Adlai – AMCARMEN'S KITCHEN

Hello Everyone! Last week I shared a post on my Instagram for an open collaboration that me and two of my IG foodie friends organised and hosted. It was for National Pack Your Lunch Day (March 10) and out of the three main components that made up my lunchbox, one of them was this Mediterranean Multi-grain Rice & Chickpea Salad, alongside the recipe I shared last week to serve with this salad.

Like with the recipe I shared last week for a Mediterranean Baked Fish dish, this salad is also loaded with fresh Greek flavours of olive oil, olives, feta, and lemon. Other than those ingredients, all you really need is a killer salad dressing and some grain of choice; brown, red, or a mix of those two. I recently bought a pack of multi-grain rice made of a mix of black, brown, and red rice, with adlai as well, so decided to use that for this recipe.

Everything else is customisable to your liking; instead of rice, you can use quinoa or anything rice-like shaped such as farro, pearl barley, or couscous. You can choose whether to add fresh, roasted, or sautéed vegetables, and add your leafy greens of choice. Change up the cheese, or even leave it out to make it vegan friendly. If you don’t have walnuts lying in your pantry, feel free to swap it out for flaked almonds, pine nuts, pistachios, cashews, sunflower seeds, or pepitas – anything really to give the salad an added texture and crunch. The possibilities with this salad are endless!

This salad comes together effortlessly and is an excellent work lunch option or to bring to a potluck party as you can easily double or triple its serving size. Coat the salad with a Balsamic, Olive Oil, and Basil Dressing and you’re in for a delicious treat! It’s light, yet filling at the same time; tangy, juicy, and crunchy!

PREP TIME 10-15 MINS | COOKING TIME 20 MINS | SERVES 4*

*This recipe serves 4 as a meal, or 6 to 8 as a side.

INGREDIENTS

For the salad

1 & 1/2 cups multigrain rice (combination of black, red, and brown rice, plus adlai), cooked
1 can (425g) garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and blanched
100g cherry tomatoes, halved
100g kale, leaves trimmed and roughly torn
100g marinated Greek feta with olives, in olive oil
1/4 cup walnuts, toasted and roughly chopped
1 packet 5 grain rice cakes, crushed

For the dressing

2 tbsp balsamic glaze
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, finely minced
Basil leaves, roughly chopped
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
Salt & black pepper, to taste

METHOD

Dressing: Add all the ingredients together in a jar and seal tightly. Shake vigorously for about 2 to 3 minutes, until well combined. Set aside.
Salad: Add all the ingredients to a large mixing bowl and toss to combine.
Add the dressing and then toss again to evenly coat the salad with the dressing. Transfer to individual serving plates and serve with some Mediterranean Baked Fish. Enjoy!

@amcarmenskitchen

Mediterranean Multigrain Rice Salad #amcarmenskitchen #foodieph #MARCHarap #tiktokeatsph #foodtiktok #foodtokph #lactovegetarian

♬ Up Beat (Married Life) – Kenyi

BON APPÉTIT

– Ally xx

Follow me on my social media accounts:
Facebook: Amcarmen’s Kitchen
Instagram: @amcarmenskitchen
TikTok: @amcarmenskitchen

“Take off on a food journey that is both healthy and happy” — Karina Pineda

Hello! My name is Karina, the girl behind wander little girl on Instagram. Two years ago, I initially started my food blog to document my #foodjourney—basically a marriage between transitioning to a healthy lifestyle (which was then a strictly plant-based diet) and learning my way around the kitchen. Fast forward to the present, a few things have changed, from my perspective on health and wellness to the direction of my blog. I decided to see wander little girl as a serious brand and grow it (especially now that we’re in the midst of a global pandemic).

At one point within that two-year timeline, Allison and I followed each other. Though we hardly interacted with one another, it was when she opened slots for this year’s Auguest series that we began to communicate.

When Allison told me the chosen theme and the recipe guidelines, I was thankful for having seen and grabbed the opportunity to guest in this series. Titled Colors of the Rainbow, participating guests (or should I say, Auguests) were tasked to come up with a vegan, vegetarian, or pescatarian recipe in line with their assigned color. For me, this served as a walk down memory lane, back to wander little girl’s roots.

Having picked the color red, I challenged myself to cooking beyond my comfort zone, hence Adlai Tomato Risotto. I had never made risotto prior and I wanted to add a few twists to the beloved dish. First, the risottos that I’ve tried are usually creamy, and so I whipped up a tomato-based version; that way, it would scream bloody RED! Next, I veganized it by using vegetable broth made from scratch and vegan margarine. Last (but definitely not the least), I swapped rice (specifically arborio rice) with adlai. Before anything, please hear me out! Since I live in the Philippines, I wanted to promote a grain that was both locally produced and a healthier alternative. Since adlai absorbs more than the regular white rice here, this Adlai Tomato Risotto is just as creamy and thick as its traditional counterpart! The entire process from preparing to cooking may be tedious and time-consuming, but I promise that the hard work is worth it; it’s like a dish straight out of an Italian restaurant!

PREP TIME 45 MINS* | COOKING TIME 30 MINS | SERVES 4-5

* Includes making of the vegetable broth

INGREDIENTS

For the adlai tomato risotto

1 cup uncooked adlai
1 & 1/2 cup of canned diced tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 & 1/2 tsp olive oil
1 & 1/2 tsp vegan margarine or spreadable
1 tsp rosemary (+ more for topping)
1 tsp thyme (+ more for topping)
3-4 cloves of garlic
Half a white onion (or less, depending on your taste)
Sliced mushrooms
Ground pepper
Spanish paprika
Brown sugar (optional)

For the vegetable broth

6 cups water
Chosen vegetables (in picture: carrots, stems of sweet potato leaves, garlic, and ginger)
Ground pepper
Salt

METHOD

Vegetable Broth: Gather the vegetables to be used for the broth and place them in a pot. Add ground pepper and salt to taste. Pour 6 cups of water into the pot. Allow it to boil on a stove top for 30 minutes. Set it aside afterwards.
Adlai Tomato Risotto: Mince garlic cloves and half a white onion. Heat a pan on the stove top. Add olive oil. Sauté the minced garlic and onions. Add margarine to enhance the flavor.
Pour the cup of uncooked adlai, and cook it until slightly toasted. Start with a bit of the vegetable broth from earlier (I used a ladle and poured two servings) and stir it. Once the broth has been absorbed, pour another portion again. Repeat the process until all of the vegetable broth has been used and the adlai is cooked.
Add sliced mushrooms. Pour diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Mix well until everything is incorporated and evenly colored.
Sprinkle the herbs (i.e. rosemary and thyme) as well as the spices (i.e. ground pepper and Spanish paprika). Add brown sugar to taste, but this step is optional. Continue to mix everything.
Once cooked, allow the risotto to cool. Transfer it into a large plate or bowl. Top it with more rosemary and thyme. Eat the risotto on its own or pair it with corn. Enjoy!