Tarragon Rice Salad Recipes

Steps:

• Put the rice and all the vegetables in a large bowl. Drizzle with vinaigrette and use two big forks to combine, fluffing the rice and tossing gently to separate the grains.
• Stir in the parsley, taste, and adjust the seasoning or moisten with a little more dressing. Serve at room temperature or refrigerate for up to a day, bringing the salad back to room temperature before serving.
• Variations:
• Rice Salad, Japanese Style: Use brown or white short-grain rice. Halve the amount of celery and carrot and finely chop them or shred them on a grater. Add 1 cup cubed firm tofu (preferably baked). Instead of the vinaigrette, toss with 1/4 cup or so of Simple Miso Dipping Sauce (made by whisking together 6 tablespoons miso paste, 3/4 cup warm water or sake, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 tablespoon mirin or honey, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar plus more to taste, and salt to taste). Instead of the parsley, crumble 2 sheets of nori over the rice salad and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons black or white sesame seeds.
• Rice Salad, Mexican Style: Long-grain or medium-grain, white or brown, all work well here. When blending the vinaigrette, add 1 tablespoon chili powder and 2 tablespoons Mexican crema or mayonnaise. Instead of celery and carrot, add 1 cup chopped fresh tomato. Substitute chopped fresh cilantro for the parsley and, at the same time, add 2 chopped hard-cooked eggs and chopped jalapeño chiles if you like. Serve with lime wedges.
• Rice Salad, Indian Style: Use brown or white basmati rice. When making the vinaigrette, use rice wine vinegar, replace the oil with coconut milk, and add 1 tablespoon curry powder, or more to taste. Instead of the bell pepper, celery, and carrot, add 1/2 cup each cubed cooked potato, cooked cauliflower florets, and green peas (cooked frozen are fine). Substitute cilantro for the parsley.
• Citrus Rice Salad: Use any rice. Instead of red wine vinegar, make the vinaigrette with freshly squeezed citrus juice-choose from lemon, lime, orange, blood orange, tangerine, pink grapefruit, or a combination. Whatever you use, add 2 tablespoons of the grated zest and 1 tablespoon of sugar or honey to the blender. Do not include the scallion or the vegetables. (You might want to use a little less dressing.) Instead of the parsley, use mint if you like. A handful of chopped almonds or pecans make a nice addition.
• Tomato Rice Salad: Use any kind of brown or white rice. When making the vinaigrette, eliminate the vinegar and add 1 medium tomato to the blender. Instead of the scallion and other vegetables, add 2 cups chopped fresh tomato (a mixture of heirloom varieties is nice).Instead of the parsley, use chopped fresh basil or mint, or 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives, chervil, dill, or about a tablespoon of fresh thyme leaves.

Steps:

• Rub a skillet with 1 tablespoon butter. Lightly score duck breaks through skin, but not the flesh, in a cross-hatch pattern. Season duck breasts with salt and pepper and place in cold pan skin side down and turn heat on to medium-medium high. Cook until crispy, 15 minutes, turn. Drain off some of the fat and discard. Mix marmalade with 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar and tarragon, salt and pepper, reserve. Once you flip the duck, pour the marmalade sauce over top and reduce heat. Loosely cover pan and let the duck hang out a couple of minutes more.
• While duck cooks, melt 1 tablespoon butter in a medium pot and toast nuts 2 minutes, add rice and toast 1 minute more. Add stock and bring to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat 15 minutes. Trim off the top 4 inches of asparagus and thinly slice on the bias. Add to rice and cook rice 2 to 3 minutes more for a total of 17 to 18 minutes.
• While rice cooks, combine endive, cress and frisee in a salad bowl. Combine shallots and Dijon with 2 tablespoons vinegar, salt and pepper. Whisk in 1/4 to 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil and pour over salad. Garnish with oranges.
• Serve duck breast on salad with asparagus-almond rice alongside.

Steps:

• Whisk the last five ingredients together.
• Add rice and remaining salad ingredients.
• Toss well.
• Season with salt and pepper as desired.
• Chill about 30 minutes before serving.

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Add the wild rice and 1/2 teaspoon of salt and simmer, covered, until the rice is tender and the grains begin to pop open, about 45 minutes to an hour. Drain well and set aside.
• Meanwhile, bring 4 cups of water to a boil in another saucepan. Add the orzo and boil until the orzo just begins to become tender, 6 to 7 minutes. Drain and cool under cold water. Set aside.
• When ready to serve, melt the butter in a large saute pan set over medium heat. Add shallots and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the wild rice and orzo and cook, stirring, until heated through. Add the tarragon and parsley, season with salt and pepper to taste and cook for an additional minute. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• Melt butter in saucepan and cook onion over medium heat until golden. Stir in rice and cook for 1-2 minutes.
• Season with salt and pepper. Stir in chicken stock and bring to a boil. Cover and turn heat down to low. Simmer gently for 15 minutes.
• Keep rice covered and remove from heat after it has been simmering for the 15 minutes. Let sit for 5 minutes. Fluff rice with a fork and stir in parsley and tarragon. Serve.

Steps:

• Bring stock and wild rice to boil, simmer until rice is tender, about 50 min.
• Transfer to bowl, cover and chill.
• Combine chicken, celery, apple, onion and tarragon with wild rice.
• Make vinegarette out of oil, vinegar, dijon, salt and pepper.
• Toss greens and rice mixture in dressing seperately.
• Lay down a bed of greens, top with wild rice mixture, sprinkle with almonds.
• Garnish with tomato rose.

Steps:

• Combine broth and wild rice in small saucepan. Bring to boil. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 50 minutes. Transfer to medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled.
• Add chicken or turkey, celery, apple, green onion and tarragon to wild rice. Whisk remaining ingredients to blend in small bowl. Pour over wild rice mixture and toss well. Season with salt and pepper.