Fish Salad with Forbidden Rice

May 23, 2006 | Filed Under Avocados, Cereals/Grains, Beyond Salmon, Stripped Bass, Fruits, Asparagus, Seafood, Rice, Salad, Fellow Bloggers, Vegetables | Leave a Comment 

 

 

Some time ago, Helen of Beyond Salmon came up with a well-rounded meal from the leftovers in her fridge, which enticed me to try.

The ingredients included fish, asparagus, onions, avocado and something I’d never heard of or tasted before – Forbidden Rice.

The name alone captured my interest. Also known as Black or Purple rice (obviously because of its color), an interesting myth surrounds Forbidden rice. It was considered “forbidden” because it was supposed to have mystical powers to advance long life. As a result, only emperors were allowed to eat this special rice.

Luckily, since times have changed, those of us not born under official emperor lineage are no longer forbidden to eat this rice. Anxious to taste it, I looked for it when I went shopping and to my surprise, found it at Citarella’s, one of the food markets where I do my shopping.

I prepared the meal according to Helen’s instructions and found the rice to have a unique taste. I would agree with Helen’s description of its taste – like wild rice with a deep, almost sweet flavor. The rice tasted unusual to me but it’s definitely something I’ll eat again in the future (Hey, I wanna live to the age of at least 106!).

I liked the entire meal combination of the asparagus and avocado (more foods I never liked until recently), with the fish. Like Helen, I used strip bass but as with all her fish recipes, she gives suggestions for fish substitutions. The dressing brought everything together.   Delicious!

This may have been a meal from left over foods, but as I ate, I certainly felt like an Empress, in my own right, dining at a banquet table. Thanks, Helen!

Paz

Ed. Note: I’ve been asked where I got the legend information on Forbidden Rice (as well as the name). It’s printed on the back of the rice package I bought. The rice is imported by a company called Lotus Foods. According to Helen’s post, she found her information at the same place. This is what’s printed on my package:

Legend tells us that Forbidden Rice was once grown exclusively for the Emperors of China to enrich their health and ensure their longevity.

Today, this heirloom rice is prized for its fragrant aroma, nutty taste, eep purple color and nutritional value. It pairs beautifully with fish, meat and colorful vegetables. An everyday favorite — use steamed, in pilafs, stir-fries, and salads.

* Cooks in 30 minutes * Gluten free, wheat free * High in iron * A whole-grain rice * Non-GMO

 

 

Helen’s Fish Salad with Forbidden Rice

Fish substitutions:

any fin fish or shell fish leftovers. Hey, this can even work with chicken!

Serves 4

For the salad:

1 cup your favorite interesting rice (purple, wild, or brown)

2 tsp olive oil

1/2 Lb asparagus, trimmed, cut into 1 inch lengths

1 Lb leftover fish fillets, skin removed and flaked

1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion

2 avocados, peeled and sliced

1/4 cup chopped parsley, cilantro, mint, or basil

For the dressing:

2 Tbsp lemon or lime juice

2 anchovy fillets, mashed to a paste (optional)

3 Tbsp olive oil Salt and pepper to taste

1. Cook rice according to package instructions. Cool completely.
2. Set a large skillet over high heat. When preheated add oil and asparagus and cook stirring occasionally until tender, but not mushy, about 5 minutes. Take off heat and cool.
3. In a large bowl combine rice, asparagus, fish, onions, avocados, and herbs. The salad can be prepared up to this stage a day in advance, covered, and stored in the fridge.
4. Whisk all the dressing ingredients together and pour over salad. Season to taste with salt and pepper and mix well.

 

Asparagus, onions, avocado, cilantro

 

Cooking the asparagus

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Seared Striped Bass with Orange Gremolata

November 13, 2005 | Filed Under Stripped Bass, Beyond Salmon, Fellow Bloggers, Seafood | Leave a Comment 

 

Seared Striped Bass with Orange Gremolata was on the menu for dinner. Very tasty, indeed. This recipe comes from Helen.

First, I prepared the gremolata, which consisted of orange parsley, and garlic. Very easy.

Next, I made the Balsamic vinegar mixture (olive oil, balsamic vinegar, orange juice and salt) and set it aside.

Then I prepared the fish fillets in a large nonstick skillet. Within a few minutes, the fish was ready and enjoyed by all!

Paz

 

Wild Striped Bass

 

Pan Roasted Trout with Wine-Butter Sauce

November 11, 2005 | Filed Under Stephen Cooks, Trout, Beyond Salmon, Fellow Bloggers, Seafood | Leave a Comment 

 

Lately, I’ve been going to the fish market more often. In becoming adventurous by buying different types of fishes, I’ve found that their names can be confusing – Rainbow trout, white trout, speckled trout, native trout, steelhead, kamloop trout, green trout, striped bass, chilean sea bass, white bass, silver bass, black bass, bigmouth bass, smallmouth bass, calico bass, strawberry bass, oswego bass, mediterranean bass, branzino, sea bream, dorado, orata… the list goes on….

How many types of trout and bass are there? Which one am I supposed to buy? Is one better over the other? What difference do they make? The confusion makes a neophyte cook and fish buyer like myself want to stand by the fish counter and scream in bewilderment.

After making bluefish, the other day, I wanted to try Stephen’s Pan Roasted White bass with Wine-Butter Sauce recipe. His instructions suggest using trout if white bass is unavailable. The fish market didn’t have “white” bass but had other kinds of bass, which I was unsure whether to buy or not. I ended up buying rainbow trout, still unsure of whether it was the right kind of “trout” to purchase.

The meal preparation went with ease and the meal was very good. The fish turned out perfectly and the wine-butter sauce added even more to its succulent taste. Thanks for the recipe, Stephen!

Since making the trout, I’ve discovered the differences and similarities of the fish mentioned above, from Helen. I’m trying not to take all the varying fish names so seriously, as I’ve learned that most of them are marketing names and differ not only from city to city but also store to store. I’ve found out that rainbow trout is the same as white trout, so I did buy the correct fish. I’ve also learned that Chilean sea bass is not a bass at all, but instead a Patagonian toothfish. Mediterranean bass is also known as Branzino, Sea Bream is the same as Dorado or Orata.

I’m getting quite an education on fish since I’ve started to cook. The experience is turning into fun!

Paz

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bluefish with Crispy Potatoes

November 6, 2005 | Filed Under Green Beans, Beyond Salmon, Bluefish, Fellow Bloggers, Seafood | Leave a Comment 

 

After making Bluefish with Crispy Potatoes, I can now add bluefish to my fish-cooking repertoire. Up until now, I’ve only made salmon and tilapia dishes. The recipe comes from Beyond Salmon, an exceptional blog by Helen, with delectable fish recipes. I like the “Is it Done?” section that shows the reader how to tell whether a fish is properly cooked, as well as the “Fish Personalities” section, which lists the various elements that make up different types of fishes. Best of all, I like the fact that most of the recipes include a good substitution list, so that the reader can make another choice if one type of fish is unavailable. These are all important tips for a beginner cook like me. With most of the ingredients on hand, I only had to buy the bluefish fillets and red skinned potatoes. I prepared a wonderful smelling mixture of garlic, olive oil, lemon juice and parsley for the fish. The recipe calls for preparing the potatoes first in the oven, then later adding the fish on top to be baked in the oven. The end result? Mouthwatering bluefish with crispy potatoes. My potatoes could have probably come out crispier, but it still tasted good. They’ll come out even crispier the next time I make them. You can find the recipe here. Thanks, Helen!

Paz