Just finishing a 4-week detox diet. Yes, yes, feeling all cleansed, light, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, but it also meant 28 long days of no meat, no fish, no dairy, no bread, no pasta, no eggs. Not to mention: no sugar, (no CHOCOLATE... ouch!), no coffee, no tea, no wine... D'OH! So what's left? There's fruit, pulses, and mountains of salad and vegetable - ouch! ouch! ouch! Oh yes, and peanut butter! Yum! And 28 days are long, so in order not to
The diet permits brown rice, and one of our favourite detox treats is vegetable rice with Asian flavouring. When I say treat it's because the dish is not 100% detox-fit, including soy sauce and sesame oil, and also salt and vegetable stock. Of course I go easy on these ingredients during the actual detox, but a little sesame oil, soy sauce and ginger make the dish so nice, that in fact it has now earned its place in our list of post-detox-every-day-dishes, just like its predecessors: SPICED LENTIL SOUP WITH CARROTS, that has become one of our go-to soups since years, ROASTED CURRIED FENNEL, and the recent BLACK BEAN QUINOA PATTIES, SPICED CAULIFLOWER AND CHICKPEA SOUP, and HONEY AND THYME PEARS (latter posts still work in progress), all original detox recipes. In any case, I tend to use reduced sodium soy sauce and salt, and just enough sesame oil and organic vegetable stock for a nice flavour. If you are really seriously serious about your detox, then you can always omit the oils and fry the vegetables in a little vegetable stock; instead of the soy sauce you could add more spices or herbs for flavour. With all the vegetables inside, I'm sure it will be very nice too, just not with an Asian aroma.
I really use a serious amount of vegetables for the dish, and the list of ingredients is long, but of course you can use any vegetable, or vary the quantities as you like. In fact, every time I make it, the dish turns out a little different, depending on what I have at home, or frankly, what's growing a beard in my vegetable drawer. You can even add spinach or salad leaves. Just put the washed leaves in a big pile on top of the pre-fried vegetable and watch them wilt inside.
Another favourite combination of mine is the one in the picture below, made with mixed brown rice from the Camargue, broccoli, peas, red peppers and chopped kale and using the same Asian flavouring. The world is your vegetable drawer - sorry, couldn't help it ;-)
(Change or adjust the vegetables below according to your preference, or what's in your vegetable drawer.)
250g brown rice
1 large onion, ca. 200g, finely diced
3 spring onions, ca. 70g, cut into small rings
1 yellow and 1 red pepper, ca. 270g, cut into small cubes
2 broccoli, ca. 650g, cut into small florets
5 carrots, ca. 400g, peeled and cut into thinnish stripes
1 leek, ca. 180g, halved, and cut into thin stripes
250g spinach, washed
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 cube organic vegetable stock
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp ginger powder
Juice of ½ lemon
Salt
Freshly milled black pepper
Also: Large frying pan, 26 diameter
Wash, clean and cut all the vegetables into small pieces or dice.
In a large pan heat the olive oil over medium-low heat and sweat the onion with a good pinch of salt until it starts to soften, 10-15 minutes. Add the leek, spring onions, carrots and vegetable stock cube and a little more salt and keep on frying until the vegetables start to soften, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile boil the rice in boiling salted water for 12 minutes, or according to packet instructions. Drain and put aside.
Add the peppers and broccoli to the pan and stir to combine. Put the spinach on top in a big pile and leave to melt into the vegetables.
Add 1 Tbsp sesame oil, 1 Tbsp soy sauce and 1 Tbsp ginger powder and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Keep on frying until the vegetables are soft but with the slightest crunch.
Add the cooked rice to the pan and stir to combine.
At the end add the juice of ½ lemon for freshness. Taste and add more salt and pepper, or a little more of the sauces and ginger as necessary.
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SERIOUSLY VEGGIE VEGETABLE RICE WITH AN ASIAN TWIST
Serves 4:
(Change or adjust the vegetables below according to your preference, or what's in your vegetable drawer.)
250g brown rice
1 large onion, ca. 200g, finely diced
3 spring onions, ca. 70g, cut into small rings
1 yellow and 1 red pepper, ca. 270g, cut into small cubes
2 broccoli, ca. 650g, cut into small florets
5 carrots, ca. 400g, peeled and cut into thinnish stripes
1 leek, ca. 180g, halved, and cut into thin stripes
250g spinach, washed
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 cube organic vegetable stock
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp ginger powder
Juice of ½ lemon
Salt
Freshly milled black pepper
Also: Large frying pan, 26 diameter
1) Prepare all ingredients: Wash, clean and cut all the vegetables into small pieces or dice.
2) Sweat the onion: In a large pan heat the olive oil over medium-low heat and sweat the onion with a good pinch of salt until it starts to soften, 10-15 minutes.
3) Add the leek, onions, carrots and stock cube and fry: Add the leek, spring onions, carrots and vegetable stock cube and a little more salt and keep on frying until the vegetables start to soften, stirring occasionally.
4) Boil the rice: Meanwhile boil the rice in boiling salted water for 12 minutes, or according to packet instructions. Drain and put aside.
5) Add the remaining vegetables: Add the peppers and broccoli to the pan and stir to combine. Put the spinach on top in a big pile and leave to melt into the vegetables.
6) Add the seasoning: Add 1 Tbsp sesame oil, 1 Tbsp soy sauce and 1 Tbsp ginger powder and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Keep on frying until the vegetables are soft but with the slightest crunch.
7) Add the rice: Add the cooked rice to the pan and stir to combine.
8) Finish the dish: At the end add the juice of ½ lemon for freshness. Taste and add more salt and pepper, or a little more of the sauces and ginger as necessary.
9) Serve: Serve hot on pre-heated plates.
Storage: Cool the rice down quickly, then store in the fridge. To warm it up, place it in the microwave, or heat it up in the pan on the stove. Make sure to heat the rice to a safe temperature of at least 65°C (150°F).
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