Mediterranean Rice Bowls

A delicate drizzle of tzatziki would have looked better in the photo, but this tastes better.

This is my effort at recreating the "Sampler Plate" at Tradewinds. The components are flexible, though I'd say the tzatziki really ties it together and the falafel was important as the only really warm/hearty part.

The Recipe:

Rice: basmati tossed with lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and parsley

Greek salad: shredded kale and sliced onions in balsamic vinaigrette

Hummus: see recipe

Crumbled feta cheese

Falafel (I like the Trader Joe's frozen kind)

Tzatziki: here's a good explanation from Cookie and Kate

Layer and eat!

The Verdict:

Overall grade: B+

Overall reason: The flavors are all strong, so I got tired of it after a while. Maybe plain rice would be a better choice, or just pita instead of the rice.

Time to prepare: 1 hour

Kid quote: "I LOVE falafel! I want more falafel!" (This is the kid who gagged the last time I served him falafel. I can't keep up.)

Comments

Kitchen renovation!

BEFORE: AFTER: Still to come: a beautiful new induction range and some wood shelving on the left side, above the backsplash. And maybe the shelving unit on the wall facing the cabinets should be green, but we're going to live with a while before making that decision.

Red lentil dal

Cucumber salad is key. This dal is perfect. Most of us took seconds, and I'm really excited to eat the last portion that's sitting in the fridge right now. The accompanying salad is really great for adding texture, crunch, and acidity to the meal. I wouldn't skip it. I got it from Tea for Turmeric and prepared it pretty much as written, but doubled and with none of the optional ingredients. This recipe doesn't mention any seasoning/dressing on the salad, but adding lemon and salt to it really brightened things up. The Recipe: (from Tea for Turmeric) 2 c red lentils splash of avocado oil 2 tsp cumin seeds 2 small onions, finely chopped 1 inch ginger, grated 4 small tomatoes, chopped 2 thai chilies, minced 2 tsp cumin powder 2 tsp coriander powder 1 tsp cayenne 1 tsp turmeric 2+ tsp kosher salt 2 tsp lemon juice 1/2 c cilantro, chopped For serving: basmati rice and plain yogurt Salad ingredients: 1/2 english cucumber, sliced 10 cherry tomatoes, quartered 1/4 onion, slic...

Vietnamese Curry Stir-Fry

When I get the recipe just right, I'll go to the effort of adding fried shallots on top. I'm back to my on-and-off mission of trying to make a stir-fry as delicious as the shrimp I used to get at Pho Grand in St. Louis during college. It was called "cari tom" but it definitely wasn't a coconut milk type of curry, and they ALSO have a separate listing on their menu for "cari tom dac biet" which includes "coconut milk sauce" in their description. So I'm pretty sure it was just a stir-fry that had curry flavors in it? I got myself a big container of Vietnamese curry powder and I'm going to keep experimenting. This is the closest I've come so far. Changes for the future: - More oil and sugar, restaurant style - A blend of fish sauce and soy sauce, instead of just soy sauce - Fried shallots on top The Recipe (adapted from Veggie Anh ): 3 tb fresh lemongrass, chopped 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 Thai chili, minced 1 pinch salt 2 tb avoc...

Adventures of a healthy-ish pseudo-foodie

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