Since this year is about discovering my inner foodie, the hubby has been helping me recreate, experiment, and give my own twist on healthy, gourmet recipes. This Easter, we’re planning on spending some time with local friends and we’ve been asked to bring a side dish. So I gleaned some inspiration from Smart & Final, the SoCal-based non-membership warehouse grocery chain.
Fresh Produce
Fresh Easter Flowers
Candy!
As a Los Angeles native, I grew up shopping at Smart & Final with my parents. I still find the store to be an affordable option for both conventional and bulk items, particularly given the fact that a membership fee is not required. As a frequent Henry’s shopper, I recently learned of the relationship between the stores (both Smart & Final and Henry’s Farmer’s Market are owned by the same company), hence the large selection of natural, organic products and foods.
We chose two recipes to adapt and serve this Easter.
Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons lemon zest
Dressing
Place the lemon juice in a bowl. Whisk in the oil and lemon zest. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Salad
In a fine mesh strainer, rinse the rice under cold running water until the water runs clear. Place the rice and chicken stock in a heavy sausepan and bring to a boil. Let the water boil for 2 to 3 minutes; then reduce the heat to low. Cover the pan and cook for about 15 minutes or until all the stock is absorbed and rice is tender. Fluff with a fork and let cool.
In a large bowl, combine the cooled rice with remaining ingredients. Add the lemon dressing and mix well. Check and adjust the seasonings. Line a bowl or platter with lettuce leaves. Mound the rice salad on the lettuce and garnish with watercress sprigs.
Adaptation:
We used cooked brown rice in our rice cooker with water as opposed to chicken broth and seasoned it according to our preference. After we prepared the dressing and cooled the rice, we tossed in some fresh tarragon and chopped almond slivers to give the dish a Mediterranean flare.
Dash black pepper
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon crumbled tarragon
2-1/2 tablespoons vinegar
1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt
To make the dressing, combine ingredients in jar; shake well. In large salad bowl, combine greens and fruit. Toss gently with dressing.
Adaptation:
We blended all of the ingredients listed above in our hand blender, utilizing olive oil and red wine vinegar. We also blended 2 strawberries for a strawberry vinaigrette. For the salad, we combined organic greens, pecans, cucumbers, and strawberries and topped with freshly grated parmesan. The salad had a fresh, sweet and tangy flavor.
What’s interesting about some the recipes on the site is that many start with a base and you’re free to adapt them based on your preferences. We like the freedom and challenge presented to jazz up the recipes.
For more meal inspirations, just visit Smart & Final!
This is a compensated campaign with Smart & Final and Collective Bias as part of a social shopper insights study.
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Love it! These are perfect for those summer days when I don’t want to turn the oven on. Thanks!
Yes! They were super easy to make and so delicious!!!!