Instant Pot Saffron Rice with Currants and Pine Nuts

“Yellow rice,” as I called it then, was my dinner request. Just yellow rice! The stand-in name was just about right, at least in this instance, because the rice I so craved was a mix my mom would make from a little foil packet purchased at the store. I’m not sure what exactly was in that mix, though I have a hunch: yellow coloring, natural flavors, and salt. It felt like I could eat that rice for days without getting tired of it.

This version of yellow rice is not that yellow rice. It’s made with Saffron—real saffron— and studded with pine nuts and currants. It’s beautiful, and tastes beautiful too. I could eat it for days without getting tired of it. At first bite, I was immediately transported back to Mom’s yellow rice. It’s a bowl of nostalgia, but also global flavors. It’s vibrant, and homey. And, it’s made in your Instant Pot!

(It seems like as a kid, I often identified foods by their color: get the recipe for grown-up Pink Sauce here).

For a video of this recipe, click here!

Instant Pot Saffron Rice with Currants and Pine Nuts

Published May 21, 2019 by Caitlin Sherwood

Serves: 6   |    Active Time: 30 minutes

---

Ingredients:

2 cups white rice (such as basmati)

2-1/2 cups water

5 tablespoons butter, divided

1/2 yellow onion, diced small

4 pinches saffron

1 teaspoon salt 

1/3 cup currants

1/3 cup toasted pine nuts

1/3 cup minced parsley, plus more for garnish

Directions:

1. Turn Instant Pot to sauté setting and heat 1 tablespoon of butter. Add diced onion, and sauté, stirring occasionally, until translucent.
2. In a mortar and pestle, grind the saffron so that it is almost a powder—a few larger pieces is OK.
3. Add rice, water, remaining 4 tablespoons of butter, saffron, and salt to pot. Stir.
4. Secure lid on Instant Pot, and set to “Rice” setting, with the vent in the closed position. Timer should set to 12 minutes.
5. When the timer goes off, release the pressure. Add currants, pine nuts, and parsley to the pot. Use a fork or spatula stir everything together, fluffing the rice as you go.
6. Serve hot, sprinkled with additional parsley for garnish.

Cold Rice Noodle Bowls with Sriracha Tofu, Thai Basil & Tahini Sauce

I’m trying something a little different today: a consolidated blog post. While I love writing, sometimes getting a blog post drafted (and published) is a chore. And, I have heard so many people—from friends to general internet chatter—say they wish it was easier to get to the damn recipe! So, here you are. This is an ingredient-heavy recipe, but once you’ve made it once you’ll see it’s quite easy to throw together. Cold rice noodles make a great lunch for enjoying in the sun, on the patio. Fresh herbs, tahini, and spicy Sriracha are bold and bright. Hope you enjoy!

Cold Rice Noodle Bowls with Sriracha Tofu, Thai Basil & Tahini Sauce

Published May 7, 2019 by Caitlin Sherwood

Serves: 4   |    Active Time: 30 minutes

---

Ingredients:

For the Sriracha tofu:

1 pound extra firm or super firm tofu, drained

2 tablespoons Sriracha

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon soy sauce

For the tahini dressing:

½ cup tahini

2 tablespoons maple syrup

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

¼ cup water

1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger

1 teaspoon minced garlic

For the bowls:

1 eight ounce package Mai Fun rice noodles

About 2 cups spring greens

1 red bell pepper, diced small

1 cucumber, diced small

1 large carrot, julienned

1 daikon radish, julienned

3 sprigs Thai basil

3 tablespoons fresh mint leaves, minced

3 tablespoons roasted peanuts, roughly chopped

Optional garnish: toasted sesame seeds and lime wedges

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 475°F and fit a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Place Sriracha, olive oil, and soy sauce in a medium mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Cut tofu into 1-inch cubes and place in bowl. Use a spatula to gently turn tofu in sauce until coated. Using tongs or a fork, move tofu to prepared baking pan, leaving at least 1/2 inch of space between pieces. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Using tongs, flip tofu to the other side. Bake for an additional 12-15 minutes, then place pan aside to cool and turn off oven.
3. Meanwhile, prepare tahini dressing: place tahini, maple syrup, rice vinegar, water, ginger, and garlic in a small bowl and whisk until fully incorporated (note: at first, tahini might not want to mix in, but eventually it will become a smooth sauce!).
4. Cook rice noodles according to package. Place cooked rice noodles in a fine mesh sieve and rinse with cold water.
5. Assemble bowls: divide spring greens among serving dishes. Top with rice noodles. Add red pepper, cucumber, carrot, and radish. Top with tofu, then garnish with basil, mint, peanuts, sesame seeds, and lime wedges. Drizzle with tahini sauce. Serve.

No-Churn Rhubarb Crisp Ice Cream

About a ten months ago this recipe for no-churn chocolate ice cream landed on my screen. Was it possible? A no-churn ice cream that was worth an almost perfect rating? Even after making it, I was boggled by how darn good (and easy to make) it was. That moment was a game changer, because I realized how easy it would be to adapt that chocolate ice cream recipe into any flavor I could dream of.

First I folded chunks of grain-free peanut butter cookie into the chocolate base. (That was amazing, highly recommended for PB lovers). Then, I skipped the cocoa and folded in instant coffee powder, along cacao nibs and extra caramel sauce I had in the fridge (from this recipe). Also a hit — best afternoon pick me up. 😍

Next, I made pistachio paste and mixed that in. This recipe was proving itself to be extraordinarily adaptable. But there was one thing I couldn’t get out of my head: rhubarb crisp ice cream. I have a thing for ice creams named after baked goods — or at least, the few ice creams I’ve had that fit this bill have been amazing. One was Ben & Jerry’s Pecan Pie Ice Cream, which they later discontinued (though I found out in the process of writing this post that they now have a similar flavor as a regional special). The second was oatmeal cookie ice cream from Lucky’s Bakehouse & Creamery in Boulder — wonderful with fresh peaches!

Anyways — the best part of this ice cream, to me, is when the sweet vanilla cream swirls with the crispy, butter oat topping. 🤤

No-Churn Rhubarb Crisp Ice Cream

Published April 9, 2019 by Caitlin Sherwood

Serves: 12   |    Active Time: 20 active minutes; 5 hours in freezer

---

Ingredients:

1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

2 cups heavy cream, cold

Pinch salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

About 1 cup of leftover rhubarb crisp, full cooled! — if crisp is at all warm, it will melt the ice cream into a slop. Tip: the oaty crisp is the best part! Make sure you have some of that in there.

Directions:

1. Whisk together the sweetened condensed milk, salt, and vanilla in a small bowl. Set aside.
2. In a separate large mixing bowl, whip heavy cream until peaks form (about 2 minutes on medium-high speed with a hand mixer).
3. Fold 1 cup of the whipping cream into the condensed milk with a rubber spatula, then fold condensed milk mixture into whipped cream, folding gently so as to keep as much air in the whipped cream as possible. Fold until fully incorporated and few to no streaks of condensed milk remain (avoid over mixing).
4. Pour mixture into a a 9x9 glass dish with a lid (a bread pan, or large pyrex Tupperware will work too). Cover and freeze for about 2 hours.
5. Meanwhile, cut or crumble rhubarb crisp into small pieces. Rhubarb chunks should be bite-sized or smaller (aim for 1/2 inch pieces or smaller). Sprinkle rhubarb crisp over ice cream mixture, and then use a rubber spatula to gently swirl into the ice cream. Smooth ice cream in container, and then return to freezer for 3 more hours before serving.
6. Store in an air-tight container in the freezer.