Coconut Jasmine Rice With Green Onions And Cilantro

I have to ask… do you call them green onions or scallions? My mom always called them scallions but I think most people call them green onions.

Anyhoo *Bitch Cakes* posted a recipe from the cookbook The Balanced Plate by Renee Loux. It called for cilantro and lemongrass. I love those. It called for coconut milk. I was intrigued. It called for jasmine rice. I have never cooked with jasmine rice and that + cilantro and lemongrass love + coconut milk intrigue = I must try this!

I scoured the grocery store but wasn’t able to find any lemongrass, not even the lemongrass powder that Bitch Cakes had to resort to using. So I was stuck with using lemon juice and lemon zest because I couldn't wait any longer to try this recipe!

First you put the rice on to boil after rinsing it a few times. I did three rinses, swirling it in a bowl of water and then draining it through a mesh strainer. Combine the rice with 2 ¼ cups water or broth (I used water) and 12 ounces off coconut milk. Bring to a boil then cover, reducing the heat. Check on it in 20 minutes. If it goes like mine did, you’ll check it in 10 more minutes and then in 10 more.

Meanwhile chop enough green onion for ¾ cup, and tear enough cilantro leaves for ½ cup. I chopped my cilantro; I thought it would help release the flavor since you don’t add it until the rice is cooked.

On to the lemon. This was a battle second only to the oatmeal can. I was already miffed that I could not find lemongrass. I got all set to zest the lemon.

It would not zest! The skin was impervious to my grater! I resorted to slicing off zest and chopping it. Sigh.

Once the rice is done remove it from the heat and let it sit, covered, for 10 more minutes. Then add a pinch of sea salt, the cilantro, green onions, a teaspoon of lemon zest and a tablespoon of lemon juice. I ended up adding the juice of an entire lemon after I tried it.

It was good! I was mystified be the absence of coconut flavor; I had been looking forward to a coconutty/cilantro/lemony taste sensation. So it was not what I expected. But it was tasty and went really well with the chicken breasts I sautéed with some lemon juice and salt and pepper. The jasmine rice was lovely. I have not had white rice in forever and this is of course a very special white rice. I will probably try it with brown rice next time. It will not be the same, but one must make concessions in the quest for more fiber. I will make this again for sure, and in the meantime I will be on the lookout for lemongrass so I can get the full experience! Thanks to Bitch Cakes for sharing the recipe.

And let me know... do you say green onions or scallions?

Thai-Inspired Peanut Butter Noodles

I was pondering my previously professed love for peanut butter (say that five times fast) and though it would make a nice Thai-inspired twist on Lo Mein. None of my measurements are precise; I just eyeballed amounts, tasted, and in some cases, added more. I’m giving you what are, I think, the final amounts. But you would probably want to adjust the seasonings and sauces to suit your own taste. Don’t sweat about being precise.  And if you want to reduce the fat content of the recipe, you could skip the sesame oil and just use cooking spray for sautéing, and use PB2 instead of the actual peanut butter.

Ingredients:

Whole wheat spaghetti, enough for 2 or 3 people
1 cup frozen broccoli
½ cup frozen corn

1 Tbs sesame oil
½ to 1 tsp grated fresh ginger (I keep nubs of it in the freezer and just grate it frozen)
Dash garlic powder
Dash onion powder
Dash ground cumin
1 cup cabbage, chopped
1 cup cooked pork (I used leftover roast pork tenderloin)
½ cup water
½ cup peanut butter (I used Naturally More)
3 Tbs hoisin sauce
1 Tbs roasted chili paste
1 Tbs soy sauce

Cook enough whole wheat spaghetti for two really hungry people. I served this as a one-dish meal so I cooked plenty of pasta. When the pasta is close to done, add frozen broccoli and corn to the water to defrost.

While the pasta is cooking, heat a tablespoon of sesame oil in a skillet. Grate maybe half a teaspoon of fresh ginger into the heated oil and add the ground cumin, garlic powder and onion powder. Then add the chopped cabbage to the skillet, stirring it to coat. When it is wilted and becoming translucent, add the pork. Stir occasionally. Once the pork is heated through, add the water, peanut butter, hoisin sauce, chili paste and soy sauce. Heat, stirring occasionally, until the peanut butter is melted and the ingredients have distributed evenly.

Drain the pasta and vegetables and stir into the peanut butter mixture.

I loved this. I would probably like it a tad spicier; next time I’ll probably use some regular chili paste, as opposed to the roasted chili paste. Or that garlic chili sauce. So don’t be afraid this will have too much heat. The flavors come together so nicely, and with all the fiber and protein it’s really filling.