The Amazing World of Rice (8 page)

Addictive crunchy roasted chickpeas are easy to make with good-quality canned chickpeas, or dried chickpeas cooked from scratch, if you prefer. (Dried chickpeas need to soak overnight and will take at least 2 hours to cook until tender.) Simply roast the chickpeas in a hot oven with olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Serve them as a snack or in this rice salad. For an all-vegetable meal, serve this salad with a platter of sliced tomatoes and an assortment of grilled vegetables.

Two 15-ounce cans chickpeas, rinsed and well drained (or about 4 cups cooked dried chickpeas)

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 garlic cloves, chopped

3 cups cooked long-grain white rice

1 cup diced (¼-inch) celery

1 cup diced (¼-inch) plum tomatoes

½ cup diced (¼-inch) red onion

3 tablespoons finely chopped celery leaves

Dressing

6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

¼ cup finely chopped Italian parsley

½ teaspoon kosher salt

• 1.
  Spread the chickpeas on a clean kitchen towel and blot dry.
  
• 2.
  Preheat the oven to 400°F.
  
• 3.
  Spread the chickpeas in a 13 × 9-inch baking pan. Drizzle with the olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with the garlic; stir to blend. Roast until the chickpeas are crisp and browned, about 10 minutes more. Let cool.
  
• 4.
  Combine the rice, roasted chickpeas, celery, tomatoes, red onion, and celery leaves in a large bowl.
  
• 5.
  For the dressing:
  Whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, parsley, and salt in a small bowl.
  
• 6.
  Pour the dressing over the rice salad. Toss to blend. Taste and add more salt and a grinding of black pepper if needed. Serve at room temperature.
  

Inspired by three ingredients I adore: fragrant basmati rice, lush ripe mango, and naturally sweet crunchy toasted coconut. Serve with chicken that has been marinated in a paste of yogurt, curry powder, and grated ginger, and then grilled.

½ cup unsweetened dried coconut

Dressing

5 tablespoons canola or other flavorless vegetable oil

2 tablespoons unseasoned Japanese rice vinegar

½ teaspoon grated fresh ginger

¼ teaspoon finely chopped garlic

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

 

3 cups cooked basmati rice

1 mango, peeled, pitted, and cut into
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-inch dice

2 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced

¼ cup chopped cilantro, optional

• 1.
  Preheat the oven to 325°F.
  
• 2.
  Spread the coconut in a pie plate or small baking pan. Bake, stirring once, until golden, about 5 minutes. Let cool.
  
• 3.
  For the dressing:
  Whisk the oil, rice vinegar, ginger, garlic, and salt in a large bowl.
  
• 4.
  Add the rice, mango, scallions, and toasted coconut. Toss to combine. Top with chopped cilantro, if using. Serve at room temperature.
  

Sushi is technically a Japanese dish made with cooked short-(or medium-) grain rice and sweetened rice vinegar. But for this recipe the rice is used to make a refreshing salad that is dressed with rice vinegar. Soy-glazed broiled or grilled salmon is the ideal accompaniment.

2 cups uncooked sushi rice

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Dressing

½ cup unseasoned Japanese rice vinegar

3 tablespoons canola or other flavorless vegetable oil

1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce

2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

½ teaspoon minced garlic

 

1 cup 1 ×
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-inch julienne strips peeled seedless cucumber (cut into thin slices, stack, and cut across into julienne)

¼ cup minced red onion

1 tablespoon brown sesame seeds (see Note)

• 1.
  Place the rice in a bowl, add cold water to cover, and stir gently; drain. Repeat two more times. Combine the rice, 2½ cups water, and the salt in a rice cooker and cook according to the manufacturer's directions. Or combine in a saucepan, cover, and cook over low heat until the water is absorbed, 10 to 12 minutes; let the rice stand, still covered, for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the lid, to prevent condensation from dripping onto the rice. Let cool to room temperature.
  
• 2.
  For the dressing:
  Whisk the rice vinegar, oil, tamari, sesame oil, ginger, and garlic in a small bowl until blended.
  
• 3.
  Combine the cooled rice, cucumber, red onion, and sesame seeds in a large bowl. Add the dressing; toss gently until blended. Serve at room temperature.
  

This unusual salad was inspired by a display of bunches of freshly harvested Italian parsley with small tender leaves at my local farmers' market. Here half of the parsley is pureed with the oil and vinegar dressing, which gives the salad a bright green color.

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cup plus 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1½ cups uncooked medium-or long-grain white rice

2 garlic cloves, minced

Kosher salt

4 cups lightly packed tender Italian parsley leaves

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

½ cup pignoli (pine nuts)

½ cup diced (¼-inch) sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil (rinsed and blotted dry, then diced)

½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Freshly ground black pepper

• 1.
  Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large wide saucepan or deep skillet over medium-low heat. Add the rice; cook, stirring, until some of the grains turn from translucent to opaque (the rice will look tweedy), about 10 minutes. Add half the minced garlic; cook for 1 minute. Add 2¾ cups water and 1 teaspoon salt. Heat to a boil over high heat; stir once. Reduce the heat to low; cook, covered, until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat. Uncover—do not stir—and let cool to room temperature.
  
• 2.
  Place half the parsley, the remaining
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  ₃
  cup olive oil, the vinegar, ½ teaspoon salt, and the remaining garlic in a food processor; process until the parsley is finely chopped.
  
• 3.
  Toast the pignoli in a small skillet over low heat, stirring constantly, until golden, about 2 minutes.
  
• 4.
  Transfer the rice to a large serving bowl. Add the parsley vinaigrette; stir to combine. Finely chop the remaining parsley. Add the parsley, dried tomatoes, pignoli, cheese, and pepper to taste; toss to blend. Serve at room temperature.
  

I make this salad whenever I have a piece of tuna, brushed with soy, waiting to be grilled, or chicken cutlets marinating in ginger, garlic, and lime juice to sear in a hot skillet on top of the stove.

2 tablespoons canola or other flavorless vegetable oil

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

3 to 4 cups cooked medium-grain brown rice (rinse the cooked rice to remove excess starch)

1 cup coarsely shredded carrots

½ cup thinly sliced scallions (white and green parts)

½ cup chopped dry-roasted peanuts

2 teaspoons brown sesame seeds (see Note)

 

Whisk the oil, lime juice, and sesame oil in a large bowl. Add the rice, carrots, and scallions. Toss to blend. Sprinkle with the peanuts and sesame seeds. Toss once and serve.

This salad is a long-time favorite, especially made with medium-grain brown rice. (Rinse the cooked rice to remove excess starch.) The starchy grains absorb the flavors of the lemon dressing and the tamari on the nuts. Ideal as part of a vegetarian summer menu with a platter of steaming corn on the cob and thick slices of ripe tomatoes. Or, it goes well with grilled soy-or tamari-marinated flank steak, jumbo shrimp, or fish steaks. You can use either tamari or soy to glaze the nuts. Use walnuts instead if you like; both are good. Make extra nuts and keep them on hand to sprinkle on green beans, toss with mixed greens, or just nibble as a snack. If making the salad ahead, reserve the broccoli and tamari almonds and add just before serving.

Tamari Almonds

½ cup natural (skin-on) whole almonds

1 teaspoon canola or other flavorless vegetable oil

2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce

 

1 pound broccoli, tough stems trimmed, stems sliced into ¼-inch-thick rounds, florets separated into 1-inch clusters (about 4 cups florets)

Dressing

¼ cup canola or other flavorless vegetable oil

2 tablespoons fresh lemon or lime juice

1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

½ teaspoon grated lemon zest

½ teaspoon minced garlic

 

3 to 4 cups cooked medium-grain brown rice (rinse the cooked rice to remove excess starch)

½ cup thin diagonal slices scallions (white and green parts)

• 1.
  For the tamari almonds:
  Combine the almonds and oil in a medium heavy skillet over medium heat; stir-fry just until fragrant, about 20 seconds. Sprinkle with the tamari and stir-fry until the almonds are coated with the thickened tamari, adjusting the heat as necessary to prevent burning, about 1 minute. Turn out onto a double thickness of paper towels to blot, then transfer to a small bowl. (Do not cool the almonds on the paper towels; they will stick to them.)
  
• 2.
  Place the broccoli in a vegetable steamer, cover, and steam over gently boiling water until tender, about 4 minutes. Rinse the broccoli with cool water to stop the cooking.
  
• 3.
  For the dressing:
  Whisk the oil, lemon juice, tamari, ginger, lemon zest, and garlic in a large bowl.
  
• 4.
  Add the cooked rice, tamari almonds, broccoli, and scallions; toss to blend. Serve at room temperature.
  

Serve this simple spring salad crowned with curls of Parmigiano-Reggiano. (Use a vegetable peeler to shave thick curls from a wedge of cheese.) Served with other salads as part of a buffet, it is a great party dish. The recipe can easily be doubled.

1 cup uncooked Arborio or other medium-grain white rice

Kosher salt

1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into ½-inch diagonal pieces

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon olive oil

Pinch of kosher salt

¼ cup pignoli (pine nuts)

Dressing

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

¼ teaspoon minced garlic

½ teaspoon kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

 

½ cup thin diagonal slices scallions (white and green parts)

Thick curls Parmigiano-Reggiano

• 1.
  Heat 2 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Stir in the rice and 1 teaspoon salt; cover and cook over low heat until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender, about 15 minutes. Let stand, uncovered, until cooled to room temperature.
  
• 2.
  Place the asparagus in a vegetable steamer; cover and steam over simmering water until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Rinse the asparagus with cool water; drain and let cool.
  
• 3.
  Whisk the eggs, in a small bowl. Whisk in 1 tablespoon water, the olive oil, and salt. Heat a small skillet, preferably nonstick, over medium-low heat; add the
  eggs and cook, stirring gently with a rubber spatula, until scrambled into large clumps. Remove from the heat and set aside.
  
• 4.
  Toast the pignoli in a small skillet over low heat, stirring constantly, until golden, about 2 minutes.
  
• 5.
  For the dressing:
  Whisk the oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper to taste in a large bowl.
  
• 6.
  Add the rice, asparagus, eggs, and scallions; fold together to blend. Spoon onto a large deep platter or shallow bowl. Sprinkle with the toasted pignoli and curls of Parmigiano-Reggiano.
  

The best dishes are often the simplest. Here freshly cooked rice is folded into a colorful mix of tomatoes, cucumber, green beans, and basil. Add a little crumbled cheese, such as ricotta salata or a mild feta, if you like. Cooked shrimp or strips of poached chicken make it a complete meal.

1 cup uncooked long-grain white rice

6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

¼ cup red wine vinegar

½ teaspoon minced garlic

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup corn kernels (from 2 ears)

1 large ripe tomato, seeded, cored, and cut into ¼-inch dice

1 cup diced (¼-inch) seedless cucumber

½ cup diced (¼-inch) red onion

¼ cup packed torn basil leaves

1 cup thawed frozen shelled cooked shrimp, shredded cooked chicken, and/or crumbled or chopped cheese (Parmigiano-Reggiano, ricotta salata, mild feta, or goat cheese), optional

• 1.
  Heat 1¾ cups water to a boil in a shallow saucepan or deep skillet. Add the rice and salt; cook, covered, over low heat until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender, about 15 minutes. Let stand, uncovered, until cooled. Fluff with a fork.
  
• 2.
  For the dressing:
  Whisk the olive oil, vinegar, garlic, ¼ teaspoon salt, and a grinding of black pepper in a large bowl. Add the rice, corn kernels, tomato, cucumber, red onion, and basil; toss to blend. Add the shrimp (and/or chicken and/or cheese), if using. Serve at room temperature.