coarse-grain dijon mustard, so I mixed a little coarse-grained mustard with plain ol' dijon mustard. I like the Inglehoffer brand.)
  • 4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro.
  • salt and pepper to taste
  1. Make the dressing: Whisk all ingredients, and adjust seasoning if necessary.
  2. Toss the salad ingredients. Add dressing and toss again. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Later this week I'll prepare a salad with fennel, something Kansans rarely use in cooking. I'll keep you posted.

keep on the sunny side,
muddy

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I find myself looking for summer salads that aren't cole or potato. Took tabouli to a mostly Nebraskan gathering and it was met with the enthusiasm that a baby seal has for a BP oil rig. But, given that crowd, I should have brought Stephen Colbert's Eight Meat Chili.

Jenni said...

Having two teenage daughters, I thought this post was going to combine cooking with Fergie and her crew. I can't say I'm really disappointed, after all, I already now think of them whenever I'm shopping Target or think of shopping Target whenever I hear that damned song of theirs that's on the commercials. I think this is just what both parties had in mind when collaborating on that ad campaign. Anyway, you did have a reference to Vanilla Ice.

The recipe sounds tasty and would be a healthier alternative to some of the potato/pasta salads often featured at picnics. The scenario sounds all too familiar except that my family is pickier. I paid them back this week by making them try Vegemite.

Anonymous said...

Dammit, Jim, I'm a doctor, not a miracle worker ...

Read your recent comments, laughed as usual, clicked "select all" and then publish ... and then saw the message at the top "3 Comments have been rejected."

Ooops! Fat fingers, too much coffee.

Sorry!

But I accept World Wheat Tour 2010 PR spokesperson duties.

Cheers and a good weekend to you and yours.