PRIDE. It is such a powerful word that means something different to everyone. When I hear that word, I feel it is a word of strength, honor and dignity. It is one of the best words to describe the month of June for our LGBTQIA+ communities. As an Ally, I am “proud” to open myself up to every learning moment that is given to me as I continue to realize there are so many battles that still need to be won for my friends and our communities.
There is just one thing that confused me this past month as I read about PRIDE celebrations. Why the heck aren’t there some healthier options for PRIDE food? Every picture I’ve seen is a dessert or pastry. I mean, we all love a good rainbow cupcake but you can’t eat them every day.
The rainbow flag which was “officially” designated as a symbol back in 1978 has varying accounts of what the colors actually mean but in general it's pink/sex, red/life, orange/healing, yellow/sunlight, green/nature, turquoise/art, indigo/serenity and violet/spirit.
Today’s flags continue to evolve and show the progress in the LGBTQIA+ community by including black/brown for people of color and white, pink and baby blue for gender identity, transitioning, intersex and people who identify outside of the gender binary. (This was one of those learning moments for me so I read this article called Pride Flags 101 because I never knew the history of the original flag let alone the growth of the Progress PRIDE flag.)
So, I thought for this month I would put PRIDE in my recipes and showcase how we can carry these feelings of love and unity throughout the year in our meals. When I grocery shopped for this blog, I had scribbled down some thoughts on what I could make. The fun began when I started to hunt for my flag components. As I shared my quest with one of the store employees, they were the ones who suggested the purple chips as a crouton. Next thing you know, another employee grabbed the sweet potatoes for my orange component and then a customer started listing off sauce garnishes. It was one of those moments showing how food can bring people together. Here is the geeky table I made to stay on track.
To start, the poke was so versatile.
Tuna Poke PRIDE
Scroll down for a printable version of this recipe
Serves: 4 as a light meal
Prep time: 30 minutes
Make as a bowl or stack to impress the neighbors.
Make the Tuna Poke first before you cut your other ingredients. Here is an easy recipe for poke from The Chopping Block (or sign up for a class to learn how to make poke).
1 cup of cooked sushi rice (I used some jade pearl rice for color)
1 orange pepper, chopped
1/2 red cabbage, thinly sliced
1/2 of a whole pineapple, chopped into small bites
1/2 cup of seaweed salad
Garnishes:
- Sesame seeds
- Pickled ginger
- Fresno peppers
- Pickled onion
This is as easy as drawing a rainbow. I made it three ways because it was so bright and cheery. (And who can’t use some bright and cheery these days?)
For the bowls, make individuals or one big one. (And if you are off to a picnic, the mason jars are easy to transport and keep super cool.)
Start at the top and work down with the tuna first, pepper next, pineapple, seaweed, rice and cabbage. (You can easily mix up your pepper colors, use some mango, purple rice, etc.)
Garnish with your favorites.
Serve ASAP.
The stack I made is one of my entertaining tricks where I can literally stack the food in a can like tube. It always looks beautiful. (I do think I want to do a full blog on the fun of stacked food!)
The Big PRIDE Salad
This salad is another easy option especially for a potluck.
Serves: 4 as a meal, 8 as starter
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes for purple potatoes
12 ounces of fresh baby spinach
4 ounces, quartered grape tomatoes
1 large carrot, shredded
2 ears fresh corn cut off the cob
1/4 cup fresh herbs of your choice, chopped
1 purple potato, cooked and diced
1/4 cup purple potato chips, broken but not crumbled
Favorite apple cider vinaigrette (one of those great things you learn in the Essential Building Blocks class)
In a large bowl, add the spinach and herbs. Hit these greens with a pinch of salt and grind or two of pepper and give it a toss. (People forget that seasoning your salad is part of the flavor building process.)
Next, add the tomatoes, corn and carrots. Give it another toss.
If I am serving it immediately, I’ll add a tablespoon of dressing and toss once. I’ll serve more dressing on the side. If it is going to sit, just serve the dressing on the side.
Plate either individually or on a big platter.
Scatter the cooked purple potato. (Don't toss the potato or it will get mushy.)
Sprinkle with crushed purple potato chips and the dressing on the side.
PRIDE Pan of Veggies
Serves: 4-6 as a side
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 35-45 minutes, depending on your oven
1 pint of grape tomatoes
1 sweet potato, diced
2 yellow squash, diced
2 zucchini, diced
1/2 head of red cabbage (This is a great use for the other half you used earlier in your poke!)
Extra virgin olive oil
Balsamic drizzle
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Toss all of the vegetables in a little olive oil. They shouldn't be saturated, but they should have a little shine.
Line a large pan with parchment paper. (Full disclosure: I first put my vegetables on one smaller cookie sheet and could hear The Chopping Block Chefstructors on my shoulder telling me I was overcrowding my pan so I ended up using two pans.)
I lined up my vegetables and roasted them for about 20 minutes and gave them a stir.
Roast for another 15-20 minutes. Give them a little poke with a fork to make sure they are tender.
Give them a generous drizzle of your favorite balsamic glaze and a sprinkle of salt. (The Chopping Block sells a great option in their retail store.)
These are wonderful as a side for a grill out when there is no room on the grill for anything but meat.
More and more classes are being added to The Chopping Block's class calendar so we all can continue to cook together all year long with PRIDE and joy.
- Perfect your poke with Hands on Tiki Time Class at Lincoln Square on Saturday, July 3 at 6:30pm.
- Essential Building Block at Lincoln Square on Saturday, July 10 at 9am.
Tuna Poke PRIDE
Ingredients
- 12 ounces raw sashimi-grade ahi tuna, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons sweet onion, such as Vidalia, small dice
- 1 scallion, thinly sliced on the bias
- 1 teaspoon black sesame seeds
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce, or more to taste
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
- 1/4 seedless cucumber, small dice
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup kewpie mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon Sriracha
- 1 tablespoon tobiko (flying fish roe)
- 1 cup of cooked sushi rice (I used some jade pearl rice for color)
- 1 orange pepper, chopped
- 1/2 red cabbage, thinly sliced
- 1/2 of a whole pineapple, chopped into small bites
- 1/2 cup of seaweed salad
- Garnishes:
- Sesame seeds
- Pickled ginger
- Fresno peppers
- Pickled onion
Instructions
- In a medium-size bowl gently mix together the tuna, onions, scallions, sesame seeds, soy sauce, sesame oil, honey, chili flakes and cucumbers. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- In a small bowl mix together the mayonnaise, Sriracha and tobiko. Transfer this mixture to a squeeze bottle, and squeeze the mayonnaise in a zig-zag pattern over the poke.
- For the bowls, make individuals in jars or one big one.
- Start at the top and work down with the tuna first, pepper next, pineapple, seaweed, rice and cabbage. (You can easily mix up your pepper colors, use some mango, purple rice, etc.).
- Unmold and garnish with your favorites.
- Serve ASAP.
