Instant Pot Saffron Rice with Currants and Pine Nuts

“Yellow rice,” as I called it then, was my dinner request. Just yellow rice! The stand-in name was just about right, at least in this instance, because the rice I so craved was a mix my mom would make from a little foil packet purchased at the store. I’m not sure what exactly was in that mix, though I have a hunch: yellow coloring, natural flavors, and salt. It felt like I could eat that rice for days without getting tired of it.

This version of yellow rice is not that yellow rice. It’s made with Saffron—real saffron— and studded with pine nuts and currants. It’s beautiful, and tastes beautiful too. I could eat it for days without getting tired of it. At first bite, I was immediately transported back to Mom’s yellow rice. It’s a bowl of nostalgia, but also global flavors. It’s vibrant, and homey. And, it’s made in your Instant Pot! (affiliate link)

(It seems like as a kid, I often identified foods by their color: get the recipe for grown-up Pink Sauce here).

For a video of this recipe, click here!

Instant Pot Saffron Rice with Currants and Pine Nuts

Published May 21, 2019 by Caitlin Sherwood

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Serves: 6   |    Active Time: 30 minutes

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Ingredients:

2 cups white rice (such as basmati)

2-1/2 cups water

5 tablespoons butter, divided

1/2 yellow onion, diced small

4 pinches saffron

1 teaspoon salt 

1/3 cup currants

1/3 cup toasted pine nuts

1/3 cup minced parsley, plus more for garnish

Directions:

1. Turn Instant Pot to sauté setting and heat 1 tablespoon of butter. Add diced onion, and sauté, stirring occasionally, until translucent.
2. In a mortar and pestle, grind the saffron so that it is almost a powder—a few larger pieces is OK.
3. Add rice, water, remaining 4 tablespoons of butter, saffron, and salt to pot. Stir.
4. Secure lid on Instant Pot, and set to “Rice” setting, with the vent in the closed position. Timer should set to 12 minutes.
5. When the timer goes off, release the pressure. Add currants, pine nuts, and parsley to the pot. Use a fork or spatula stir everything together, fluffing the rice as you go.
6. Serve hot, sprinkled with additional parsley for garnish.

Asian Chopped Salad with Sriracha Roasted Cashews

This is an older recipe from Foraged Dish and I wanted to give it an update. Same recipe!

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Have you tried these cashews yet?

If your answer is yes, you’re probably now thinking, “I should make those again this week.” If your answer is no, what are you doing?! Hop to it!

We joked that I should sell those cashews rather than sharing the recipe … but here we are. And I’m going to give you one more reason to make them yourself: a fresh, crunchy salad that will make a great potluck dish or light lunch.

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What’s in the bowl: I used to call this a “slaw,” but that word never quite hit the nail on the head. “Slaw” is short for coleslaw, which is usually a cabbage-based salad dressed with mayo. That’s nowhere near what this salad is. While still a cabbage-based salad, this bowl is also full of other veggies, like bell peppers, carrots, radishes, and bok choy (basically a big bowl of crunch!). Cashews sprinkled on top add to that crunchy, and the whole thing is dressed with an orange-sesame vinaigrette. (I’m crazy about toasted sesame oil, the flavor is out of this world and a little bit goes a long way).

Asian Chopped Salad with Sriracha Roasted Cashews

Published April 16, 2019 by Caitlin Sherwood

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Serves: 6   |    Active Time: 20 minutes

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Ingredients:

For the salad:

2 cups thinly sliced purple cabbage

1 red pepper, sliced in thin strips strips

1 carrot, julienned

1/2 cup daikon radish, julienned

1 heaping cup bok choy, roughly chopped

1/2 cup Maple-Orange Sriracha Roasted Cashews

Optional: 2 tablespoons minced cilantro

For the vinaigrette:

Juice from 1 medium orange

2 tablespoon rice vinegar

2 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1 tablespoon soy sauce

Directions:

1. Pour ingredients for vinaigrette in a jar. Place lid on jar, and shake.
2. Chop vegetables, and place in a large bowl. Drizzle with about 1/3 of the vinaigrette, and toss. Top with cashews.
3. Serve, adding more vinaigrette to taste.

Smashed Cucumber Salad

Smashed Cucumber Salad is a Chinese side dish, and I’ve adapted that dish into a recipe I can make any old day. The salad base is still just cucumber (a GREAT way to mix it up when you’re in a salad rut). But the dressing is the star: the perfect balance of salt, acid, and sweet. Rice vinegar, soy sauce, and honey come together and it just works. I haven’t yet watched Salt Fat Acid Heat (or read it), but that doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate a dish that balances all of it’s flavors well. What do you think — should I jump in and watch the show?

Smashed Cucumber Salad

Published April 2, 2019 by Caitlin Sherwood

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Serves: 6   |    Active Time: 50 minutes

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Ingredients:

2-3 english cucumbers 

Sprinkle of salt

3 tablespoons avocado oil or other neutral oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes 

1 teaspoon honey (or white sugar)

3 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 teaspoon ginger juice or minced ginger

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

1 tablespoon soy sauce 

Garnish: 1 tablespoon minced cilantro, 2-3 small sprigs of mint (optional), lime wedges (optional)

Directions:

1. Slice ends off of cucumber, and slice in half the long direction. Lay halved cucumbers seed-side down on a cutting board. Roll a rolling pin over cucumbers, smashing them just until the start to crack. Chop into bite-sized pieces.
2. Place cucumber in a bowl and generously sprinkle with salt. Set aside.
3. Place avocado oil, garlic and chili flakes in a small sauté pan and warm over medium heat until garlic begins to sizzle. Stir occasionally, and allow garlic to turn golden. Remove from heat.
4. In a jar, combine honey, rice vinegar, ginger juice, sesame oil, soy sauce, and the chili-garlic oil. Stir (or close jar and shake) to combine.
5. Toss cucumber in dressing. Top with minced cilantro, and optionally garnish with mint and lime wedges. Serve.