Recipes

Sometimes the simplest foods can turn out to be the most flavorful. Take this short grain brown rice, for example. On its own, rice can be relatively basic and bland. However, this fact makes rice a perfect sponge for any seasonings you wish to use. This Fragrant Golden Rice, transformed by turmeric, garlic, and ginger, becomes a beautifully delicious side dish.

Chances are you’ve heard of golden milk before. This flavorful Ayurvedic beverage has been all the rage for the past several years due to its anti-inflammatory benefits. I decided to take the flavors of golden milk in a savory direction by infusing them into short grain brown rice. In this recipe for Fragrant Golden Rice, this humble grain is elevated to new heights with the addition of fragrant spices added at the beginning of the cooking process. Turmeric, a great source of antioxidants and vitamins, gives the rice a striking golden hue. Garlic, ginger, coriander, and cumin round out the aromatic ingredient list. Not only would this rice pair wonderfully with a hearty curry or stew, but the bold spices make the rice flavorful enough to be enjoyed alone.

The Magic Of Oven Rice

While going to culinary school at Bauman College, I was first introduced to the concept of oven rice. After years of dealing with undercooked rice, overcooked rice, soggy rice, pots boiling over, and all the other annoyances of cooking rice on the stovetop, preparing rice in the oven was a total revelation to me. In a dutch oven, first cook the spices briefly on the stovetop to release their flavor compounds, then add water and bring to a boil. Next, add the rice and cover with a lid. Finally, place the dutch oven into a heated oven, then simply wait for the magic to happen.

Adding the rice into boiling water rather than starting the cooking process cold ensures that the individual grains of rice retain a perfect, defined texture. Once removed from the oven, this golden rice has an ideal consistency. The plump grains have just the right amount of bite and firmness. This rice makes a wonderful companion for soups, stews, and curries (such as my Morroccan-Spiced Stew). I’m not usually an advocate for eating leftovers straight out of the refrigerator, but this golden rice is surprisingly delicious served cold. Use the cold or room temperature rice as a base for a buddha bowl, or sprinkle it on top of a salad. The best part is that you can use this oven rice method with any other spice combinations you like, so feel free to have fun and experiment with different flavors.

Fragrant Golden Rice

• Author: Alana Haldan
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
• Yield: 8 servings 1x

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Description

Simple brown rice is elevated to a new level with the addition of fragrant spices added at the beginning of the cooking process. Turmeric, a great source of antioxidants and vitamins, gives the rice a striking golden hue. Not only would this pair wonderfully with a hearty curry or stew, but the bold spices make the rice flavorful enough to be eaten alone.

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Ingredients

• 2 tsp coconut oil
• 1 Tbsp grated ginger
• 1 Tbsp minced garlic
• 2 tsp coriander
• 2 tsp cumin
• 2 tsp turmeric
• 4 cups water
• 2 tsp sea salt
• 2 cups short grain brown rice

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375° F.
2. In a large dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. When oil shimmers, add ginger and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until fragrant and golden, about 30 seconds. Add the coriander, cumin, and turmeric and stir often until spices are fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
3. Add water and sea salt and stir well to combine. Increase heat and bring to a boil. Immediately add rice, stir well, and top with a tight-fitting lid. Alternatively, cover the dutch oven with parchment paper, then wrap tightly with aluminum foil. Immediately place in oven and bake until rice is tender and liquid has been absorbed, about 1 hour.
4. Remove from oven, stir, replace cover, and let rest for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving.

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Anyone with a summer garden has probably experienced that overwhelming moment when the zucchini starts to pile up far too quickly. From salads and stir-fry to muffins and bread, there are a plethora of ways to try to utilize zucchini, but perhaps nothing is more fun than creating zucchini noodles.

Out of all my kitchen tools, my spiralizer is one of my favorites. I first discovered this fun tool when I became vegan and was incorporating more raw vegetables into my diet. The spiralizer is an amazing tool that enables you to create “noodles” from a vast array of different vegetables. Zucchini noodles (also known as zoodles) are perhaps the most popular spiralized vegetable, but plenty of other vegetables, such as sweet potatoes, daikon radishes, beets, and butternut squash also make excellent “noodles”.

This raw recipe features zucchini noodles coated in a vibrant walnut-parsley pesto sauce. This recipe puts a spin on traditional pesto by using walnuts and parsley in place of the traditional pine nuts and basil. Additionally, pesto usually includes Parmesan cheese, but this vegan version relies on nutritional yeast for a cheesy tang. Nutritional yeast, also known as “nooch”, is a deactivated yeast often used as a condiment in vegan and vegetarian cooking. The yellow powder imparts a cheesy, umami flavor and is also a great source of protein and B vitamins.

Walnuts, an extremely nutrient-dense nut, are a great source of antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids. They’re also more cost-effective than pine nuts. Flat-leaf parsley has a fresh, fragrant flavor, and is extremely rich in chlorophyll, carotenes, and other vitamins and minerals. The beauty of this recipe is that it is so simple, fresh, and customizable. You can switch it up by combining other spiralized vegetables with the zucchini noodles or using a mixture of your favorite fresh herbs in your pesto. Use whatever is most fresh and simply let your garden be your guide.

Zucchini Noodles With Walnut-Parsley Pesto

• Author: Alana Haldan
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 36 hours 20 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x
• Category: Side Dish

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Description

The spiralizer is an amazing tool that enables you to create “noodles” from a vast array of different vegetables. While this recipe uses zucchini, many other vegetables would work well here, including cucumber, sweet potato, and butternut squash.

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Ingredients

• 2 cups parsley, roughly chopped and packed
• 1/3 cup walnuts, soaked overnight and dehydrated at 100°F  until dry, about 24 to 36 hours (see note)
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 3 Tbsp nutritional yeast, plus more for garnish
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 4 medium zucchinis, spiralized and roughly chopped (see note)

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Instructions

1. In a food processor, combine parsley, walnuts, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, garlic, and sea salt and pulse until combined but still chunky.
2. With the processor running, slowly drizzle in olive oil and continue processing until well blended. Stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Continue processing until you reach your desired consistency.
3. In a large bowl, combine zucchini noodles and pesto. Toss well until noodles are fully coated and pesto is well combined.
4. Garnish with nutritional yeast.

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Notes

If you don’t have the time to soak and dehydrate your nuts, and you aren’t concerned with keeping the recipe completely raw, you can used roasted walnuts instead.

How to spiralize:

1. Peel produce if necessary, then slice off ends to create a flat surface.
2. Secure spiralizer to counter top.
3. Decide which blade you want to use.
4. Align center of vegetable or fruit to the central coring blade, then secure the other end to spokes of the handle.
5. Crank handle away from you to push produce through the blade.
6. Roughly chop noodles to cut up any extremely long spirals.