Chaotic Cooking

• 4 yams, diced 1/2 inch
• 1 cup walnuts
• 1 fennel root
• 3-4 tablespoons butter
• 1-2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 orange
• 1 tablespoon fresh or dried thyme
• champagne vinegar
• olive oil
• salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a glass pan, combine yams, butter and maple syrup. After oven is fully heated, let the yams cook. Check them after 20 or 30 minutes. You should be able to easily bite through a piece, but not EASILY squish a piece with your finger. That way, they will retain their shape in the salad.

While the yams are cooking, cut the fennel root in half and julliene into fine strips. (If you prefer, dice it). Heat a saute pan up to medium-high heat. After the pan is hot, add a tablespoon of olive oil and then throw the fennel in. Let it cook for only about 45 seconds in this hot pan and then remove it from the heat. Cut the orange in half and squeeze the juice onto the fennel.

In a mixing bowl, add cooked and cooled yams, walnuts and fennel root.  Add thyme, with olive oil and champagne vinegar, salt and pepper to taste.

• 1 package soba noodles
• 4-8 ounces smoked salmon, diced or cut into strips
• 1/2 head broccoli, cut into very small pieces (almost chopped)
• 1 clove garlic, chopped fine
• 1 teaspoon finely grated ginger root
• 3 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 2 lemons
• pinch chili pepper flakes
• sesame oil
• soy sauce

Cook soba noodles according to package directions. Rinse in colander with cold water and then press with paper towel to remove excess water.

In a mixing bowl, combine soba noodles with enough sesame oil to coat them well. Add salmon and broccoli. Add garlic, sesame seeds, juice from the two lemons, and chili pepper flakes. Add soy sauce to taste. You may want to add a little more sesame oil, or some milder oil. I often put leftover veggies in this salad.

Often times, I just make way too much brown rice for dinner and I throw it in the fridge for this salad the next day. Otherwise, I have to think ahead to make the rice.

•  2 cups brown rice
• ALMOST 4 cups water
• 1-2 cans, or 3-4 cups cooked beans. (Garbanzo, black, pinto, anasazi, navy, kidney, whatever)
• 1/2 to 1 cup nuts (various kinds will do)
• 1/2 to 1 cup dried fruit (if it’s big pieces, chop it into smaller chunks)
• 1/2 cup oil (olive, canola, walnut, sesame, garlic, whatever goes with this)
• 1/8 cup vinegar (apple cider, red wine, balsalmic, rice wine, champagne, etc…)
• diced FRESH vegetable (around 1/4 -1/2 inch, whatever you’ve got in the fridge: zucchini, onion, broccoli, cauliflower, mushroom, etc… (not cooked))
• 1 apple, diced about 1/4 inch, optional
• diced cheese, optional (feta, blue, swiss, etc…)
• chopped flat leaf parsley, cilantro, or other herb
• salt and pepper
• dried herbs if desired

I know this recipe is weird, but I use it to get rid of left over things, like veggies in the fridge, as well as the remnants in the bulk bags in the cupboard. You’ve just got to be flexible with what you have for this one. I try and use leftover cooked beans, but I always keep a few cans of beans in the cupboard for this too. As with all my recipes, add extra or less oil, vinegar, salt and pepper as necessary. Everyone likes it differently.

First, cook the rice and water. I boil it on high heat for 5 minutes, then turn it to simmer for 15 minutes and then turn it off. When it’s done, it goes in the refrigerator until it cools off.

Rinse the beans off with water and add them to the rice. Stir in nuts, dried fruit, veggies, cheese, parsley, apple, dried herbs, etc… and then dress with vinegar and oil. Add salt and pepper to taste. If it seems dry, add more oil. If the flavors aren’t coming out enough, add more salt. Viola!