Ah, rice. It’s a simple, filling, economical, and healthy side item that can take on many flavors and textures. It can be sweet (rice pudding) or savory (charred corn risotto, anyone?) or both at the same time (biryani, for instance). When mixed with beans, it is a powerhouse of amino acids, fiber, protein, and overall tasty goodness. There’s a reason why it’s so prolific in so many different cultures and cuisines. Lots of reasons, actually.

Brown rice and white rice are nutritionally pretty similar, although brown rice comes in slightly ahead in what it offers without enhancement assistance. White rice is basically brown rice with a couple/three layers removed and then companies tend to “enrich” these grains to put back some of the nutrients that were lost. So you’re not experiencing a large fall-off in nutrition if you prefer white rice over brown, but it requires a proactive approach from growers/sellers to get there. People often say brown rice is not their favorite thing because it’s bland or dry, but I guarantee you this Cuban mojo-style rice will not lack for flavor and the black bean juice that the rice soaks up ensures that your end product will be anything but dry.

My CSA box has provided me with a steady flow of non-GMO corn the past few weeks and it’s so wonderful that most of it has been consumed as-is. I love the taste of it so much that I don’t even bother to season it half the time. I do enjoy cutting it off the cob and mixing it with other veggies like squash, onions, and tomatoes occasionally, but it’s some seriously good stuff without any accoutrements. Anyhow, one of my favorite preparations with the fresh corn is a shrimp and “grits” (that’s in quotation marks because it is just a chunky corn puree with seasonings). It’s great, and I’ll give you that recipe eventually, but lately I’ve been on a risotto kick. Yes, it’s a little time-consuming and it’s typically not healthy WHEN you get it in a restaurant (see my Eating Out vs Eating in blog post), but it only takes about 35-40 minutes and you can elect not to add tons of butter and cheese if you so choose.

Mushroom risotto is one of my favorites and mushrooms go so well with corn, so I brainstormed and came up with a charred sweet corn risotto with marinated portabella mushrooms and herbed goat cheese...and a crispy bread crumb/herb topping. And yes, it’s relatively healthy – pretty exciting, huh? What, you are scared of “charred” corn? You shouldn’t be.

Summer is in full swing, and we all know what that means..........................tomato season! What, you were expecting a list of things like outdoor concerts, beach visits, vacations, and cool/refreshing beverages? I suppose those are okay too, but there’s just something special about a fresh tomato. What people don’t realize is that the majority of the tomatoes they eat (especially during the winter time) have traveled for a while, and naturally they must be refrigerated as they make the trek to your supermarket. The problem with this is that tomatoes are temperamental  travelers. Their optimal flavor and texture are forever lost in this chilly environment. Think about it...they thrive in warmer temperatures for a reason, right?

Obtaining local tomatoes from a farmer’s market or CSA box (which is where I got these from) will lead to the discovery that while the grocery store offers a somewhat decent tomato, there is a far more amazing world of tomato-ey possibilities out there. Excited yet? You should be.

FIGscally Fit Foodie is continuing for one more post, and today it’s with a minimal effort (and low number of ingredient) masterpiece that I refer to as Spiced Honey Fig Jam. The fig tree in my backyard was kind enough to provide me with an abundance of figs this season, so it seemed fitting to do a savory (see my last post about fig-braised beef) and a sweet preparation that went beyond the normal dehydration or just eating them straight up.

Shortly after moving into my house in 2010, I planted a fig tree. It was approximately two feet tall, had about three leaves, and there was no fruit in sight. In the early part of 2011, my dogs decided to level the tree and take it down to a nub that was about four inches in height. It was shredded and I figured it was done. I was wrong. After five years, the tree is now about seven feet tall and wide (after having 150 figs harvested from it this season).

So what do you do with 150 figs in a short period of time? Well, you eat some as-is, of course. You also can dehydrate some for later, grill them, candy them, make a sauce, or make FIG JAM (I’ll give you this little gem in the next post). 2014 was the first year when I got a significant yield from my tree, and I decided to invent a dish that is much more outside-the-box...

My phone rings and it’s my friend, Michael. He is on his way home from Dallas and has stopped to peruse some peaches that are being sold roadside by a farmer. Suddenly this song came to mind (it's a song, so keep that in mind before you click this at work). Anyhow, he says they’re gigantic and asks if I’d be so inclined to help him and his girlfriend preserve “a few peaches” in whatever way I thought was best (he was referring to making peach preserves and canning them, basically). Little did I know that a literal crate full of these gargantuan fruits were headed my way. He wasn’t wrong about them being gems though...take a look at these beauties:

It came to my attention that after all the savory recipes, you were probably hoping to see a slightly sweet one pop up at some point. Well, it’s your lucky day - it’s cherry season (or the tail end of it anyhow)!

When you think of a sweet something-or-other with cherries, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? Close your eyes and visualize it. What did you see? Oh, you were thinking about just plopping them in your mouth and eating them, huh? Nah, you want to do something more creative than that. How about pairing them with some chocolate? Perhaps some vanilla, cinnamon, or almonds?  Well, I’ve created a recipe with some version of all of these things which can function as a dessert OR a breakfast. Excited yet? Keep on reading!

Do you ever have a craving for Chinese takeout? Is it because of the fresh and high quality ingredients they’re using (doubtful), the mere 20-30 minutes it takes for them to have everything ready for pick-up/delivery (okay, maybe), or the fact that it seems like a relatively healthy option (okay, now you’re just deceiving yourself)...? Or perhaps it has something to do with the salt or MSG it contains that keeps you coming back for more. What if I could offer you big flavor, quick and easy preparation (prep and cooking time is under 20 minutes combined), and fresh/healthy ingredients without the excessive amounts of salt or MSG?  

Not possible, you say? If you own a wok or large-ish saucepan, a couple cutting boards, and you watch my videos below for cutting up bell peppers, onions, and pineapple...well, you could end up with something like this in a very short period of time.

Ah yes, Tom Yum...anything with the word “yum” in the name has to be good, right? This unique soup that originated in Thailand has become popular in Singapore, Malaysia, and many other countries as well. With good reason, as its distinct spicy and sour qualities and heavy usage of aromatics such as lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, and galangal (in the ginger root family) offer an intoxicating fragrance and a punch of flavor that all starts with a simple broth or stock.

It is well established that the beginning of summer is grilling season. Fortunately for all of us, it is also cherry season. Today I’m going to bring these two seasonal dynamos together for your enjoyment. The delightful yet elusive Rainier cherries are not always the easiest to find (my local Costco has them right now, but that usually only lasts a couple weeks), but bing cherries are everywhere right now. So what’s the best way to eat cherries? How do you remove that pit without chipping a tooth or owning a cherry pitter? Do you always have to eat your cherries with something involving sugar, chocolate, or something sweet? Let’s discuss (after you take a look at these glorious Rainier cherries!)...