If you're looking for recipes that will soothe your soul and your stomach alike, look no further than chef JJ Johnson's new cookbook, "The Simple Art of Rice."
Johnson recently dropped by "GMA3" to share his collard greens and rice soup recipe, as well as his recipe for farro and brown rice salad with roasted butternut squash.
Scroll below to check them both out.
Ingredients
For the salad:
1 medium butternut squash, halved, seeded and peeled
Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or more to taste
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 cup brown rice, rinsed
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup farro
2 cups lightly packed arugula
1 1/2 cups diced English cucumber (about 1 large cucumber)
1 cup pomegranate seeds
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
1/2 cup shaved Parmesan cheese
6 to 8 slices prosciutto
For the red wine vinaigrette:
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 shallot, finely chopped
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon whole-grain Dijon mustard
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Preheat the oven to 400 F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
Slice the squash crosswise into 3/4-inch-wide pieces and arrange them on the prepared pan. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and the pepper, and drizzle with the olive oil. Set aside.
Cook the rice and farro in separate pots. For the rice, bring the 1 1/2 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan and add 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add the rice, stir, and reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer for 30 to 35 minutes, until the rice is tender.
Remove from the heat and let the rice steam, covered, for 10 minutes.
Fluff the rice and spread it out on a sheet pan to cool completely. (The rice can be made up to a day ahead, cooled, and refrigerated.
For the farro, bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Add the farro, return the water to a boil, and cook for about 20 minutes, until the farro is tender but not soft. Drain the farro in a colander and spread out on a sheet pan to cool. (The farro can be made up to a day ahead, cooled, and refrigerated.)
Meanwhile, make the vinaigrette: Combine the red wine vinegar, shallot, honey, mustard, and salt in a small bowl and whisk together well, then gradually whisk in the olive oil until emulsified.
Roast the squash for 20 to 25 minutes, until tender when pierced with a fork. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
Transfer the cooled farro and brown rice to a large salad bowl and toss together. Fold in the squash, arugula, cucumber, pomegranate seeds, and parsley. Add 1/3 cup of the vinaigrette and toss gently to combine. Season the salad to taste with salt and pepper if necessary, and add more vinaigrette if desired.
Scatter the shaved parmesan over the salad and, if desired, arrange the prosciutto slices over the top and serve.
Ingredients
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium white onion, finely chopped
2 large carrots, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
2 tablespoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
5 cups trimmed and sliced collard greens or one 12-ounce bag pre-cut collard greens
6 cups chicken stock
2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
3 cups cooked long-grain white rice
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 tablespoons sherry vinegar
Chili oil, for serving
Sour cream, for serving
Add the olive oil to a large pot set over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and saute until golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and garlic and cook for another two minutes, until the tomato paste has darkened slightly.
Add the paprika, coriander and cumin and cook, stirring for 2 minutes or until fragrant. Add the collard greens, chicken stock and salt and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes. The collard greens should be tender to the bite.
Add the rice, parsley and sherry vinegar, stir well, and season with salt to taste. Simmer until the rice is heated through, 2 to 3 minutes.
Serve the soup in individual bowls, topped with chili oil and sour cream.