I turned 33 last week! I remember turning 25 and having a mini life crisis. A lot has happened since then. Growing up, I had a very different vision of where my life would be at this age. But it’s alright. The choices I made over the years have led me where I am today, and I’m at peace with that. I don’t regret a thing. Most importantly, there is so much to look forward to!
To celebrate, I took the day off work and Jason and I went for a spa day at Bota Bota, followed by a delicious lunch at Olive & Gourmando, both located in the Old Port of Montreal. Later on, we met up with some friends for dinner and drinks on the Plateau. What a lovely day.
Today’s recipe is for Brown Rice & Arame Seaweed Salad. If you’ve been hesitant about cooking with seaweed, arame is a good place to start as it is quite mild in flavour. You should try!
P.S. Seven reasons to eat seaweed.
Brown Rice & Arame Seaweed Salad
Salad
- 1/2 cup dry brown rice
- 1 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup dry arame seaweed
- 1 red pepper, julienned
- 3 green onions, chopped
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds, for serving
Dressing
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp sweetener of choice (maple syrup, agave or honey)
- 1-inch piece of ginger, minced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- Salt & pepper, to taste
For the rice: Bring 1 ¼ cup of water to boil in a medium pot. Add 1/2 tsp salt, brown rice and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook for about 40 minutes, or until the water has been absorbed. Remove from heat and let rest, covered, for 10 minutes.Meanwhile, cover the dry arame with warm water and let it soak for 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.
For the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the sesame and olive oils, soy sauce, rice vinegar, lemon juice, sweetener of choice, minced ginger and garlic, salt and pepper.
In a mixing bowl, add the cooked rice, arame, red peppers and green onions.
Pour dressing over the salad and toss to combine.
Serve sprinkled with sesame seeds.
This salad tastes even better the next day. Also delicious on a bed of greens.
Serves 4-6, as a side dish.