Red Quinoa and Black Rice Pilaf
Nowadays it is easy to find red quinoa and black rice in most supermarkets. Along with those darker colors come great health benefits—antioxidants and protein. The chewy texture of both the rice and quinoa make this a satisfying vegetarian dish, particularly if you accompany it with avocado and garnish it with lime slices. This is great for Passover if your custom is to eat rice on the holiday, as the Sephardim do. Or serve it for Passover without the rice, in which case double the amount of quinoa.
SERVES 10 TO 12
1 cup short-grain black rice
4 cups water
2 pints cherry tomatoes
4 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup red quinoa, rinsed
2 bay leaves
½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
1 medium red onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
2 medium shallots, finely chopped (about 2 tablespoons), or 4 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon cumin seeds, lightly crushed or coarsely ground
½ cup chopped cilantro
½ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
¼ cup snipped fresh chives
Freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons lemon juice
Preheat the oven to 450°F.
In a small saucepan, combine the rice with 2 cups water and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook until water is absorbed and rice is tender, 25 to 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, toss the tomatoes with the 1 teaspoon olive oil. Spread on a medium baking pan in a single layer and roast until charred, about 20 minutes.
While the rice and tomatoes are cooking prepare the quinoa. In a medium saucepan, combine the quinoa, remaining 2 cups water, bay leaves, and salt. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and return to the pot. Cover and let sit for 15 minutes. Discard the bay leaves, and fluff the quinoa with a fork.
Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 8 minutes. Add the shallots and cumin and sauté for 2 minutes.
Remove the skillet from the heat, add the rice and quinoa, and mix well. Stir in the charred tomatoes, cilantro, parsley, and chives and season with salt and pepper. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and lemon juice, toss, and serve.
COMMUNITY COOKOFF
For the last few years, the Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center of Houston, Texas, has been hosting the increasingly popular Kosher Chili Cookoff—so popular it’s quickly become the largest kosher event in Houston. This is a big fund-raiser. A time when people come together to give charity, or tzedakah, at all levels.
The proceeds from the cookoff are given to many nonprofit organizations in the Houston community. But the event has the added bonus of bringing the entire community together to do something they like to do: eat chili. Everything is bigger in Texas, after all: the flavors, the food, and especially the community gatherings. If one pot of chili is good, then fifty pots of chili are even better.
There are spicy chilis (with hot peppers), super-spicy chilis (with scorching hot peppers), decadent chilis (chocolate is sometimes used), and way-out-there chilis (coffee or jelly chili, anyone?). There may only be one official winner at the end of the day, but whatever side of the debate you’re on, you can find a chili just right for you.
The Kosher Chili Cookoff represents the way that the community in Houston has taken the local culture and infused it with Jewish values. JCCs thrive on this kind of melding. We love medleys of flavor, traditions, and backgrounds. Each addition enriches the entire community’s experience—and certainly makes everything much more delicious.
Farro with Grilled Onions and Roasted Tomatoes
We love farro—it’s healthy and delicious. In this recipe the nutty-tasting whole grain is paired with sweet roasted tomatoes and tangy balsamic onions. You can make the dish ahead of time, but if you do, be sure to refrigerate the onions, tomatoes, and farro separately to maintain the best texture.
SERVES 8
Roasted Tomatoes
1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 fresh rosemary sprigs
2 fresh thyme sprigs
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Grilled Onions
2 medium red onions (about 8 ounces each), sliced ½ inch thick
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
1½ cups farro, any type (see box)
2 to 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 to 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ cup packed fresh basil leaves, cut into thin ribbons
Preheat the oven to 300°F.
To roast the tomatoes, toss them with the olive oil, rosemary, and thyme on a medium baking sheet and season with salt and pepper. Roast until the tomatoes have burst and are beginning to caramelize, 40 to 50 minutes. Strip the crisped leaves from the rosemary stems and reserve. Discard the rosemary stems and the thyme sprigs.
To char the onions, increase the oven temperature to 350°F. Heat a grill pan over high heat or heat an outdoor grill to high. Brush the onions with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the onion slices until charred but still firm in the center, turning once with tongs, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer the onions to a medium baking dish and add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and the vinegar. Bake, stirring occasionally, until the onions are tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Let the onions cool in their liquid then remove and chop them coarsely. Reserve the liquid.
Meanwhile, to make the farro, follow the package directions. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.
When ready to serve, add the tomatoes, onions with their liquid, and rosemary leaves to the farro. Stir in the vinegar and olive oil to taste, and season with salt and pepper. Allow the farro to cool to room temperature, stir in the basil, and serve.