We’re going to Charleston again this weekend, I’m super excited! We got tickets to go see the Lumineers – other than that we have no plans besides relaxing on the beach, hanging out with my sister and friends and maybe checking out this place, it’s been on my list for a while. I feel like I need to be making the most of this time while my body still feels good, before my belly starts gets in the way of things and definitely before we have a little baby calling all the shots. Time is precious, I think I’ve know that for a while now but it seems extra precious right now. Only 19 more weeks of just Mark and I, the two of us, it’s bittersweet for sure. Speaking of time being of the essence, this new book by Anna Joes, A Modern Way to Cook: 150+ Vegetarian Recipes for Quick, Flavor-Packed Meals is divided into sections of recipes that can be made in 20, 30 and 40 minutes. I love this approach and definitely see myself spending most of my time in the 20 minute section in the upcoming months. All the recipes in this book are totally unique and creative – this bloody mary rice salad is a good example of that. Anna has gift for combining flavors in this new and exciting way that leaves me inspired and drooling!
Ingredients for the Rice Salad
1 and 1/4 cup black rice
1 small red onion
3 tablespoons sherry or red wine vinegar
good pinch of salt
17 ounces/500 grams different colored tomatoes
1 celery heart
3 and 1/2 ounces/100 grams black olives
Directions
Start by cooking the rice. If you pre-soak the rice overnight it only needs 20ish minutes to cook. It will take about 30 to 40 without the pre-soak. While the rice cooks, prep the veggies. Thinly slice the onion – I used a mandolin for this. Then soak the onion in a bowl with the vinegar and a good pinch of salt. Let sit to quick pickle and chop the remaining veggies. Thinly slice the celery, roughly chop the olives, cut up the tomatoes however you like. When the rice is finished cooking, toss everything together on a serving plate and dress with the dressing. Salt and pepper to taste.
Ingredients for the dressing
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon vegetarian warcesteshire sauce
1 teaspoon tabasco or similar chile sauce
fresh ground pepper
good pinch of salt
2 tablespoons jarred horseradish
1 lemon, juice and some zest if you like
Directions
Combine all ingredients in a jar with a lid and shake or whisk it all up with a fork.
Notes
This recipe is from the book, A Modern Way to Cook. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Ok, this is the last peach recipe. It will be worth suppressing your pumpkin-spice cravings, I promise. And if you’re in a part of the country where peaches are no longer available just simply swap them out for apples here – so good! I make these little pastries at least a few times a year. It’s fun to fill them with whatever you have on hand, apricot jam with dark chocolate and ginger, just plain cinnamon and sugar, but my favorite remains this combination with a made-from-scratch almond paste and oh yes… peaches! Don’t let the almond paste intimidate you, it’s so easy to make! Blanching them and removing the skins in the only time-consuming part but I find a moment of zen in this activity. I had these little rugelach all prepped and waiting in the fridge overnight then baked them first thing in the morning. I should probably take advantage of this pretty morning light more often! Mark and I got tickets to a mid-century modern home tour, we’ll be spending the day checking out other people’s houses, I’m excited! It’s probably one of the few times where it’s totally acceptable to be the secret snoop that I am. Hope you all have a good weekend!
Ingredients for the Rugelach Dough
1 cup flour
1 stick butter at room temperature
4 ounces of cream cheese at room temperature
generous pinch of salt
generous pinch of sugar
Directions
Combine butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add flour, salt and sugar and mix until there are no more patches of flour. Take dough out of mixing bowl and push into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least two hours, or up to three days.
Sprinkle a dry surface with flour to roll dough. Roll dough into a big circle, trying to keep the entire thing the same thickness. Spread on the almond paste as shown. Cut into even triangles, like you’re cutting a pizza. Place a peach slice at the end of each triangle and starting from the peach side roll up the dough around the peach. Brush with an egg wash for a shiny look and sprinkle on some sliced almonds and a little pinch of sugar if you like. If you have room in your fridge or freezer it’s best to refrigerate them for a bit before placing into a 350F oven for 25 minutes.
Ingredients for the Boozy Almond Paste
1 1/2 cups blanched almonds
3/4 cup powdered sugar
3 tablespoons amaretto
generous pinch of salt
Directions for the Boozy Almond Paste
Blanch the almonds: Place almonds in a bowl, pour boiling water over them. As soon as the almonds are cool enough to touch you can pop their skins right off simply by pinching them! Add all the ingredients for the almond paste into your food processor and blend.
