Seasonal Recipes: It's Spring!

RICE

Step 1 — In a fine-mesh strainer, rinse rice under cold water until water runs clear. In a medium pot, combine rice, kombu (if using), and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then cover, reduce heat to low, and cook until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let rice steam 10 minutes. Discard kombu. Fluff rice with a fork.
Step 2 — Meanwhile, in a small heatproof bowl, microwave vinegar, sugar, and salt in 30-second increments, stirring between each, until sugar and salt are dissolved.
Step 3 —Transfer cooked rice to a baking sheet, then carefully pat in an even layer. Sprinkle with vinegar mixture. Using a sushi paddle of flat wooden spoon, mix vinegar mixture into rice, cutting and folding rice over itself, trying not to smash or break any grains of rice. Cover with a damp tea towel until ready to serve.

SPICY MAYO

• In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise and sriracha; season with salt. Taste and add more sriracha, if desired

 ASSEMBLY

Step 1 — Pat tuna dry, then freeze until just firm, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board, then thinly slice or finely chop.

Step 2 — Divide rice among bowls. Top with cucumbers, avocado, radishes, nori, and fish. Drizzle with soy sauce and spicy mayo. Top with pickled ginger and sesame seeds (if using).

THE NORI
An edible seaweed that is dried into flat sheets, briny nori is an integral part of sushi rolls. There are a few ways to add this seaweed to a sushi bowl. First, crumble or thinly slice a large sheet of nori or a few smaller seaweed snack sheets, then sprinkle over top of the bowl. Second, serve seaweed snacks on the side, adding a little rice, fish, and veggies to one sheet at a time to make small sushi bites. Dip in soy sauce or spicy mayo (or both!).

THE VEGGIES
Inspired by popular sushi rolls, creamy avocado slices and juicy cucumbers add color, flavor, and texture to this bowl, while thinly sliced radishes add crunch. Customize your bowl with a wide variety of veggies: carrot ribbons, sautéed spinach, thinly sliced scallions, or steamed asparagus would all work.

THE SAUCES
Finish off with a drizzle of soy sauce and a generous drizzle of sriracha mayo, which gives us spicy tuna roll vibes. To finish the bowl, add a thin shred of pickled ginger for a sweet and tangy crunch (and save a little as a palate cleanser at the end of the meal). Add a shower of toasted sesame seeds for a nutty flavor. A little wasabi paste or pickled daikon radish is optional but delicious!

Place cucumbers, yogurt, olive oil, garlic, green onion, jalapeno, herbs, and lemon juice into a blender. Blend until smooth. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.

Pour finished soup into bowls and top each portion with chopped hazelnuts, drizzle of olive oil, and extra diced cucumber.

Serve and enjoy! 

• For variety top with crushed nuts, croutons, diced vegetables, microgreens, edible flowers or fresh herbs
• Don’t have yogurt? Use sour cream or buttermilk instead
• For a heartier soup, try add cold shrimp 
• Don’t have a blender? A food processor or immersion blender will do the trick!

1. Heat oil in a medium, high-sided sauté pan over medium heat and allow oil to reach approximately 325 F.

2. Working in batches, add the tortillas and fry until golden and crisp, approximately 1 minute.

3. Remove and place on plate lined with paper towels. Season lightly with salt.

5. <strong>For the avocado-corn relish:</strong>

6. Add all ingredients to a bowl and gently fold until combined.

7. <strong>For the seared sea scallops:</strong>

1. Add paprika, ground cumin and brown sugar to a bowl, season with salt and pepper, and mix to combine.

2. Season the scallops on one side with some of the spice mixture. Add some of the oil to a large sauté pan over medium-high heat until it begins to shimmer. Working in batches, sear the scallops until golden and a crust has formed, about 1 to 2 minutes.

3. Turn the scallops over and sear other side just until cooked through and transfer to a plate. Repeat.

11. <strong>To assemble:</strong>

12. Place a dollop of relish on each tortilla, and top each with scallop. Garnish with lime and cilantro and serve.

For a variety, try a version without the tortilla. Blend the corn relish ingredients into a purée and serve scallops atop the bed of puree.

Another fun switch-up is using shrimp instead of scallops.

Technique tip: Pat the scallops dry before searing so they get beautiful caramelization and don’t steam.

or the dressing:

Whisk the orange juice, orange blossom water, vinegar, salt, pepper and shallots in a medium bowl. Drizzle in the canola and olive oils while whisking, to make a creamy, emulsified dressing. Taste and season with more salt if needed. You’ll have about 1/4 cup dressing.

For the salad:

Cut the top and bottoms from oranges and grapefruit, exposing the flesh. Stand the fruit cut-side down on a cutting board and remove the skin with a sharp knife, slicing from top to bottom all around the fruit to remove it in small strips; make sure to trim away all the white pith. Working over a mixing bowl, hold each fruit in your hand and carefully cut down along each membrane to release the citrus segments into the bowl. Squeeze the remaining membranes over the fruit to release any juices.

Add the watercress, red onions and fennel, then toss with about half of the dressing and season to taste with salt.

To serve:

Arrange the salad on a serving platter or divide among four salad plates, then garnish with pomegranate seeds, pine nuts, olives and feta. Drizzle with some of the remaining salad dressing, if you like.

1. Preheat the oven to 425 F. In a large mixing bowl, add the potatoes and drizzle with oil. Season with garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper and toss to combine. 

2. Place the potatoes cut side down on an unlined baking sheet. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the edges of the potatoes have browned and the flesh is tender. 

3. Flip the potatoes over and make room on the sheet pan for the remaining ingredients. Add the green beans and cherry tomatoes to the sheet pan. Drizzle with oil, season with a pinch of sea salt and black pepper and gently toss everything together. Arrange the vegetables on the sheet pan along the outer edges in order to create space in the middle for the salmon. Season the salmon with sea salt and black pepper and place in the middle of the baking tray. Roast for 10 to 12 minutes, then broil for 2 to 3 minutes to further brown the salmon and vegetables.

4. Meanwhile, make the salad dressing. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the garlic, anchovies, lemon zest, lemon juice, vinegar, Dijon mustard and pepper. Slowly stream in the oil, whisking constantly, until emulsified. Season to taste and set aside. Add more lemon juice or water to thin the dressing, if needed.

5. Cook the eggs: In a medium-sized pot, add eggs and cover with 2 inches water. Bring to a boil, about 7 minutes, then immediately turn off the heat. Cover the pot and continue to steam for 5 to 7 minutes for a jammy egg or 10 to 12 minutes for a hard-boiled egg.

6. To serve, fill four serving bowls with chopped lettuce and top with the roasted vegetables, boiled eggs and salmon.

Technique Tip: You can use any waxy potatoes you have on hand — just make sure to cut them into 1-inch pieces so that they cook evenly along with the other ingredients. 

Swap Option: The joy of salad niçoise is that this dish is a blank slate for experimentation. While not traditional, you can add in or swap out your vegetables of choice such as zucchini, fennel, radishes and snap peas. Keep them raw or place them on the sheet pan until charred.

1. Preheat the grill or grill pan.

2. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

3. Grill naan bread until it’s softened and is lightly grilled.

4. Place peach slices onto the grill or grill pan and sear for about 1 minute per side.

5. Using a pastry brush, spread olive oil onto grilled naan.

6. Add goat cheese and peaches.

7. Cook for 5 minutes in the oven, or place back onto the grill, cover, and cook on a low heat for 3-5 minutes.

8. Add fresh arugula if desired

9. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar right before serving.

10. Slice and serve hot.

Perfect for preparing on an outdoor grill. Your family and guests alike will want this simple recipe!

Swap Option: Pears & balsamic reduction are a good variation.