Beet + Wild Rice Grain Bowls

It has taken me seven days to put fingers to keyboard on this one, and before that, three weeks to slow down for long enough to take photos. Despite being forced to slow down in 2020, life—the world- still feels very chaotic. This makes it hard to write about something as simple as a grain bowl. Where do you begin when there are so many important things happening in the world?

Yet here, on planet Earth—the ground we all stand on- we must still eat. Food is a symbol of its own: a cultural symbol, a mark of a movement, a taste of history, a connection to the ground. When I think of this recipe, my mind goes to the earth. It boasts deep flavors that remind you of where your food came from (nutty wild rice, sweet and earthy beets, buttery feta cheese), and in that way, this meal is grounding.

I grow a small patch of beets in my garden every year. They are one of the easiest vegetables to grow, resilient and hardy. This dish puts beets, such a humble root, on show. Eat it warm on a rainy evening, or cold for a mid-day work lunch.

Beet + Wild Rice Grain Bowls

Published July 30, 2020 by Caitlin Sherwood

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Serves: 4   |    Active Time: 30 minutes

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Ingredients:

4 beets

2 cups cooked wild rice (for serving cold, allow rice to cool first — for serving warm, rice can be freshly cooked or reheated)

1 cup cucumber, sliced

1/2 cup feta cheese crumbles

1/2 cup walnut pieces, toasted

1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives, halved or roughly chopped

1/4 cup parsley, minced

For vinaigrette:

Juice of 1 lemon

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

Generous pinch of salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

Directions:

1. Cook beets: Pierce each beet with a knife (this allows steam to escape during cooking). Place beets in a large microwave-safe pyrex with a lid, and add 1 cup of water. Microwave until softened through, about 10-12 minutes. When done, beets will be softened and a fork or knife should easily go through. Allow to beets to cool 5-10 minutes.
2. While beets cool, make the vinaigrette: combine ingredients for vinaigrette in a jar. Secure lid, and shake until well mixed.
3. Dice beets into bite-sized pieces, then assemble bowls: scoop 1/2 cup of rice into each bowl. Divide beets, cucumbers, cheese, walnuts, and olives amongst bowls. Garnish with parsley, and drizzle vinaigrette to taste. Serve hot or cold.

Chicken Piccata with Picholine Olives

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Today, I’m sharing an update to a a recipe that’s been on the blog for quite a while (since 2014!). This updated version still calls for olives, which is not a typical Piccata ingredient, but if you ask me, olives are rarely a bad idea.

When I think of chicken piccata, I don’t think of anything too bold or fancy. It evokes mental images of chain-style Italian restaurants. But that’s not quite right, because fresh home-style chicken piccata is bright. It’s surprising what a single lemon can do, and how briny capers awaken any dish. Bring an old classic back to the table—why not? Classics are classics for a reason, and this one is ready in under 30 minutes.

Chicken Piccata with Picholine Olives

Published April 21, 2020 by Caitlin Sherwood

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Serves: 4   |    Active Time: 25 minutes

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Ingredients:

1 pound chicken cutlets or chicken tenderloins

Salt

Black pepper

1/3 cup all purpose flour

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1 lemon, plus additional slices for garnish

1/2 cup chicken broth

3 tablespoons capers

1/2 cup pitted picholine olives or castelvetrano olives

1/4 cup minced parsley for garnish

Directions:

1. Sprinkle chicken, on both sides, with salt and pepper.
2. Put flour on a plate. Coat each piece of chicken in the flour, shaking off excess.
3. Heat olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat. When oil is glistening, place chicken in pan. Allow to cook for 3-4 minutes, undisturbed. Chicken should be white around the edges and golden on the cooked side. Add garlic to pan. Flip chicken to second side, and cook for 3 more minutes or until golden.
4. Using a spatula or tongs, transfer chicken to a clean plate. Pour broth into pan, and reduce heat to medium-low. Squeeze lemon juice into pan. Using spatula, scrape the bottom of the pan, scraping up the brown bits for added flavor.
5. Add chicken back to pan, and coat in sauce. Add capers and olives.
6. Serve chicken on plates, and sprinkle with parsley.

Greek Cauliflower Rice with Feta and Olives

The food processor. It is tucked away high in a cupboard above our fridge, behind mixing bowls. Getting the food processor out means getting out my folding kitchen stool, clearing off the top of the fridge (this is actually a chore, with the amount of stuff we keep up there), and pulling 4 pieces down from three separate shelves (the base, the bowl, the lid, and any blades or attachments). And that's just to get the thing out: don't get me started on dishwashing. 😒

I avoid it. Need a half-cup of shredded cheese? I'll grate it by hand. You'd like those radishes sliced thin? Give me the chopping knife. But some times, on really rare occasions, it's worth it. Like when making almond flour pie crust. Or when making a really, really big batch of pesto, or shredding cauliflower into rice. 

Cauliflower rice isn't a regular menu item around here (we will just eat regular old rice) but the summer sun has me in the mood for light dishes. And you know how dearly I love cauliflower, so it has to be no surprise to you that I'm up for one more way to eat it. And, hey, here's a pro tip: if you hate getting your fancy food processor out as much as I do, you can buy cauliflower, pre-riced at Trader Joe's and the stuff is pretty good. Sure you don't get to see your pretty head of cauliflower in it's full and beautiful form before it gets shredded, but you do save about 20 minutes when all is said and the dish are washed, and I think that's worth it, especially on a week night. 

Something else I've been in the mood for? Feta cheese. It's has been finding it's way into all sorts of meals around here lately: everything-but-the-kitchen-sink salads, breakfast omelettes, burger tops, and sautés. The Costco-sized container lasted us not but a week, but still, enough time to make this Greek-inspired cauliflower dish a few times. 

What happens when you find yourself a Costco-sized container of feta and an easy-peasy way to make cauliflower rice? Well, why don't you just make this recipe to find out 😉

Greek Cauliflower Rice with Feta and Olives

Published June 22, 2017 by Caitlin Sherwood

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Serves: 4   |    Total Time: 30 minutes

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Ingredients:

• 1 large shallot, diced
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 pound cauliflower, riced or shredded in food processor (you can buy it pre-shredded at Trader Joe’s in the produce section)
• 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1/2 cup sliced black olives (kalamata is great, but any black olive with do)
• 1/3 cup minced parsley, plus more for garnish
• Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Heat coconut oil in a skillet over medium heat. When the oil glistens, add the diced shallot. Sauté until transparent.
2. Add the cauliflower rice to the pan. Cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Allow the cauliflower to brown a bit, and then remove from heat. Stir in the parsley, olives, and feta, and season with salt & pepper to taste. Garnish with extra parsley if desired. Serve warm.