Thursday, January 20, 2011

my own recipe

eta: in thinking about this recipe, i decided it's really more of a pilaf, as the brown rice never creamed up like a good risotto rice would. so, for the instructions, i would cook the rice according to directions, seasoning the water with the turmeric. cook the vegetables in a little olive oil until tender, adding kale and beans last few minutes just to wilt the kale and warm the beans.
i can't wait to make this again.

olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
a few handfuls of baby carrots, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 cups brown rice
turmeric
water
salt & pepper

sauté onion and carrot until onion is cooked through, browning slightly. add garlic, cooking just a bit. you don't want to burn it. set the veggies aside in a separate dish to add back later. add rice to the pan and just enough water to barely cover the rice. cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. when water cooks down, add a little more. keep adding water until rice is tender. i did this for twenty minutes, then added more water and put a cover on the pan, reduced the heat to low and simmered for another fifteen minutes. i would probably add back the veggies before this last simmer. i cooked mine from the beginning and the carrots were mushy.

i season with salt and pepper at each step - first the cooking vegetables and again when i add the rice. the turmeric was a surprise. i was looking through my spices, smelling as i went and the turmeric spoke to me, adding great flavor and color.

when the rice was tender, i added a scootch more water, made a little well and cracked an egg on top. popped the lid back on and cooked till the whites were done but the yolk was still soft.

for my nanny family, i would add kale and white beans at the end. i think it would be great with any vegetables and the beans add protein. what a great meal! healthy, hearty and good.

i impressed myself. i don't cook like this. i find good recipes. and today? i guess i did just that.