Caramelized Onion Rice with Tomatoes and Cucumber

At the end of the weekend, I find myself scrambling to use up the last of my CSA box. I pick my box up each Tuesday, so I try to eat the majority of the veggies from the previous week by Monday. Sometimes I end up eating the veggies raw, sometimes I end up throwing them all in a soup, and sometimes I end up roasting them and drizzling them with, you guessed it, Sriracha.

I was skimming through The Hadassah Everyday Cookbook, my newest favorite find at the library, when I noticed a recipe for Caramelized Onion Rice. I thought it sounded like a great side but could easily be amped up with a couple more vegetables.

FoodBuzz recently provided me with a tub of Texmati White Rice as part of the DailyBuzz Food Tastemaker program with RiceSelect. I cracked it open and started cooking!

Caramelized Onion Rice with Tomatoes and Cucumber

Serves 4-6, as a side

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Texmati white rice
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 2 medium-sized tomatoes, chopped
• 2 small cucumbers, chopped
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta, optional, for topping

1. Cook rice according to package directions; remove from heat and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a medium pan over medium heat. Add onions and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and cumin and cook for an additional 2 minutes until fragrant; remove from heat.
3. Add onions, tomatoes, and cucumbers. Gently toss until combined. Top with feta, if desired.

This side dish is incredibly easy to make. The caramelized onions give it a sweet touch that balances out the saltiness of the feta. While the rice is fluffy and tender, the cucumbers give it a nice crunch. Serve with your favorite veggie burger and top with grilled shrimp for a light, Summery dish.

Yes, I’m still pretending it’s Summer. It’s 84* today, wouldn’t you?

This post is brought to you by Rice Select.

This post is brought to you by Rice Select.

Black Bean Company–Mt. Pleasant location

Late July, Black Bean Company opened a third location in Mt. Pleasant. Though the restaurant is right up my alley, I’d only been to the James Island location once because it’s a bit far. When I heard the news about their location in the new MUSC East Cooper building, I was excited to give it a second try. Black Bean specializes in fresh wraps and salads and has many vegetarian and vegan options.

Last Friday, Amanda texted me saying she had just picked up a wrap. I knew there was no way I couldn’t go after hearing her tell me how great her Black & Blue wrap was. So an hour later, there I was inside MUSC, thankfully only for a wrap and not hospitalization.

I debated between several options, but ultimately chose the Southwest Chicken wrap – Roasted chicken, black beans and Jasmine rice, fresh local sweet corn, roasted tomatoes, southwest chipotle sauce, shredded carrots, parmesan cheese, mixed greens.

This was one of their pricier wraps, at $9.95; that’s a bit steep for my taste. The wrap itself was fresh and flavorful. The Greek yogurt and granola that I chose as a side (other options include potato or macaroni salad) was incredibly thick and creamy. Addictive. My only qualm was that they skimped on the corn and tomatoes. There were only a few kernels of corn and TWO tomato chunks. Odd. The spicy dressing had a nice kick to it.

Over the weekend, I was wishing Black Bean was open, but this particular location is only open Monday-Friday, 8 to 5 pm. Luckily I work from home on Mondays, so, you guessed it…I went back on Monday.

This time around I ordered The International – turkey, hummus, guacamole, artichoke hearts, pico de gallo, goat cheese, Spicy Goddess sauce, mixed greens.

I really liked this wrap as well, but it had the same issue with lack of ingredients. There was ONE artichoke and ONE chunk of guac in the entire wrap. Sad! They were pretty liberal with the cheese though, and I didn’t mind that.

Last year when I attended the Best of Charleston party, I was given a coupon for a free order of Vegan spring rolls, so I redeemed that.

The spring rolls are simply purple cabbage, carrots, and greens in a soy wrap served with a spicy sauce. They’re good, but kind of boring. Had it not been for the sauce, I wouldn’t have really cared for them.

Overall, I’m happy with Black Bean and will continue to try new wraps. I just wish they wouldn’t be so conservative with the fillings! If a menu says something is in a wrap, it should be in there, and not just a small amount. I read reviews on Urbanspoon, and a lot of people commented saying they had issues with missing ingredients too. Hopefully they’ll work on that!

Have you ever been to any of the Black Bean locations? Which is your favorite wrap or salad?

Do you typically choose wraps or salads when dining out1?

Black Bean Company and More Downtown Running

I spent the night with Mariah on Saturday night after a somewhat tame evening downtown. I spent my third weekend at The Macintosh. Still obsessed with this new bar. Mariah was housesitting on John’s Island, so on Sunday we decided to take advantage of different restaurants.

Black Bean Company is a restaurant that so many people have recommended to me. Calling themselves an “Energy Food Restaurant,” they serve premium organic and all natural foods. They have a breakfast and lunch menu, which specializes in gyros, wraps, and salads.

I chose a wrap that a friend had recommended a while back.

Beach Burrito: roasted chicken breast, black beans & rice, mixed greens, fresh guacamole, and mango salsa.

Mariah opted for a wrap as well.

Black and Blue wrap: chicken, blue cheese, mixed greens, avocado, fig balsamic vinaigrette, black beans, and jasmine rice.

Both wraps came with a side; Mariah had the couscous with golden raisins and I had yogurt with granola. We both really enjoyed everything. The wraps were huge and tasted extremely fresh. I was so close to ordering one to go for dinner, but instead saved my other half for my next lunch. I will definitely be back.

After lunch it was time to lounge in leather recliners and watch TV. We caught the end of the Jersey Shore reunion, then watched How Do You Know. It was just okay. I didn’t mind staring at Paul Rudd for 2 hours though.

That afternoon, still feeling pretty healthy, I decided to go for a run downtown. I am certain that downtown is my favorite place for a run. Although I’m constantly having to dodge tourists, cars, and cyclists, I never get bored. I always seem to see someone I know too, so each time is an adventure. I just pray I never fall on the cobblestone or brick sidewalks. It was a nice 5 mile run and I enjoyed every minute of it.

Locals: Have you been to Black Bean Co. or Dell’z Deli? What’s your preference?

What are you guys dressing up as for Halloween?

The Rice Market

Last Tuesday, I finally got a chance to check out the Rice Market downtown. Using a combination of local product and international delicacies, the menu contains elements from from Mediterranean, Cajun, the Far East, and Lowcountry cuisine. With such a diverse menu, there is something for everyone!

The first thing I must say about this restaurant is that it is absolutely gorgeous inside. Upon entering, you will notice an outdoor eating area that will be perfect come Summer. The inside of the restaurant is largely open but with dim lighting. To the right, you have the bar.There is also a rice wine bar.Back to the left, you will find the regular seating area that includes a couple lounge tables. This beautifully decorated room towards the back would be perfect for a private party or birthday.
The restaurant’s vibe definitely made for a great eating experience.

While looking over the menu, we started with Zipang sparkling sake. It was lightly sweet with just a little bubble.
 
For an appetizer, I tried the The Stone – soy & sake marinated hanger steak sliced thin for you to cook at the table. The stone arrives at your table steaming hot. You lay the steak on the stone and cook it to your preference. Interactive eating is fun! Both sauces accompanying the steak were delicious. Another (unpictured) appetizer that we tried was Satays: cardamom duck, crispy shrimp, and chipotle grilled beef. You get two satays of each meat served with a soy dipping sauce and mustard aioli. The duck satay with mustard aioli was definitely my favorite.

Once we had decided what to order, we each chose a glass of wine: Kim Crawford Chardonnay and Vina Nora albariño for me.

One of the entrées we had was Paella: Spanish rice, mussels, clams, shrimp, calamari,
stewed tomatoes, black garlic aioli. This was incredible. Full of so many flavors and different types of seafood, this is such a satisfying meal. I couldn’t get over how much flavor was in the broth and how perfectly tender the rice was.

We also had the (unpictured) Wood Grilled Salmon with coconut jasmine rice, sugar snap peas, caramelized pineapple. I rarely order salmon at restaurants because I just don’t think it ever lives up to my expectation. It was highly recommended by our server, so I went with it. I was very happy I did. I was served a large piece of salmon that was cooked to my preference. The pineapple and coconut flavored rice paired really well with the fish. I would definitely suggest this dish for any salmon lovers.

There are many other items on the menu that I’d like to try, so I will soon return to the Rice Market. The service was excellent and although our food was served in a timely manner, I never felt rushed. Should you find yourself looking for a new place to eat, make your way down to East Bay treat. You will not be disappointed. Huge thanks to T for the wonderful meal and letting me take 2095872985 photos.


And now, the winner of the Yoplait Smoothie giveaway…
Congratulations, Jessica!!

Stuffing Tomatoes with Rice and Bellies with Wine

I'm a nerd. I love gadgets. I love my Blackberry like it's my child, but I love kitchen gadgets even more. Last week, Serious Eats featured a fun wine gadget: the Vinturi Essential Wine Aerator. As soon as I read that it would make my "$7 wines taste like real winners too" I knew I had to have it. One stop at Bed, Bath, & Beyond and $40 later, I had my new toy.

Margaret and I had planned a wine & dinner night tonight - my first opportunity to try out the new gadget. I had jokingly purchased a $7 wine to see how fabulous the wine aerator could make it. Margaret also brought over a cheapo wine. There's absolutely nothing wrong with getting your wine on for a few dollars, but with my new gadget, we were about to wine and dine. 

The gadget is really easy to use - you just pop in the filter, hold over your wine glass, and pour in slowly. In order to test the effectiveness of the aerator, Vinturi suggests that you sample wine that has been aerated and compare it with the same wine straight from the bottle. My little Bio major and I thought it would be fun to test this product to see what it would do with our $7 wines.

Here I am with craptastic wines and a fantastic gadget:

Close up of the gadget:

First, pour a little sip of the wine straight from the bottle:

Then pour a sip through the aerator. Be careful not to spill. 

Sample the sip that was poured straight from the bottle.

VOMIT a little as it burns your esophagus.

Then sample the sip that has been passed through the aerator. 

Smile at your delicious $40 wine.

Mmm, good. We noticed that the wine was much smoother and tasted less aciditic. After quite a few samples, we decided to start cooking. Wine + cooking = FUN.

Fun and a whole lot of forgetfulness. I forgot to photograph most of the cooking. I had bought all the ingredients needed for the Christina Orzo recipe because I thought it was so good. We decided to revamp the recipe and make Orzo Stuffed Tomatoes.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound shrimp
• 2 large heirloom tomatoes
• 1/2 cup orzo
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 medium vidalia onion
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 2 tsp fresh oregano
• 2 oz goat cheese
• salt & pepper

Directions:

• Cook rice according to directions. Set aside.
• Preheat oven to 375*.  Cut tops of tomatoes and set aside. Scoop out tomato pulp and set aside with tops. Dice tops & pulp.
• In a medium pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion; saute for 3 minutes. Add garlic and crushed red pepper; saute for 1 minute. Add reserved tomatoes, wine, and shrimp. Cook until wine evaporates and shrimp is fully cooked.
• Combine rice, tomato mixture, and goat cheese. Place tomatoes in a baking dish and add rice mixture among the shells. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until tomatoes are tender. Serve immediately.

Creamy tomato and rice mixture:

Action shot! Hair blowing into the...steam. So hot right now. No, really. I told you it was 375*.

Duh, I love posing with my food. Duh, I drank too much wine and had a sassy little head tilt going on. Fug. Stop judging, please.

Glamour shots of the stuffed tomatoes:

Glamour shots of the wine lovers:

So...we might have had too much $7 wine because we were acting like it was $1,000,000 wine. Now we're making banana bread. Gotta go! XO.

Honey Ginger Chicken with Jasmine Rice

Soooooooo yesterday we went to B's mom's house for a lunch/dinner/linner.....dunch? Ok, that's enough. She made a roast with asparagus and RICE. I only spooned out a little bit of this rice because a. I don't need mom thinking I'm a savage and b. I do enough carb unloading in my mouth as it is. But once I put a spoonful of those white, fluffy grains in my mouth, I knew I had made the wrong decision. I grew eyes in the back of my head that faced the stove where more rice was sitting. I know, I know, it's just rice, but I am a carb queen, errr princess. It was so light and fluffy and reminded me of the rice I had in Hawaii. Of course I asked her how she made it, and she simply replied that she had used 2 cups of water instead of the recommended 1 1/2. Mom is a genius. More water --> more moisture --> softer rice. It's just science. So all day Monday I was thinking about RICE. RICE RICE RICE. The little Asian inside of me was begging me to find a recipe that involved rice so I could finally make it the right way. I found this Cooking Light recipe for Honey-Ginger Chicken Bites.

I adapted it a little and used the following ingredients:

• 2/3  cup  honey
• 2  tablespoons  minced peeled fresh ginger
• 2  tablespoons  fresh lemon juice
• 2  tablespoons  rice wine vinegar
• 2  tablespoons  low-sodium soy sauce
• 2  teaspoons  olive oil
• 2 tablespoons of orange juice
  
• 1  teaspoon  Worcestershire sauce
• 4  garlic cloves, minced
• 2 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts
• 2  teaspoons  cornstarch
• 2  teaspoons  water
• sesame seeds

First I made a marinade with the first nine ingredients. Brandon cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces (or should I say *nuggets*?) and then added them to the marinade. The chicken marinaded in the fridge for about 30 minutes while I tried to whoop Brandon's *(&%@(W&%^(*^& at Wheel of Fortune. 

I read on the bag of Jasmine rice that you're supposed to rinse the rice in water several times. Ummm what is that!? Apparently you need to rinse off residue from the milling process. Hmm. The only colander he had was one with holes that were way bigger than the rice.  I panicked/whined/moaned to B that it wasn't going to come out right because we couldn't rinse it. His man response was to initially ignore me, forgetting that I am quite persistent. Then Boy Genius (clearly Mom Genius' son) told me to poke tiny holes in a ziploc bag and rinse the rice in it. Wow. 

When the chicken was done marinading, I used a slotted spoon to remove the chicken from the bag to cook for about 15-20 minutes at 425*.

 

While the chicken was cooking, I used the rest of the marinade to make a glaze. I put the marinade in the pan and brought it to a slow boil. In a cup, I mixed the cornstarch with the water, and then added that to the marinade to thicken it. 

 

After a couple minutes, it thickened perfectly! I took the chicken out and drizzled the glaze over it, topped it with sesame seeds, then roasted it for just another minute or two. 

Finally, I plopped the nuggets over the warm jasmine rice (that came out perfectly by the way) and we ate! The chicken was soooo good. I highly recommend this recipe!

Shrimp, Spinach, & Goat Cheese Risotto

Brandon had been craving risotto for over a week and since I had never made it myself I decided we should try it together. I spent some time looking at recipes online, decided on some ingredients I wanted to use, and Brandon picked them up at Whole Foods. Making risotto is a laborious process, but definitely worth the effort. I alternated arms so I could get buff. Haha. It came out really good. We actually used the juice of a whole lemon, but I adjusted the recipe below because that was a bit too much. You could use fresh dill in place of thyme if you'd like. We will definitely make this again.

Here it is in the pot:

And in the bowl:

Ingredients:

• Cooking spray
  
• 1 pound small shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup chopped sweet onion (about 1/2 medium)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup uncooked Arborio rice
• 3/4 cup white cooking wine
• 4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1 1/2 tbsp finely chopped fresh thyme
• 5 oz bag of fresh spinach, coarsley chopped
• 2 tbsp lemon
• 2 oz crumbled goat cheese

Preparation:

1. Coat a medium pan with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat. Add shrimp and cook for about 5 minutes, or until done. Remove from heat and keep warm.
2. In a large pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook for 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add rice; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add wine and cook until nearly absorbed, stirring constantly.
3. Add broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly for 5 minutes or until liquid is nearly absorbed before adding the next. When adding the final 1/2 cup of broth, add shrimp, spinach, thyme, lemon juice, and cheese. Salt & pepper to taste. Serve immediately. Makes 4 servings; about 1 1/2 cups each.

Our First Real Post

this is our favorite recipe that we've made. we usually make it with jasmine rice, but since i have an obsession for pasta, we decided to give soba noodles a try. Actually, they are udon noodles, but I'll forgive you this time Xtina.

here it is on the stove, all mixed up. here it is ready to eat:

and because i simply cannot eat something salty without eating something sweet almost immediately after, i decided to make a cobbler. brandon wanted peach. i wanted blueberries. compromising isn't easy but he is so cute i give in.

arranging the fruit:

after baking:

dough on top, ready to bake:

after baking but before brandon could wait to sample it:
we needed french vanilla ice cream too:
about to devour it: