2016 April

Apr 28

Salad Spotlight: Asian Chicken Light Brown Rice Salad

Posted by | Della Rice Stir Recipes | No Comments

This is our new favorite go-to salad from the Della rice test kitchen! It’s crunchy, fresh and perfect for dinner on the lighter side. Whenever the weather starts to get warmer, a fresh salad is such a great way to pack in more fruits and veggies for dinner. This salad is actually quite filling with the soy glazed chicken and Della’s light brown Basmati rice adding some nice protein and fiber to the mix.

Light-Brown-Basmati-image3-cooked-riceIf you haven’t tried our Light Brown Basmati variety yet, you absolutely should! Light brown rice has a similar texture to white rice, but all the nutrients of brown rice making it a winning rice variety for the entire family!

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INGREDIENTS

Della Light Brown Basmati Rice, cook as directed

Soy Glazed Chicken Breast, grilled or pan seared (seasoned with soy, teriyaki, or your preferred seasoning)

Mandrin Oranges

Bibb, or preferred type of lettuce

Almonds, sliced

Red Cabbage, sliced into thin strips

Chow Mein Noodles

Garnish with Sesame Seeds

FOR THE GINGER SOY DRESSING :  (you can either make this, or simply add your favorite dressing!)

1/2 Cup Soy Sauce

2 cloves Garlic, minced

3/4 Cup Olive Oil

2 T Fresh Ginger, peeled and finely chopped

1/3 Cup Rice Wine Vinegar

Squeeze of Lime Juice

2 T Honey, Agave, or Brown Sugar

Salt and Pepper, seasoned to taste (I find this dressing doesn’t need very much salt due to the saltiness of the soy sauce)

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DIRECTIONS

1. Cook Della rice as directed, allow to cool completely. Cook chicken (seasoned with soy sauce or teriyaki marinade) using your preferred method. Allow to cool.

2. Gather your salad ingredients. Layer lettuce, shredded red cabbage, mandarin oranges, chow mein noodles and sliced almonds over cooked cooled rice.

3.  Add cooked grilled chicken on top of your salad and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

4. Mix all of your dressing ingredients together in a bowl or glass jar, whisk until mixed. Pour desired amount over your salad and ENJOY! I’m telling you you will be making this salad over and over! It’s the best.

Asian Chicken Brown Rice Salad _ Della Rice

 

 

Apr 21

Simple Lemon Herbed Rice Salad by ‘Stirmakers’ Jackie & Don

Posted by | Della Stirmakers | No Comments

If you are looking for a light Spring salad to use in a variety of ways, this is it! It’s such a pretty, colorful rice salad you can literally bring anywhere. It would be a great dish to serve at a luncheon or shower, in pretty single serve dishes, or pot-luck style. You could even make it more of a dinner by adding grilled chicken, or for a healthy twist bulk it up with some kale! While it’s delicious served immediately, in my opinion it’s even better served the next day, making it great to pack up to-go in a picnic lunch or large family gathering! It is crunchy and fresh, light but filling. Yummy!

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We are always on the look out at our gourmet shop for items that are out of the ordinary and hold up well for guests to take to friends or to pack in a picnic and take out to our local vineyard. Speaking of Vineyards, this dish would pair well with a Resiling or a Pinot Grigio! This would also make a great treat to have on hand in your fridge when guests are coming in for the weekend. It could be pulled out for a meal or a late night snack! Also, it’s gluten free, an extra added perk! Bon Appetit!

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Simple Lemon Herbed Rice Salad

INGREDIENTS

2 cups Della Basmati rice, cook as directed

1/2 chopped Yellow or Orange Pepper

Handful Chopped Fresh Parsley

Handful Chopped Fresh Cilantro

1 Lemon

1-2T Olive Oil (high quality)

Sea salt, to taste

1/4 Cup Pine Nuts lightly toasted in 1T butter

Dash of Valencia Orange Peel (see photo)

DIRECTIONS

  1. Cook rice according to package directions. Let it cool, and then chill in the refrigerator. Once rice is chilled, drizzle with olive oil while stirring until rice is coated but not soaked. Squeeze in the fresh lemon taking care to prevent seeds from getting into rice.
  2. Toss in parsley, cilantro & pepper.
  3. Place butter in small pan to melt on medium heat, when butter is melted toss in pine nuts and stir constantly until lightly golden. Remove from heat immediately because pine nuts burn easily.
  4. Stir pine nuts into rice mixture. Finish off with a dash of orange peel and salt to taste. Can be made ahead and chilled, or served at once.

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Simple Lemon _ Herb Rice Salad _ Della Rice

 

Apr 14

An Italian Favorite: Rice Carbonara by ‘Stirmaker’ Kate

Posted by | Della Stirmakers | No Comments
Apr 07

Healthy & Fresh: Spring Pea Citrus Quinoa Salad by ‘Stirmakers’ Lizzie and Patrick

Posted by | Della Stirmakers | No Comments
Spring is an exciting time of year for a lot of reasons – longer days, warmer weather, melting snow and of course, flavorful produce.
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This salad has everything that’s lovable about spring: crisp greens, bright peas, tart grapefruit, earthy beets, fresh herbs and light feta cheese.  To balance out all that springiness, I topped it off with Della Basmati & Quinoa. The rice blend added a nice nuttiness and texture to the dish.  Drizzle on the bright citrus dressing, sprinkle with salt and pepper and you’ll have a light, healthy and well-rounded meal.  Not to mention, It. Smells. Amazing. This nutrient-packed lunch or dinner is not only a snap to make, but leaves leftover fruit and herbs, so you’ll have the perfect ingredients to whip up a minty grapefruit cocktail that you’ll be enjoying until summer.
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INGREDIENTS
  • Della’s Basmati and Quinoa, cooked as directed
  • 1 package of mixed greens
  • Feta, crumbled
  • 2 Beets, cooked and quartered
  • 1 Grapefruit, peeled and sliced
  • 1/4 cup Peas, fresh or frozen (if using frozen peas, run warm water over them in a colander until thawed/dry and set aside)
  • Chives, chopped

Dressing:

  • Orange, zest & juice
  • Olive Oil
  • Balsamic Vinegar
  • 1 tea Dijon mustard
  • Salt and Pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Cook, peel, and quarter beets (I boil mine in water for about 45 min, you can also bake them)

2. While beets are cooking, make the rice as directed, allow to cool and set aside

3. Make the dressing: Grate 1 teaspoon orange zest. Then cut in half and squeeze the juice. Combine zest, juice, vinegar, olive oil, dijion mustard, salt and pepper in a small bowl; stir with a whisk.

4. Assemble the salad: Divide the greens and rice evenly between two bowls, add beets, grapefruit, feta and peas. Sprinkle with chives, and pour desired amount of dressing over salad. ENJOY!

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Spring Pea Greapefruit Rice Salad | Della Rice

Apr 01

Spring Inspired Shrimp Paella by ‘Stirmaker’ Courtney

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Goodbye winter. Goodbye old sweatpants, blankets, lonely cold grey Saturdays. Hello Spring! Hello inspiration, springtime vegetables, and Sunday Fundays! Personally, I love Spring. After a long, cold, grey Chicago winter, everyone from the Midwest is longing for the sun, longing for some color. Recently I have been breaking my hibernation and doing what I love most: cooking for my most  beloved friends. My friend Melanie Rose loves coming over and picking up tricks in the kitchen from quick weeknight 30 minute meals to more complex techniques for head turning dinner parties. (I might add here that we also love drinking a bottle of wine, or two!)

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I invited Melanie over the other night and taught her how to make this delicious spring inspired shrimp Paella. Paella is something that may scare people away because it is foreign to them, but this humble Spanish dish is quite simple and with its many applications is very versatile and simply delicious. This rice dish looks beautiful just as it is cooked in a huge copper paella pan, fit for a party! The key to a successful Paella is patience. When the time is right, stop stirring, grab a glass of wine (like Melanie and me) and allow the rice to get a crust on the bottom of the pan. This creates a crunchy bottom with a creamy texture in the middle. The few ingredients shine in this dish, especially the Della Rice!

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Spring Inspired Shrimp Paella

{12 Servings}

INGREDIENTS

1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

1 lb chorizo, sliced thin

1 sweet yellow onion, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon saffron

1 teaspoon paprika

1 cup Basmati Della Brown Rice

1/4 cup dry white wine

1 15 oz can diced tomatoes

3 1/2 cups chicken broth

2 teaspoons salt and pepper

2 lbs shrimp, uncooked,deveined and peeled

1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces

1 cup fresh or frozen peas

1 lemon, cut into wedges for presentation

salt and pepper to taste

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DIRECTIONS
1. Heat olive oil in Paella pan* over medium high heat. Add chorizo and cook on each side until golden brown, or approximately 2 minutes a side. Remove sausage and reserve.
2. Cook onion and red bell pepper until slightly caramelized, about 3-5 minutes.
3. Turn down heat to medium and add garlic and spices, cook for 2 more minutes.
4. Add brown rice and white wine and cook for about 5 minutes to cook out the alcohol flavor. Add in tomatoes, broth, salt and pepper. Turn heat to low and cover and cook for 25 minutes or until rice is almost cooked through but still has a bite.
5. Nestle in the final ingredients; shrimp, asparagus and peas as well as the sausage. Cook an additional 8 minutes without stirring, or until shrimp is pink and asparagus is bright green.
6. Serve with lemon wedges and plenty of cold, dry white wine and enjoy with lots of friends! Happy Spring!
*Note: If you have a Paella pan, make the whole recipe according the ingredients above. If you do not, use a large saute pan and cut the recipe in half. Cooking time will also be reduced.
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Shrimp Paella by 'Stirmaker' Courtney| Della Rice