Gregory Porter ~ Be Good album
The rain is pouring down here today and I look forward to the days after I have moved and no longer have a roof that resembles swiss cheese. I will then hopefully, unless really unlucky, be able to enjoy my beloved rain. I usually find these dark days comforting but today they are just plain frustrating..I have a lot of photography to do and can't because the light is gone. And I'm feeling a little exhausted health wise so can't have my usual kitchen time therapy. One word describes today...Urgh! lol So instead of wallowing..no really I'm not!..I have set up camp at my dining table and I'm getting caught up on work. Although I do confess I keep sneaking off to Pinterest when my mind wanders lol. It's inspirational. Honest! Anyway...
I am making an effort to keep fats and sugars low right now. I just feel better when I do this...and one of my favourite cookbooks is Rose Elliot's Low Fat, Low Sugar. The recipes are simple and very tasty. My copy is barely holding together these days from over use. lol. And although I have made almost all of the recipes within its covers...there are still a few that I haven't. Today's recipe is one of them. I've always looked at it and considered it but something always moved me on to the next page. But today was different...I have been eating a lot of spice based meals lately and was looking for something plain.
I have to say I found making this dish very relaxing. The enforced patience, for this normally very impatient person, whilst the ginger rice simmered away was very Zen. I sat at my counter and chopped and sliced the veggies and floated away on my cloud. Surely I'm not the only one? I am? Oh! OK well once the rice was cooked and I had set it to one side to 'finish' I cooked the veggies as Elliot instructed. Normally I am a steam everything kinda gal but today I decided to try this unusual style of boiling them. And it worked...really well. It's like a flash boiling...
This dish is delicate in its flavours...the ginger/garlic rice is satisfying and the veggies are tender in texture and the hint of sesame are perfect. However the lemon was a little too zingy in the odd mouthful so I would maybe add a little less next time. And as it was only me eating it I halved the recipe for two but there was still plenty. I really liked this meal and will cook it again.
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| Ginger Rice with Japanese Vegetables |
Ginger Rice with Japanese Vegetables Serves 2
(Recipe from Low Fat, Low Sugar/Elliot)
175g/6oz/scant 1 cup rice
50g/2oz/4" piece of fresh ginger, chopped or grated
2 garlic cloves, chopped
225g/8oz carrots
125g/4oz baby sweetcorn
125g4oz green beans
125g/4oz courgettes
bunch of spring onions
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
2 sachets of ajitzuke nori or chopped fresh parsley
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Put the rice into a sieve, rinse well under cold running water then put it into a saucepan together with the garlic and ginger and 400ml/14fl oz/1 3/4 cups of water. Bring to the boil, put the lid on the saucepan, turn the heat down to low and leave to cook very gently for 45 minutes.
When the rice is cooked, leave it to stand, still covered for a few minutes while you prepare the vegetables. Heat 1cm/1.5" of water in a large saucepan and bring the water to boil. While the water is coming to the boil, slice the carrots diagonally, halve the sweetcorn diagonally, cut the beans in half, slice the courgettes and chop the spring onions. Add the carrots to the boiling water, followed by the sweetcorn, followed by the green beans, courgettes and spring onions in layers. The idea is to put the slowest vegetables at the bottom of the pan. Being back to the boil, put the lid on the saucepan, and boil for about 4 minutes or until the vegetables are tender but still crisp...or if you like them softer, cook a little longer. Drain the vegetables in a colander, return to the pan and toss them with the lemon juice, oil, nori or parsley and some salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Serve immediately with the ginger rice.
Enjoy!
Thanks for stopping by and I hope that your Thursday is a splendid one...
~Red~
NB: This is not my recipe and therefore take no credit for it creation. That is the hard work and talent of Rose Elliot. And I thank her for it...~R~
