Wild Rice and Tofu Salad with Sesame Dressing

I LOVE the bulk barn. Really, I will take any opportunity to browse the bulk barn, even when I don't need anything. I also buy things I don't really need. A while ago I bought some wild rice even though I had mason jars of 4 different kinds of rice already in my cupboard. When I saw this recipe on the New York Times I knew that was going to be my use for the wild rice. Plus, I got to use my magic bullet to make another dressing. I made a couple modifications based on what I had on hand, but the gist of the recipe is the same.

Wild Rice and Tofu Salad with Sesame Dressing from the New York Times, Recipes for Health

1/2 lb firm tofu
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp soy sauce
1 cup uncooked black rice
1 cup frozen edamame, defrosted

Dressing:
1 garlic clove, finely minced
3 tbsp white vinegar
1 tsp soy sauce
5 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds*

1. Cook rice according to package directions. Yields about 3 cups of cooked rice.
2. Meanwhile, cube the tofu and pat dry with paper towel. Toss in 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tsp soy sauce. Bake in 400 degree F oven for 10 minutes or until bottom side browned. Flip and bake for another 10-20 minutes, until browned.
3.  Combine cooked black rice, tofu and edamame in a large bowl. Allow to come to room temperature.
4. For the dressing, combine all ingredients in a food processor or magic bullet. Blend until most of the sesame seeds are no longer whole. Pour most (80%) of the dressing over the rice mixture. Toss and serve room temperature or cold.

*Toast sesame seeds on a pan over medium heat. Be careful not to burn.

This salad was incredibly filling and tasted great as leftovers cold the next day. I really liked the dressing, but I think it would have been better with rice vinegar as the original recipe called for. The original recipe also called for raw tofu. While I am a tofu fan, I don't go so far as to eat it raw. The basic baked tofu used in this recipe would be great for any stir fry using tofu. This salad lacked veggies for sure which is really just the result of it being put together on a Friday, a day short of the usual grocery day. Bell pepper, cucumber, celery, onion, and mushrooms would all have been lovely in this salad.

I don't know if it is the sudden arrival of spring weather here in Ontario, but this salad makes me feel like summer is on it's way. I am pretty sure it is the weather but just in case it is the salad, you should make it too so you can feel like summer is coming, it is a great feeling ;)

Heather's Quinoa and Wheatberries

I have a bit of spring fever. Yes, I know, I know, it's only March 3nd, and it's below zero. Regardless, I am itching for spring, and Heather's Quinoa by Heidi Swanson has contributed a bit to my spring like temperament. It all started last year in April when was on a 101cookbooks.com kick. I made Heidi's recipes all the time. It was exam time, I had just cleaned the entire house, it was a beautiful day, and I picked up some fresh pesto from a natural food store in uptown Waterloo, a store that I dearly miss. I bought the pesto to specifically use in this recipe. It was my first experience with fresh pesto, and boy was it memorable. I thought I didn't like pesto; turns out I was wrong.

To this day the thought of this dish, and particularly the combination of corn and basil brings me to that pleasant spring day when I was very, very happy in that simple moment. I had made some modifications to the recipe a year ago, and I have done it again today. The reason this time being that I have been dying to try wheatberries. I had purchased them over the Holidays and have been waiting for the perfect recipe to use them in. So in this case, instead of 3 cups of Quinoa, I used 1 cup cooked wheatberries, and 1.5 cups cooked quinoa.

You can find the recipe here and I highly recommend that you make this recipe soon. It is easy to make, quick, full of flavour and is easily modified. One note I do have however is that the quality of pesto makes all the difference. Last year, I used a fresh vegan pesto that was purchased in the refrigerated section and was in a container, not a jar (therefore not heated). I couldn't find fresh pesto at my local grocery store, and since it is the winter I do not have an excess of fresh basil to make it myself. I was not overly impressed with the jar I ended up buying. It looked good on the label (fresh basil was 1st ingredient, and didn't have anything I would not have added myself) but it just didn't suit my tastes. This pesto had Parmesan cheese in it and maybe that is what made the difference. Morale of the story: make your own fresh pesto or use a brand that you love the flavour of becuase it will make all the difference. And if you can avoid jarred pesto, then avoid it.

In other news, I have joined the twitter world. You can follow me at @ddidonat

Anyone else suffering from or experiencing premature spring fever?