ORANGE BEACH CURRIED RICE SALAD

Our family shared this dish with visitors to the World Food Championships held in Orange Beach, Alabama, and it is always well received with vibrant with color, texture, and tastes carried from every trade wind. This high tide of nutritional ingredients raises all flavors, making nutritional first mates of roasted sweet potatoes and curried Missimati Bayou Bouquet Fragrant Brown Rice, golden raisins soaked in Madeira and honey, pistachios, and orange extract along with orange peel. The salad pairs swimmingly with pork, beef, fowl, or fish, or sails solo as a vegan dish if cooked with vegetable stock.

INGREDIENTS

1 ¼ cup ecogrown Missimati Bayou Bouquet Fragrant Brown Rice

2 ¼ cups of chicken or vegetable stock

½ cup olive oil, divided

½ tsp ground cumin

3 tsp Madras curry powder

1 packed cup golden raisins

¼ cup honey

¼ cup Madeira

¼ tsp orange extract

1 tbsp dried orange peel

2 tsp black sesame seeds

1 large rib celery, split lengthwise and chopped

10 scallions, chopped

1/2 cup pistachios

1 tsp dried crushed mint

1 large sweet potato, chopped in ¼ inch thick pieces about the size of a nickel

½ Vidalia onion, chopped

1 tbsp sea salt

2 tbsp dark brown sugar

¼ tsp cinnamon

METHOD

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit for roasting sweet potatoes.

In medium saucepan, toast rice kernels in 2 tbsp olive oil, add stock, bring to boil, reduce to simmer, cover with tight fitting lid, and cook for 40 minutes.  When done set aside to cool.  When cool, add 1/4 cup olive oil, cumin, and Madras curry powder, stir with fork to blend well, and set aside.

In large bowl, toss chopped sweet potatoes and chopped Vidalia onion in 2 tbsp olive oil until vegetables are coated.  Add sea salt, dark brown sugar, and cinnamon and toss to uniformly coat.  Coat baking sheet with cooking spray and spread sweet potato mixture at uniform depth.  Bake for 20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender, but not too soft.  Remove from oven and set aside.

Combine honey, Madeira, and orange extract in large microwaveable bowl, add raisins, and microwave until just heated; remove and let rest for 10 minutes.  Add dried orange peel, black sesame seeds, chopped celery, chopped scallions, crushed mint, and pistachios, blending to mix well.

Combine the cooked rice, the sweet potato mixture, and the raisin mixture and blend well.  Serve slightly warm, at room temperature, or chilled.  ENJOY!