Seven Grain Salad Primavera
Salads can be a lot different than the standard lettuce,
tomato, cucumber, and onion things that we know and
love so well. Nothing against tossed greens - these
tried and true concoctions are among my favorite
ways to eat. But salads can be widely varied, and
with flavors and textures completely different than
the familiar "Caesar" and "garden" varieties. Salads
can be made from grains, with fresh citrus flavors,
peppers, and sesame. They can be redolent with the
tang of fresh ginger. A
Ingredients:
1 cup of each of the following grains, cooked:
Quinoa
Wheatberries
Wild rice
White rice
Bulgur
Barley
Couscous
You may substitute any of your favorite grains. Cook
according to package instructions. Be sure to end up
with about seven cups of cooked grain.
½ red pepper, chopped
½ orange pepper, chopped
½ yellow pepper, chopped
1 small red onion, chopped
½ bunch scallions, chopped
Mix together and set aside.
For the dressing:
½ cup mango chutney (recipe follows)
¼ cup prepared plum sauce
½ cup orange juice
¼ cup Sesame
oil
1 teaspoon roughly chopped fresh ginger
1 teaspoon fresh garlic, chopped
Blend all of the ingredients in a food processor.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Mix the grains, dressing, and chopped vegetables.
Garnish with extra chopped scallions. Mango Chutney
3 mangoes (about 3 pounds total) not quite ripe
½ cup white wine vinegar
1/3 cup sugar plus additional to taste, depending
on how sour the mango is
1 ½ teaspoons Sea salt, or to taste
¼ cup raisins
For the seasoning paste:
1-inch piece fresh gingerroot, peeled
1 fresh jalapeno chili
5 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander seeds
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
1 piece cinnamon stick, about 3-inches
2 star anise
2 tablespoons corn or safflower oil
Preparation:
Peel the mangoes and cut into ½ inch cubes. Toss
the mangoes with vinegar, sugar, salt, and raisins.
Make the seasoning paste: Cut the gingerroot
into approximately four pieces.
For milder chutneys,
wearing rubber gloves, remove the seeds and
veins from the jalapeno.
Add the gingerroot, chilies,
and remaining seasoning paste ingredients to a
food processor with the motor engaged. Add the
ingredients one at a time through the feed tube
and puree until it reaches the consistency of
a paste.
Heat a heavy kettle over medium or medium-low heat
until hot. Cook the seasoning paste, cinnamon stick,
and star anise in the hot oil, stirring often. Cook
for about ten minutes, or until very fragrant.
Stir in the mango mixture and simmer, covered, over low
heat. Stir occasionally until the mangoes are tender.
This should take about 30 minutes.
Discard the cinnamon stick and the star anise. Cool the chutney
completely. Mango Chutney
3 mangoes (about 3 pounds total) not quite ripe
½ cup white wine vinegar
1/3 cup sugar plus additional to taste, depending
on how sour the mango is
1 ½ teaspoons Sea salt, or to taste
¼ cup raisins
For the seasoning paste:
1-inch piece fresh gingerroot, peeled
1 fresh jalapeno chili
5 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander seeds
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
1 piece cinnamon stick, about 3-inches
2 star anise
2 tablespoons corn or safflower oil
Preparation:
Peel the mangoes and cut into ½ inch cubes. Toss
the mangoes with vinegar, sugar, salt, and raisins.
Make the seasoning paste: Cut the gingerroot
into approximately four pieces.
For milder chutneys,
wearing rubber gloves, remove the seeds and
veins from the jalapeno.
Add the gingerroot, chilies,
and remaining seasoning paste ingredients to a
food processor with the motor engaged. Add the
ingredients one at a time through the feed tube
and puree until it reaches the consistency of
a paste.
Heat a heavy kettle over medium or medium-low heat
until hot. Cook the seasoning paste, cinnamon stick,
and star anise in the hot oil, stirring often. Cook
for about ten minutes, or until very fragrant.
Stir in the mango mixture and simmer, covered, over low
heat. Stir occasionally until the mangoes are tender.
This should take about 30 minutes.
Discard the cinnamon stick and the star anise. Cool the chutney
completely.
Mango Chutney
3 mangoes (about 3 pounds total) not quite ripe
½ cup white wine vinegar
1/3 cup sugar plus additional to taste, depending
on how sour the mango is
1 ½ teaspoons Sea salt, or to taste
¼ cup raisins
For the seasoning paste:
1-inch piece fresh gingerroot, peeled
1 fresh jalapeno chili
5 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander seeds
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
1 piece cinnamon stick, about 3-inches
2 star anise
2 tablespoons corn or safflower oil
Preparation:
Peel the mangoes and cut into ½ inch cubes. Toss
the mangoes with vinegar, sugar, salt, and raisins.
Make the seasoning paste: Cut the gingerroot
into approximately four pieces.
For milder chutneys,
wearing rubber gloves, remove the seeds and
veins from the jalapeno.
Add the gingerroot, chilies,
and remaining seasoning paste ingredients to a
food processor with the motor engaged. Add the
ingredients one at a time through the feed tube
and puree until it reaches the consistency of
a paste.
Heat a heavy kettle over medium or medium-low heat
until hot. Cook the seasoning paste, cinnamon stick,
and star anise in the hot oil, stirring often. Cook
for about ten minutes, or until very fragrant.
Stir in the mango mixture and simmer, covered, over low
heat. Stir occasionally until the mangoes are tender.
This should take about 30 minutes.
Discard the cinnamon stick and the star anise. Cool the chutney
completely.
Directions:
Salads can be a lot different than the standard lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and onion things that we know and love so well. Nothing against tossed greens - these tried and true concoctions are among my favorite ways to eat. But salads can be widely varied, and with flavors and textures completely different than the familiar "Caesar" and "garden" varieties. Salads can be made from grains, with fresh citrus flavors, peppers, and sesame. They can be redolent with the tang of fresh ginger. Add to this an exotic, but easy to prepare chutney. This is a fine, low-fat, and very healthy way to dine in the summer. The grains are high in fiber, as well as in the amino acids that are essential to life.
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