Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Warm Asian-Style Rice Salad



From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I made a new rice dish to serve with miso chicken tonight. I decided to grill despite the rain, so, if you happened down our stretch of highway this evening, I would be the fool you saw manning the grill beneath that huge red golf umbrella. Miso chicken is delicious, but I'm always puzzled by what to serve with it. Summer is no problem. I make a Japanese potato salad that's a perfect compliment to the chicken. Winter is more problematic. Plain, unflavored rice simply will not do and my winter palate refuses to embrace mayonnaise based salads. So, I decided to combine hot rice with mirin wine and broccoli slaw and see what happened. In Japan, sweet rice would be used to make a dish like this. Despite its name, this rice isn't sweet and it doesn't contain gluten. It is, instead, a very sticky, short-grain rice that's used to make sushi or sweet rice desserts. As you can see, I used basmati rice to make mine. It works well, but would be difficult to eat with chopsticks because the grains do not clump. I made enough rice to feed four, but the ingredients here can easily be doubled. I used mirin, a rice wine, because I think it's less sweet than sake and is more to our taste. The rice must be hot when the mirin and vegetables are folded into it. This is a really, really easy to make and it's quite good. Here's the recipe.

Warm Asian-Style Rice Salad...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:

2 cups hot cooked rice
6 tablespoons mirin cooking wine
1-1/2 cups broccoli or cabbage slaw
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Fold mirin and broccoli slaw into hot rice. Mix well. Cover pot and let sit for 15 minutes, or until mirin is absorbed. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss. Transfer to rice bowls. Yield: 4 servings.

32 comments :

Alea Milham said...

I was already planning on making Basmati rice on Saturday, so it will be easy to adjust my menu to include this recipe. My son complains that Basmati rice is boring, this ought to liven it up!

Deb in Hawaii said...

Looks delicious--I love mirin, it adds such nice flavor.

Coleens Recipes said...

What a treat to find a new rice recipe. I agree, winter rice CAN be boring, but this looks great.

Allie and Pattie said...

Love it! Not only sounds delish, but how easy! I may have Allie make this! :)
xoxo Pattie

KathyB. said...

Oh my goodness, it is early a.m. and I am ready to make this now. Hmmm, would my husband be completely baffled and concerned if I were to grill now? I think so....now I will need to write out the recipe for future use. Yum!

Sam Hoffer / My Carolina Kitchen said...

Mary, this sounds wonderful and what a lot of taste with so few ingredients. Wow.
Sam

The Blonde Duck said...

That looks like a great side!

La Table De Nana said...

I agree what a great idea and it sounds and looks wonderful!

Martha said...

It looks terrific and husband Jim would really like it -- and so simple! Husband Jim likes sticky rice (what you call sweet rice) -- it's his favorite.

Cathy said...

This looks wonderful, Mary. I love the simplicity of the dish and have several entrees it will be perfect with. Another example of the fact that simple can be the best.

Zurin said...

thats a wonderful clean healthy dish you ve made there! looks delicious!

Debbie said...

That looks so good. That will liven up any dish!

Patricia @ ButterYum said...

Often times, the more simple recipes are the most satisfying.

:)
ButterYum

Pam said...

What a lovely rice salad - simple and delicious.

Foodiewife said...

I'm on an Asian kick, this week. I'm also teaching my son how to cook inexpensive and simple meals-- and we all love rice! This is perfect, Mary. It's simple and I can already see it on this week's menu. I'm telling you-- you are my personal chef!
xoxo

Hootin Anni said...

Love rice, love salads, love Oriental....this'll be a hit around our house.

Great recipe Mary.

Inspired by eRecipeCards said...

GRILLING IN THE RAIN... NO WONDER YOUR SHOULDER WAS HAVING ISSUES ;)

dana said...

YUM! That looks amazing! I love broccoli slaw...it's great to find another recipe to include it in.

OMG...that choc. cake on your previous post looks OUTSTANDING. Would you please UPS me on of yours? I couldn't stop myself if I made an entire batch...even if I portion controlled them! :)

dana

PS would loved to have seen you beneath your yellow umbrella.

DailyChef said...

What a great complement to miso chicken! The rice looks delicious!

♥Sugar♥Plum♥Fairy♥ said...

The most delicious clicks ever......We also eat basmati rice whenever we do eat rice and at times local brown rice.....

But i love how u perk it up.....

LOVE IS IN THE AIR W LOADS OF ROMANCE ...WISH U ALL OF IT @ 365

pigpigscorner said...

Love flavoured rice! Sounds like a good side for miso chicken!

Mary Bergfeld said...

Dana, I did respond but to your cake post, as I had seen the stone rabbit earlier.

puna said...

And a little bit of hot pepper to go with this.

Katy ~ said...

Grins, lots of plain rice growing up, but now that I'm grown up, lots of flavored rice. Love it both ways, really.

Mary Bergfeld said...

Puna, I agree :-), but when you write for a blog how much is too much or how much is not enough. I err on the side on cowardice and say nothing.

Pondside said...

I don't know that I'd try this, not being a big fan of Japanese food, but I am definitly going to try the eggplant from a few postings ago!

L'Chicken said...

I love the image of you cooking under your big red golf umbrella in the rain. That's the way to do it! How's your shoulder?

Rattlebridge Farm said...

Such a fresh, delightful spin on rice.We are rice-eaters, and this recipe will be put to good use at our house. :-)

noble pig said...

We are always under the umbrella at the grill but we set up our patio umbrella ovver it so we can have free hands. Isn't that what you are supposed to do in Oregon, LOL.

Looks delish and I like the mirin addition.

My Little Space said...

This is very nice rice recipe! Looks so tempting as well.

Claudia said...

I love rice salad and never think to have ti warm.... until now. Inviting tastes.

La Table De Nana said...

We had this last night with salmon..Very Good! Thanks again~

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