Monday 3 March 2014

Rocket & Roses Breakfast Rice Bowl

Rocket & Roses HQ Play List:

Eddie Vedder ~ Once In A While
Shakira ~ The Day And The Time
Maroon 5 ~ A Little Of Your Time
Bowes & Morley ~ I'd Take The Stars Out Of The Sky
Holly Williams ~ Giving Up
The Blow ~ If
Buckcherry ~ Never Say Never
Shania Twain ~ Up! (Red)
The Dandy Warhols ~ Bohemian Like You
KT Tunstall ~ Push That Knot Away
Tina Dico ~ A New Situation
The Doors ~ Moonlight Drive
QOTSA ~ Do It Again
The Cranberries ~ Carry On

ML made it back from a working week in Sofia, Bulgaria however the luggage did not arrive until some time after..lol. Don't you hate it when that happens? At least it was returned the same day...we are aware it could've been much worse. Friday was a mess of busy as I had hospital appointments and a list of stuff I had to get done. Saturday was chaotic but for the very best of reasons as ML suggested that we all (ourselves, my sister and her little ones) clear out of the house for the day and head for the city and we enjoyed (HA!) lunch out, a little retail therapy and the little ones had a great time in one of the city's parks. Then in the evening Ann and Caz brought back the little sock stealer who had been staying with them for the week...and he was not happy to be home in fact he's still sulking. He loves..worships Ann. lol. I try not to take it personally...really I do. They were staying for dinner and so our good day continued on into the evening with a lot of laughs. It was badly needed...and Sunday was just nice as ML and I sat and enjoyed breakfast together...we decided to get the heck out of dodge and go on an adventure of our own and a lovely day was had by both. 

Today has been more hospitals and a procedure and a biopsy. Throat biopsies are not a great thing but a necessary evil, it's over now and so we wait..again. In the meantime I shall be carrying on regardless and filling my time with the usual things. And so in that spirit I shall get on with today's recipe...

...when my medications are making my tummy sore I often find eating a chore but one of the foods that I can usually take is brown rice. And I will have it at all mealtimes and it really helps. I usually have it with some form of bean or lentil and in the old days I would have it with some low sodium soy sauce sprinkled over. As I can't have soy for a the foreseeable future I've had to get creative. lol. I really wanted to make a breakfast rice that was a little more interesting than my usual rice and beans. I wanted it to have some veggies in there and some gentle spices but I also added some fresh chilli although I wouldn't add that on a bad day. 

The spice I chose was one of my favourite blends...garam masala. I enjoy the slightly perfumed scent of it and the gentle way it infuses itself into a dish. I had some organic leeks, a kohlrabi and some carrots that were awaiting a good recipe so I got chopping. I also had some leftover cooked green lentils and decided to use them as my pulse selection. I already had cooked brown rice on hand as I'd thrown a batch in my rice cooker a couple of days earlier and the minimum amount I can cook always leaves me with a good few portions leftover for future days. The results were a very good rice dish and easy to eat and enjoy on the cold winter mornings here. It wasn't heavy and sat gently in my tum and was robust enough to keep me going until I felt up to eating again.

Rocket & Roses Breakfast Rice Bowl...on a genuine Bulgarian placement!

Rocket & Roses Breakfast Rice Bowl      Serves 3-4
(Original recipe from the Rocket & Roses Vegan Kitchen)

200g cooked brown rice 
200g cooked green lentils 
3 sm/med leeks, cleaned and sliced
2 med carrots, peeled and small dice 
1 med kohlrabi, peeled and med dice 
2 green chilli, seeded and finely chopped
1 tbsp coconut oil
8 fl oz veggie stock 
1 1/2 tsp garam masala 
freshly ground black pepper to taste
salt to taste - optional 

Heat the oil in a skillet and saute the leeks, carrots and kohlrabi until softened. Add the chilli and cook for two more minutes. Add the garam masala and stir well to ensure even coating and then add the veggie stock and cook until the veggies are tender. Add the rice and lentils to the skillet and then stir well and cover and leave to cook through for 5 minutes or until the rice is properly heated. Then serve...

Enjoy! 

I was surprised by a few Bulgarian treats from ML....two genuine Bulgarian placements for my foodie photos, a hand carved pestle and mortar and a Good Luck Bulgarian Bracelet. 

Hand made Bulgarian Place Mats
  
You can't see just how bright the red place mat actually is in this photograph but blimey it's shocking red..lol. 

Bulgarian Hand Carved Pestle & Mortar
I have to bath this beautiful pestle and mortar in olive oil and with my oil phobia that will be tricky but it has to be done....so beautiful and tactile. I love it's curves...

Bulgarian Good Luck Bracelet
It's a Bulgarian tradition to give these little handmade Good Luck bracelets to someone you love and they are to be put on, on the 1st March and stay on until you see your first stork..or signs of Spring. As the former is a little tricky to find in good old England I'm looking for Spring...so far I've seen beautiful spring flowers...a few bunnies and a beautifully spring like sunshine...however I'm still wearing mine because I need all the good luck I can get..lol.

Thanks for stopping by and thank you for all your emails of concern. I hope your week has started with laughter and happiness...

~Red~