szechuan spring pea, asparagus, pine nut and brown rice salad

in taos spring peas are in season the first day of summer...i guess late spring is more accurate.  all of a sudden there are bins of peas at the farmers' market, and at the locally owned "health food" store, and at roadside stands.  i couldn't be happier.

spring peas are super sweet with a bit of a crunch...you can eat them raw in salads or lightly cooked in pastas, stir-fried with other seasonal vegetables or added to anything you can imagine.  i like them in omelets, on pizzas, smashed and spread on bruschetta, pureed into soup and on and on and on.

today i felt like something spicy.  i had a pound of peas, a bunch of asparagus and all of the ingredients for a spicy szechuan sauce.  this hearty dinner salad was born.  i like it spicy (i write this blog after all) so the szechuan peppercorns and chile garlic sauce add a nice bit of heat.  reduce the amount you use if you want your salad a bit tamer.  i serve this recipe as a main dish for vegetarians and add grilled or sauteed boneless, skinless chicken breasts for the carnivores in the crowd.  hint...cut the chicken breasts into bite sized pieces.  make double the amount of the soy sauce/vinegar recipe, place half in a large zip lock bag with the chicken and marinate for a couple of hours.  cook in a hot pan with a bit of extra virgin olive oil and saute for a couple minutes on each side.  serve with the spring pea salad.  really good!

szechuan spring pea, asparagus, pine nut and brown rice salad
(serves 4 as a main course)

4 cups cooked brown rice **

3  tbsp soy sauce

2 tsp honey

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar

1/8 cup water

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/s tbsp sesame oil

1 tbsp chile garlic sauce (plus more for serving)

1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked szechuan peppercorns (toast in small skillet for 1 minute, or until fragrant, black pepper can be substituted if necessary)

1 tablespoon  ginger, minced

1 tablespoon garlic, minced

4 scallions, white & green parts, chopped
1/3 cup pine nuts

1 lb asparagus, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 lb fresh spring peas, shelled

in a medium bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, honey,  vinegars and water.  heat large skillet over med-high heat.  when hot, add olive oil, sesame oil, chile garlic sauce, cracked peppercorns, ginger and garlic. saute for 30 seconds.  add scallions, asparagus, pine nuts and 3 tbsp of the soy sauce/vinegar sauce.  stir fry for 4-5 minutes, or until crisp tender. add the peas and another tbsp of the soy sauce/vinegar mixture.  cook for 1 minute and remove from heat. (do not overcook the peas...you want them crunchy, sweet and delicious)

add cooked brown rice to a large bowl.  pour in the vegetable mixture and stir to combine.  add additional sauce if needed.  salad should be moist but not soggy.  serve with additional chile garlic sauce on the side if you want it spicier.  i serve this dish with sauteed chicken breast pieces. serve hot, warm or at room temperature

** check out my recipe for preparing sprouted brown rice by clicking here.

it is "spring peas" week at food network's summerfest roundup. check out the other delicious sounding recipes from my blogger friends. do you have a favorite spring pea recipe?  share in the comments section and/or link to your blog if you have one: 

Dishin & Dishes: Smashed Pea Bruschetta with Mint
Feed Me Phoebe: Sweet Pea and Green Onion Soup
Taste With the Eyes: Peas and Pasta with a Garlicky Yogurt Sauce and Smoky Walnuts
Weelicious: Peas and Pasta
Devour: Quick Salad with Peas
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Pasta with Spring Peas, Mushrooms and Greens
Red or Green?: Szechuan Spring Peas, Asparagus, Pine Nuts and Brown Rice Salad
Blue Apron Blog: Sweet Corn & Pea Fritters with Pea Tendril Salad
Pinch My Salt: Homemade Tuna Noodle Casserole
Domesticate Me: Clean Out Fridge Frittata
Virtually Homemade: Summer Lasagna with Skinny Alfredo Sauce
The Sensitive Epicure: Pea Puree with Roasted Salmon and Chives
Daily*Dishin: Marinated Spring Pea Salad
The Heritage Cook: Pea, Potato and Bacon Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette
FN Dish: Favorite Shelled Pea Sides

happy summer everyone!

my best,

diane

red or green 

california girl in taos

napa farmhouse 1885

please follow us on facebook

i have started sharing my taos experiences on my newest blog"california girl in taos". please visit and let me know what you think.

strawberry & blueberry crisp...red or green? style

i think crisps (and crumbles...never really sure the difference) are my favorite summer dessert.  sure, they taste delicious...but they are also incredibly easy...and fast...and versatile.  just what i want when it is hot outside and the pool or river is calling. just what i want when i am staring at mounds of beautiful stone fruit and berries...and i don't want to take the time to make pies...or cakes...or tarts...or anything tricky.

crisps involve putting the fruit in a dish, adding a topping of oats, flour, sugar, spices and a fat...stirring all together, mounding on the fruit, baking and viola! warm, yummy, fruity, crunchy...and the perfect base for ice cream, or whipping cream, or frankly just as is.

most crisps call for butter. but i use extra virgin olive oil. i like the taste and texture the oil gives the topping. and, perhaps i am just faking myself out, but the health benefits of the olive oil make me feel less guilty about eating dessert...especially if you saw the serving size i take. ( it is fruit, people,...fruit!) i also use stone ground white whole wheat flour and coconut sugar.  eliminating the white flour and sugar is better for you and still tastes delicious.

this recipe calls for cracked black pepper which may seem unusual...but please don't skip it. it adds a subtle flavor that works really well with the fruit and provides a tiny bit of heat (this is the red or green? blog after all)!  no one will know what it is...they will just love the overall taste.

strawberry & blueberry crisp

(serves 4-6)...4 in my house1/2 cup organic rolled oats (not quick cooking kind)
1/2 cup white whole wheat flour*
4 tbsp coconut sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ginger
1/8 tsp cardamom
1/8 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
pinch sea salt
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 cups fruit (i used a mixture of strawberries and blueberries for this one)
2 tbsp coconut sugar
1 tbsp tapioca
finely grated rind from one small orange

fresh mint for garnish
homemade or best quality vanilla ice cream (if desired) or whipping cream, or serve with a pitcher of heavy cream

preheat oven to 375 degrees F
for topping: combine first 9 ingredients in a small bowl and mix with a fork. add the olive oil, one tablespoon at a time, mixing with the fork to incorporate the oil. when all oil has been added the mixture should look moist and a bit crumbly. set aside.

for filling: slice the strawberries in half and add to another small bowl. stem the blueberries if needed and add to the same bowl. add the sugar, flour and orange peel and gently stir.

assemble: add the fruit mixture to a small baking dish 8 inches in diameter. sprinkle the topping over the fruit ensuring all fruit is covered. bake in preheated oven 30 minutes, or until topping has browned and fruit juices are bubbling. remove from oven and let crisp cool down to "just warm" status. ** this is important...you will be tempted to eat right away, but you need to let the juices thicken a bit which happens during the cooling off period. otherwise the juices will run.**

serve warm or at room temperature topped with the ice cream and mint. also delicious the next morning for breakfast if you have any left.

** i love unbleached white whole wheat flour, whole wheat which has been milled from the lightest wheat kernels...so light they are almost white. contains all the fiber and nutrients of regular whole wheat but lighter in color and taste. note...this is not white flour...the color is light brown when baked. i like the king arthur brand**

this recipe serves 4 but is easily doubled or tripled for larger gatherings. i use rectangular glass, stoneware or clay baking dishes and casseroles for larger crisps.

it is "berries" week at food network's summerfest roundup. check out the other delicious sounding recipes from my blogger friends. have a favorite berry recipe?  share in the comments section and/or link to your blog if you have one:

Feed Me Phoebe: Gluten-Free Blueberry-Almond Pancakes
The Lemon Bowl: Strawberry Mango Chia Smoothie
Dishin & Dishes: Crunchy Topped Blueberry White Chocolate Muffins
Jeanette's Healthy Living: Gingered Blueberry Shortcakes With Light Creamy Topping
Taste With The Eyes: Blueberry Limoncello Pavlova
Sweet Life Bake: Paletas de Fresca y Aguacate
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Mixed Berry Tea Cake 
Red or Green?: Strawberry & Blueberry Crisp (Red or Green-style)
Virtually Homemade: Blueberry Mint Margaritas
Haute Apple Pie: Triple Berry Ice Cream
Pinch My Salt: Strawberry Peach Cobbler With Almond Biscuit Topping
Cooking With Elise: Dehydrating Blueberries, Plus Blueberry and White Chocolate Cookies
Devour: Four Healthy Berry Recipes
Domesticate Me: Summer Berry Crisp
Weelicious: Brainy Breakfast
The Sensitive Epicure: Strawberries With White Balsamic Vinegar Caramel, Orange Zest and Black Pepper
Daily*Dishin: Fresh and Easy Blueberry Pie
From My Corner of Saratoga: Mixed Berry Freezer Pops
FN Dish: Wake Up With Berries

happy summer everyone!

my best,

diane

red or green 

california girl in taos

napa farmhouse 1885

please follow us on facebook

i have started sharing my taos experiences on my newest blog"california girl in taos". please visit and let me know what you think.

it's back! summerfest 2013

so happy to announce the return of "summerfest", a collaboration between food network and a group of food bloggers.  a specific summer fruit or vegetable is selected each week, and food network chefs and bloggers each contribute a recipe featuring the item.  the recipes are shared on foodnetwork.com and all of the blogs so readers have a plethora of options to use up all the delicious summer produce.

this year's schedule is as follows:
June:

19: Berries

26: Peas

July:

3: Corn

10: Tomatoes

17: Watermelon

24: Cucumbers

31: Peaches

August:

7: Eggplant

14: Avocados

21: Peppers

28: Figs

September:

4: Beets

11: Grapes

18: Potatoes

wanna participate?  share your favorite recipe in the comments section of my posts...or link to your blog if you have one.  you can do this on all the other participating blogs too.  c'mon, the more ideas the better.  this is the time to raid the farmers' market, or your csa, or your overflowing garden and overindulge in fresh, local organic or sustainably grown summer produce.  on second thought, is it possible to overindulge in this area?

happy summer everyone!

my best,

diane

red or green 

california girl in taos

napa farmhouse 1885

please follow us on facebook

i have started sharing my taos experiences on my newest blog"california girl in taos". please visit and let me know what you think.

oven roasted chicken, chorizo & rice with corn

this is one of those perfect dishes...easy to make, easy to find ingredients, nice for a casual supper, elegant enough for company...can be doubled or tripled (you just need a couple of skillets)...and tastes even better the next day.  there is something so comforting about chicken and rice and this version, with sprouted brown rice, organic chicken and loads of vegetables, is delicious and healthy comfort food!  what could be better than that?

oven roasted chicken, chorizo & rice with corn
2 cups organic vegetable stock (homemade or store bought)
pinch ground saffron
pinch pure new mexican ground red chile powder, medium
1/4 cup chopped italian parsley, plus 2 tbsp for garnish
4 organic chicken legs
4 bone in organic chicken thighs (with skin)
coarse sea salt
freshly cracked black pepper
large pinch spanish paprika
extra virgin olive oil
1/2 lb mexican chorizo, (remove casing)
1/ 2 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced

1 large heirloom tomato, chopped
1 1/2 cups brown rice (organic sprouted brown rice, if possible)
10 oz bag organic frozen corn (or fresh corn if in season)
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

preheat oven to 400 degrees.  in a large sauce, bring vegetable stock and next 3 ingredients to a low simmer.  add a pinch each sea salt and ground black pepper. 

meanwhile, season chicken with salt, pepper and paprika. heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium high heat. (if you are lucky enough to have a well seasoned cast iron skillet, by all means use it.  my mom gave me hers a few months ago, it is perfect for this dish).  add chicken and brown on both sides (should take 4-5 minutes per side.) remove and place in a rimmed dish (like a pie dish) to capture any juice. add chorizo and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, for 3-4 minutes or until cooked through.  add onion, garlic and tomatoes and saute for 3-4 minutes until the onion softens.  add broth and rice and bring to a boil.  cook for 4 minutes, stirring frequently. stir in corn and a pinch each or sea salt and ground pepper.  top rice mixture with chicken.  place in preheated oven and cook for 45 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed into rice. remove from oven and sprinkle with remaining parsley.  serve hot or warm.

my best,

diane

red or green 

california girl in taos

napa farmhouse 1885

please follow us on facebook

Follow @dianeintaos

i have started sharing my taos experiences on my newest blog"california girl in taos". please visit and let me know what you think.