Brown Rice with Golden Raisins, Walnuts, and Feta

We have made this brown rice recipe a couple times now in the last couple weeks. It is really yummy! I modified it slightly from Fine Cooking here. I like to buy the frozen rice bags that you can throw in the microwave for 3 minutes and you've got your rice cooked! This is a great recipe to make plain brown rice a little more interesting.

Ingredients:

-1 bag frozen brown rice
-2-3 tablespoons olive oil
-1/2 small yellow onion, diced
-1/4 cup walnuts, toasted and finely chopped
-3 tablespoons golden raisins
-2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
-salt and pepper
-3 tablespoons feta cheese, crumbled

First toast the walnuts in a skillet over medium heat. Finely chop and set aside. Next heat the olive oil in the skillet over medium high heat. Add the onion and saute until tender.

Meanwhile, place the rasins in a small pot with a steamer basket and small amount of water. Bring water to boil and lower to simmer for 6-7 minutes. 

Place you frozen bag of rice in the microwave and cook according to packaging. Usually 3-4 minutes. Once rice is cooked pour rice into the skillet with the onion. Stir and cook for 3-5 minutes to heat through. Add the steamed raisins, toasted walnuts, fresh parsley, and salt and pepper. Toss in skillet.

Serve rice warm and top with crumbled feta cheese on each serving.

Southwestern Grilled Chicken Salad with Tomato and Black Bean Salsa

This salad is really yummy! I found the recipe in the Fine Cooking, Cook Fresh Magazine. I added goat cheese on top of the salad. This makes a great summer dinner, and would be great served with corn on the cob.

 Ingredients:

• 1 boneless skinless chicken breast half (6 to 7 oz.), trimmed
• 1/2 Tbs. chili powder
• 1 tsp. light or dark brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp. ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• Kosher salt
• 6 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil; more for the grill
• 2 Tbs. plus 2 tsp. fresh lime juice
• 1 Tbs. plus 2 tsp. chopped fresh cilantro, plus leaves for garnish
• 2 tsp. honey
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Green Tabasco (optional)
• 1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
• 4 oz. small cherry or grape tomatoes, quartered or halved (about 3/4 cup)
• 1 large scallion, thinly sliced
• 2 small heads Bibb lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces (about 9 cups)
• 1 medium firm-ripe avocado
• 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

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Prepare a medium-high gas or charcoal grill fire.

Trim and then butterfly the chicken breast by slicing it horizontally almost but not entirely in half so you can open it like a book.

Combine the chili powder, brown sugar, coriander, cumin, and 3/4 tsp. salt in a small bowl. Rub some of the spice mix over both sides of the butterflied chicken breast (you won’t need it all) and let sit while the grill heats.

Clean and oil the grill grate. Grill the breast until the edges of the top side are white, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook until just done, 1 to 2 minutes more. Let the chicken rest for 5 to 10 minutes.

In a small bowl or a glass jar with a tight lid, combine the olive oil, lime juice, 1 Tbs. of the cilantro, the honey, 1/2 tsp. salt, a few grinds of pepper, and a few shakes of green Tabasco (if using). Whisk or shake well to combine.

Combine the black beans, tomatoes, scallion, the remaining 2 tsp. cilantro, and a pinch of salt in a small bowl. Add 2 Tbs. of the dressing and toss gently.

Put the lettuce in a bowl, season with a little salt, and toss with just enough of the dressing to lightly coat. (Reserve a little to drizzle on the chicken.) Arrange the lettuce on a platter or four dinner plates. Slice the chicken breast very thinly. Pit and slice the avocado. Arrange the chicken, avocado, and salsa on the lettuce. Drizzle a little of the remaining dressing over the chicken and avocado. Garnish with the pine nuts and the cilantro leaves.

Recipe is on the cover of The Best of Fine Cooking Cook Fresh 2011 Magazine. You can also find it online here.