2 cups Forbidden Black Rice (Whole Foods)

Bring rice, water and pinch of salt to a quick bowl, cover and lower heat to a simmer for 30 minutes. Let rice sit while you whisk together sesame oil and tamari. While rice is still warm toss in the sesame oil and tamari mixture. Let cool, then add sweet potatoes, red peppers, yellow peppers, scallions, cilantro and salt, pepper to taste.

Chef Russ's Bread and Butter Pudding

• ¼ cup amaretto
• 3 ozs. raisins
• 12 slices white bread, crusts removed
• 1 ½ sticks unsalted butter, melted
• 9 egg yolks
• 2 tsps. vanilla paste (see note)
• ¾ cup sugar
• ½ cup milk
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 2 Tbsps. granulated sugar, to dust the top of the pudding
• 3 ozs. sliced almonds, lightly toasted
• 2 Tbsps. powdered sugar

Soak the raisins in the amaretto, and leave covered with plastic wrap at room temperature for 6 to 8 hours or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut 4 slices of the bread into ½-inch dice, and spread the diced bread on the bottom of a casserole dish. Sprinkle the raisins on top of the bread cubes, and pour any remaining liquid over the bread. Cut the remaining 8 slices of bread in half diagonally and then cut each half slice in halve diagonally to create 4 even triangles per slice. Dip the triangles into the butter, and arrange on the top of the raisins, overlapping the triangles slightly. Pour any remaining butter over the top of the bread.

Whisk the yolks, vanilla paste and sugar in a large bowl until combined. Bring the milk and cream to a boil in a heavy saucepan over high heat, and pour the hot mix onto the egg yolks, whisking constantly. Pour the warm egg mixture over the bread, making sure all of the bread is coated, and set aside the coated bread for 20 minutes to allow the egg mixture to soak into the bread.

Place the casserole dish in a roasting tray filled with hot water halfway up the sides of the casserole dish, and bake on the middle rack in the oven for 30 to 45 minutes, or until golden brown on top with the filling just set.

Remove the dish from the oven and roasting tray, and sprinkle with the extra sugar. Broil or use a creme brulee torch to caramelize the sugar. Sprinkle with the toasted sliced almonds, and dust with powdered sugar. Cool slightly, and serve warm with a jug of cream and some fresh berries.

Note: If you can't find vanilla paste, you can use pure vanilla extract. But Chef Russ suggests making some vanilla sugar instead: Take 4 vanilla beans (preferably Bourbon because they are sweeter and contain more seeds), cut them open down the center lengthwise and scrape out the seeds, and then add the beans and seeds to 5 cups of granulated sugar in a container with a tight-fitting lid. Shake it and wait a week before using.

Chef Russ notes that you should replace the vanilla sugar you use with an equivalent amount of sugar, and shake the mix. The mix is good for a year before you should buy new beans and start again.

Buying tip: Make sure the beans you buy are oily to the touch and have a great aroma. They shouldn't be brittle or dry.

Roasted Beets and Spinach with Feta

Ingredients

• 4 beets, trimmed
• 1/4 cup minced shallot
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 6 cups fresh spinach
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

Directions

1.     Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Clean, peel and 1/4 beets. Drizzle with some olive oil, place onto a baking sheet.

2.     Bake beets in preheated oven until easily pierced with a fork, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Pour into a bowl with spinach. Mix. The hot beets will wilt the spinach nicely.

3.     While the beets are roasting, whisk together shallot, parsley, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and red wine vinegar in a bowl until blended; season to taste with salt and pepper, and set aside.

4.     To assemble the dish, place the warm, sliced beets onto a serving dish, pour vinaigrette over the beets, and sprinkle with feta cheese before serving.

• One thin six-ounce snapper fillet, rinsed and patted dry
• 1/8 cup of all-purpose flour
• Kosher Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• One tablespoon olive oil
• One tablespoon unsalted butter
• One teaspoon capers
• Juice of half a lemon
• Two tablespoons flat leaf parsley, chopped

Melt the butter and warm the olive oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Dredge the fish in flour seasoned with salt and pepper. Place the snapper in the pan, top side down. Cook until brown. Carefully flip over and cook until fish is cooked through. One minute before fish is done, add the capers to the pan. Squeeze lemon juice on fish. Remove from pan and place on romaine.

For the Romaine

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• Kosher Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Three romaine lettuce leaves, washed and dried

Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat lightly with olive oil. Add the lettuce and cook until it begins to wilt. Turn it over and cook another minute. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from pan and place on plate. Drizzle with remaining olive oil.

For the Salsa Fresca

• One ripe plum tomato, diced
• One large garlic clove, minced
• One tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• One tablespoon fresh basil, minced
• Kosher Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients. Top cooked fillets with salsa. Garnish with parsley.