Roasted Vegetable Rice Salad

You might think you recognize this recipe from Closet Cooking, because he provided the inspiration for it. But this is Soooo much simpler. See, I aspired to his recipe, but I didn't have some of the ingredients, and others were just too darn difficult to get. This is his Zucchini and Corn salad made easy, for those of us who are not stocked with quinoa. --AnglophileLV

*Also, I used some of the leftover taco seasoning to flavor the pulled pork in my Enchiladas.

Roasted Vegetable Rice Salad

Ingredients:

1 cup cooked rice (I used Trader Joe’s wild rice)
1 batch taco seasoning (see below)
1 ear grilled corn cut from cob
1 zucchini chopped into sticks, grilled, and chopped into small pieces
1 roasted red bell pepper chopped into pieces
1 cup black beans
1 jalapeno choppped fine
1 green onion chopped
1 tablespoon oil
2 lime’s juice
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:


1. Cook the rice. Add the taco seasoning.
2. Mix the rice, corn, zucchini, black beans, jalapeno pepper, red pepper, and green onion and in a large bowl.
3. Mix in the oil, lime juice, salt and pepper.

Taco Seasoning

Ingredients:
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
2 teaspoons cumin
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper

Directions:1. Mix everything.

Cabbage-Coconut Salad / Koshimbiri

Whenever I visit my mother's family (they are big on seafood) this salad is always a side dish. I recently picked up a gigantic cabbage in the market and just had to try this out. It turned out really delicious. I enjoy the crunch and the mild sweetness of raw cabbage and how it works with the red onions and coconut.

Ingredients:

Cabbage, chopped up - 1-1.5 cups
Red Onions, chopped up - 1/2-1 cup.
Grated fresh coconut - 2 tbspns
Fresh thai Green Chillis chopped up finely - 1 (use 1/4-1/2 serrano or jalapeno)
Fresh Cilantro, finely chopped - 1 tbspn or so.
Freshly squeezed lime juice - 1-2 tspn
Salt to taste.

Method:

1. In a bowl mix everything with your hands, really get into it as if you are trying to make some dough. This is to ensure that that the flavors of the cabbage, onions, coconut, cilantro, and chillies intermingle. Tossing a salad works only if the star is your dressing...not in this case.

2. Add the salt and lime juice and lightly toss. I don't like my salad too tangy. I enjoy the taste of the veggies with the coconut quite a lot. Give it a try!

It is generally served as an accompaniment to meals...very delicious with seafood based dishes and rice.

Balsamic Vinaigrette - Desi Style

Finally a recipe. It's been a long time. In my defense, I've been traveling around parts of India I've never been to and it's been a blast for all of my senses. I'm really tempted to dedicate a post just to my memories and travels in the past couple of months. In time, I think I will.

Now back to food. A couple of my friends here are slowly getting into salads now. It makes me really happy! Fortunately we get some of the ingredients to make some decent vinaigrettes and I'm going to describe the dressing I've been using here for the past few months. Since I'm in India and us Indians can't be buggered [hello british slang] to measure things, this will be a free flow recipe. It's sort of a rap recipe (improvised with no measurements) but with the basics being the same.

Balsamic Vinaigrette

Ingredients:
Balsamic Vinegar -1/2 cup
Olive Oil -1/2-3/4 cup
Garlic - finely chopped - 6-10 cloves
Italian spices - dried. Anything and everything seems to be alright (mainly: oregano, rosemary, thyme, basil, marjoram, etc.) Pinches of everything! Remember a little of dried spices goes a long way.
English Mustard - VERY VERY little. I should be using Dijon Mustard, but I couldn't get my hands on it.
Pepper - 1/2 tsp or lesser
Salt (can omit this)

In a jar (which you can close and mix) place the finely chopped garlic, add pinches of the spices you have on hand, pepper, balsamic vinegar, and mustard. to this add the olive oil and mix. Shake the jar/bottle for about a minute. Taste it to ensure the flavours are balanced.

Usually it keeps well for about a month or more (i've used it up within a month) and gets better with time.

Salad:
Ice berg lettuce, Green-leaf lettuce, tomato cubes, onion slices, black olives, slivers of carrots, cubes of cucumbers, slices of capsicum/green bell pepper.

I've also added ripe papaya and apples when available.

For those addicted to non-vegetarianism: Marinate a chicken breast with the salad dressing for about 15 minutes. Then grill it. Once cooked, chop it into cubes and toss along with the veggies.

Simple Salad Dressing and Mandarin Almond Salad

Mandarin Almond Salad

If you're not thrilled with the salad dressing you can find in the store, try homemade! It's super easy, I promise, and you probably already have the ingredients. I'll include the full salad recipe I use with the dressing too.

-Anglophile LV

Dressing:
1/4c white vinegar
1 1/2tb sugar
1/2 tsp salt
pepper
3/4c oil

Put ingredients in a tupperware container and shake well, or just stir it. I told you it was easy.

Salad:
1 package of slivered almonds
1-2 heads Boston Lettuce
1 c mandarin oranges
4 green onions chopped
1 ripe avocado
a handful of Craisins
1/4th cup sugar-- yes, sugar.

Ok, so put the sugar in a skillet over low heat until it begins to carmelize, then add the almonds and stir until they're all coated and slightly browned. Spoon them out onto wax paper, or a cookie sheet, and try not to let them clump up. Spread them out flat. When they cool, break them up into little pieces since they stick together otherwise. It's a pain in the ass, but worth it in the end. Toss together with the lettuce, oranges, green onions, avocado, craisins and salad dressing at serving time.

Rose Water Fruit Salad

Picture obtained from a google search.

This is another Moroccan recipe I learned from a friend who spent some time there. It’s the perfect end to a complex spicy Moroccan dinner, like my Saffron Chicken with couscous, or tagines.
--AnglophileLV

Rose Water Fruit Salad (serves 6)
Ingredients:
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cinnamon stick, broken in half (can substitute ground cinnamon)
• 1 teaspoon rose water
• 1 can mandarin oranges
• Blueberries
• Raspberries and/or blackberries
(any fruit you have on hand works with this – just experiment to find what you like best)

Directions
Stir 1 1/2 cups water and sugar in heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium-high. Add cinnamon; boil until syrup is reduced to scant 1 cup, about 10 minutes. Mix in rose water; cool.
Put berries and mandarin orange pieces in small individual bowls, and spoon syrup over them.