There are few people who would disagree that one of life's simplest, most beautiful pleasures is a slow, lazy Sunday morning. One spent with a rich, dark coffee and the Sunday Times, preferably outside on the patio in the warm spring sun...

This morning I made a favorite sweet treat, my highly simplified version of sopapillas. I know they're probably not technically "true" sopapillas, but I started making these a few years ago as a last minute dessert and  have found them to be a great alternative to crepes, pancakes or waffles for breakfast. I love the fact that they're quick and effortless to prepare, so the decadently easy pace of the morning isn't interrupted with the assembling and juggling of myriad ingredients. In fact, you need only four items: flour tortillas (I love using spelt tortillas), canola oil (or some other vegetable oil - olive oil works too but changes the flavor), honey and ground cinnamon. That's it!

Just take a frying pan or saute pan and pour about 1/8 of an inch of oil into it (you need enough to "float" the tortilla on top, but not enough to drown it). Heat the oil until it just begins to bubble and spit, then drop one tortilla into it and fry it for a few seconds until it puffs up. Flip it over quickly and continue frying a few more seconds - the puffs will sink when you flip it then rise again. When the tortilla is mostly golden and it seems to be staying puffed, remove it from the pan with a spatula and place it on a plate. (I usually take a paper towel and blot up any extraneous oil at this point).

Pour as much honey as you want on top along with a light sprinkling of powdered cinnamon, then serve almost immediately, while the warmed honey winds and pools deliciously between the tortillas golden puffs and crenellations. To be truly decadent, follow Frontera Grill's example and add brown sugar, cinnamon and orange peel to your coffee...or make the most of the sweet and savory contrast with a deep black espresso, straight up. 

Yes, it's another riff on rice...yesterday it was oranges, almonds and brown rice; today it's raisins, almonds, balsamic vinaigrette and brown rice - clearly there's a theme in Modern Girls Kitchen this week! But you know what they say...when you've got it, eat it.

So, finding myself with extra rice from yesterday's orange and almond brown rice salad, I decided to take the sweet-sour-savory theme one step further by employing my favourite fall-back vinaigrette, a generous handful of raisins and sliced almonds and a bowl of cooled whole grain Wehani brown rice blended with a little white basmati rice (just because it needed using up).

I have to say the results of today's experimental kitchen were better than yesterday's - the flavors clarified, the contrasts brighter, the overall effect a definite make-again. This is the kind of thing I can imagine taking to work for a refreshing summer lunch, or serving alongside honey-grilled chicken at an outdoor barbecue...with spring making its first appearance, possibilities abound.

What You Need

• 2-3 cups whole grain brown rice (I love Lundberg's Wehani brown rice for its nutty flavor and meaty texture)
• 1/4-1/2 cup sliced almonds
  
• 1/4-1/2 cup raisins
• 1/8 cup chopped scallions (optional)
• 8 tbsps olive oil
  
• 2-4 tbsps balsamic vinegar to taste
  
• 2 tsps mustard powder

What You Do

1. Cook the rice (preferably in a rice steamer) and let it cool for 2-3 hours.
2. While rice is cooling, combine olive oil, balsamic vinegar and mustard powder in a lidded bottle or jar and shake vigorously to blend. Start by adding 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar, then increase quantity to taste - depending on the type and quality of the vinegar you're using, you may need to use more or less.
   
3. Place cooled rice in mixing bowl and pour over the vinaigrette.
   
4. Stir in almonds, raisins and scallions (if using).
   
5. Serve as an entree or as a side dish for pork or poultry.
   

There's an addictively good rice salad my mother makes with white rice, almonds, mandarin oranges and mayo - not quite the typical line-up of rice salad ingredients, for sure, but after one bite you're hooked. So in the spirit of my latest read - Super Natural Cooking by Heidi Swanson - I thought I'd put a fresh, organic twist on this salad with whole grain brown rice (I actually used a blend this time of Lundberg Wehani whole grain brown rice and white basmati rice), fresh honeysweet oranges and almonds.

It's one of the easiest - dare I say most foolproof - recipes you can make, and it's great as a healthful, filling entree or as a side dish. Best of all, the combination of fresh sweet orange segments, meaty brown rice and crunchy almonds create multi-layered texture and a lovely savory-sweet contrast.

• 2 cups whole organic grain brown rice (or 1 cup brown rice and 1 cup white/basmati rice)
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds
• 2-3 Honeysweet organic oranges (or other small, sweet oranges - if you can't find small sweet fresh organic oranges, mandarin oranges are okay - just try to find some that aren't packed in sugar water!) 

• 3 tablespoons canola mayonaise 
• handful or two of chopped green onions 
  

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