Brown Rice and Edamame Salad – Approximate Recipe #QueeringPower2015

Hey, folks. So I went to Queering Power this past weekend. It was lovely, if exhausting (this is pretty par for the course with QP, so hey), and I got a lot of compliments on the rice salad that I threw together for the potluck lunch.
Like most of the stuff I cook, it was tossed together improv-style using whatever I happened to have a lot of at the time[1]. This being late Winter (or early Spring, s the case may be), it uses a LOT of dry goods and frozen or jarred items, since the local landscape doesn’t have much (anything?) available just at the moment. As is typical, I managed to lose the list of ingredients while at the event (figures), so what follows is an approximation of what I made for Saturday’s pot-luck, though it might not be the exact recipe.
 
 
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BROWN RICE AND EDAMAME SALAD
 
Start with 2C raw brown rice (long-grain and basmati both work, but I haven’t tried it with short-grain). Combine this in a LARGE pot with 4C water and 1 tbsp sesame oil. Bring it to a boil with the lid off. Once the water is boiling, turn the heat down to “low” and put the lid on. It should be finished cooking in 35-40 minutes (keep an eye on it – give it a gentle stir occasionally).
During the last 10 minutes of cooking, add 1C frozen edamame and 0.5C dried (sweetened) cranberries.
 
While the rice is cooking, fry 0.5C minced onion in a small skillet using 2tbsp each olive oil and sesame oil, and combine the following in a large bowl (I used a Bean Pot like this one because it has a lid, but you can use whatever – a mixing bowl, a 2L tupperware, you name it):
1 tin of black beans, drained and well-rinced
0.25C whole, raw (shelled) pumpkin seeds
1 pint jar of mild pickled carrots, drained and diced[2]
0.25C apple cider vinegar
1 tsp each (dried): basil, sage, and thyme
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp prepared grainy mustard
1-2 tsp prepared ketchup[3]
The above-mentioned fried onions
2-3 cloves of minced raw garlic
You can throw in 1 cortland apple, cored and diced, too, if you’re so inclined, but I didn’t. Cilantro would also not be out of place.
 
Mix everything in the bowl together well, so that the seasonings get all over everything.
When the rice is cooked, empty the contents of the bowl into the rice pot (remember, I said use a LARGE pot – this is why).
Mix the bean mixture into the rice mixture until everything is well-incorproated and well-distributed.
Chill in the fridge (covered – thense my use of a dish with a lid) over night, then serve.
 
 
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So there you have it.
Give it a whirl and see if you like it.
 
 
TTFN,
Meliad the Birch Maiden.
 
 
[1] We’re coming up on “Eat From the Larder” month (April), and I’m eying my dry goods and going “Wow… What do I really want to get rid of?” and, yeah. Brown rice is not my favourite grain. I’m much more a fan of barley and quinoa and barley, at least, grows in Saskatchewan. So, having a tonne of brown rice lying around, I took this opportunity to use up a bunch of it in short order and make a tasty, gluten-free, vegan (but definitely not paleo – sorry) salad that can be served cold, but would also work as a hot casserole/pilaf if you wanted to use it like that.
 
[2]Alternative, since not everyone gets gifted jars of pickled carrots: 1 C steamed, diced carrots such as you might find in a bag of frozen peas-and-carrots. If you go with this option, I suggest adding an extra tbsp of vinegar to the mixture BUT ALSO using 2C frozen-peas-and-carrots in lieu of the frozen edamame that you’re throwing in with the rice.
 
[3] Yes, really. I admit, I’m a tad bit defensive about my “ketchup is a vegetable” standpoint, but it’s basically tomato-sauce with a sweet-and-sour component thrown in. Much like the soy sauce, it helps to give food – particularly vegan food, where this is sometimes an issue – a subtle kick of umami which tends to go over well on the palate.