I made Bryant Terry’s Amazing Green Rice today and loved the flavour and different ways of cooking rice with pureed vegetables. Food is really for the spirit as well as the body. I have been enjoying the slow-down time and my weekends hunting for organic greens, chopping and cooking away before sitting down to enjoy the few hours of labour.

If you are looking to venture out of your usual way of cooking, Bryant’s new cookbook Vegetable Kingdom features a lot of afro-vegan recipes. Jamaican dishes, Chinese spices. It really opens up a world of cooking with vegetables. I have a list of purees, veggie roasts and dressings I am looking to make. It is a beautiful example of food as a bridge to sharing that personal yet worldly part of ourselves in the kitchen.

I would love to make onigiri this next, perhaps with sushi rice, some preserved cherry blossoms. I used a cast iron pan for this and was rewarded with a crispy bottom. I would also love to experiment with different coloured vegetables, purple rice, yellow rice, orange rice you name it. I threw in soaked cashews I had on hand (you can use coconut cream) with whatever greens and garnishes I found in my fridge.

Bryant Terry’s Amazing Green Rice

Ingredients

Serves 4–6
1 c tightly packed spinach leaves ( sub with any kind of greens)
1 c tightly packed kale leaves, stems removed
1 1/2 c water (sub vegetable stock and omit the stock cube)
1 vegetable stock cube
1/3 c soaked cashews (or sub 2 tbsp of coconut milk)
Sprinkle of sea salt
1 c long grained rice
1 tbsp oil ( I used butter)
1/2 c diced yellow onion
1/2 c diced green peppers
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

Instructions

1. In a blender, puree the greens, water, stock cube, soaked cashews, and salt. Blend until frothy and smooth. Set aside.

2. Wash rice in a sieve. Give it a good shake and set aside.

3. In a medium-sized pan (I used my cast iron) heat oil until hot. Add the onion, bell pepper, and sauté until soft. Add minced garlic and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Add the rice and stir until the water evaporates and the rice is lightly toasted and aromatic. Pour in the contents from the blender and turn the heat up to high until the whole thing comes to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover with a lid and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.

4. Take the pan off the heat and let it sit for 10 minutes or so with the lid on. Fluff the rice with a fork before serving and top with toasted nuts, chopped herbs, fresh ground pepper, or anything to your fancy. I find it really great satisfying paired with an egg, tofu, or served as a main.

Recipe inspired and adapted from Heidi Swanson. Original recipe creator Bryant Terry