Warm Red and Green (And Good for You) Rice

So thankful that the weekend has arrived and I am about to relish a little quite time after a busy, and at times frustrating week.  Time to let all the worries and stress of work go, well for 48 hours anyway, to relax and recharge.  Time to nourish both body and soul.  I came across this quote just this morning which nicely sums up how I plan to spend my weekend and enter next week refreshed, recharged and ready to face the week.

'As I unclutter my life, I free myself to answer the callings of my soul.' 

Dr. Wayne Dyer 

I was also lucky enough to be at a breakfast where Dr Libby Weaver was speaking on Friday morning.  What an inspiring woman, and it is indeed all about listening to your body, and that is what I will be doing this weekend.

I seem to have come across a few variations of green rice of late, here and here. After a busy and not so healthy week (just a little too much of the not so good stuff) I took it as a sign for my body and soul craving something a little more green and good. I then came across red rice at the local health food store and it became a red and green rice so to speak.  So if you don't have red rice brown rice will work too. This is best mixed when still warm to allow all the flavours to meld and then served warm or at room temperature.

Warm Red and Green (And Good for You) Rice


Serves 4


Ingredients

2 cups broccoli florets, little bite sized florets*

1/2 cup chives, chopped

1/2 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped

4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp Dijon mustard

Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 cup cooked red or brown rice
2 cups baby spinach leaves

1/4 cup mint, chopped

1/4 cup almonds, toasted and roughly chopped

Salt and pepper

To serve

Smoked paprika, optional


* I also found some lovely green broccoflower and mixed a little of that in.

Directions

Cook the broccoli and broccoflower, if using, in boiling salted water for just a few minutes, just cooked but still with a little crunch. Drain, run under cold water to stop them cooking further and set aside.


Place the chives, parsley, olive oil, Dijon, lemon zest and juice in a food processor and season with salt and pepper.  Whizz until you have a beautiful green vinaigrette and set aside.

Place the spinach in a large bowl and add the broccoli and broccoflower.  Add a couple of tablespoons of the vinaigrette and gently mix together with some tongs.  Add the mint rice and almost all the almonds and stir gently together with another couple of tablespoons of vinaigrette.  Taste and check seasoning.  Drizzle with a little more dressing and a scattering of toasted almonds along with a sprinkle of smoked paprika.

I think a generous sprinkle of sumac in place of the smoked paprika would work a treat as well.

Well this was just what I was needing, satisfying and comforting yet green and nourishing all at the same time.  Full of flavour and texture, all wrapped up in zesty, herby vinaigrette.

If you like this you might like this Mujaddara with Spiced Yoghurt


One Year Ago Braised Lamb Shanks

 Enjoy!

Cook the peas and broccoli in boiling salted water for just a few minutes until cooked but retaining a little crunch