Pears, Mushrooms and Spinach. What was I thinking?

A tale of kitchen failures and bad photos to go with a strange recipe.

Do you ever dream or day dream about how two ingredients would taste together? Of course you do, we all do! My mind starts going when I do a check of what's left in the refrigerator and pantry, as well as when I'm shopping for food. Then once it's time to go into the kitchen to cook our dinner I'll start thinking to myself "Okay, how can I make this more interesting than last time, or what new spice or ingredient can I experiment with today." To me that's what cooking is all about, experimenting and trying new things. My favorite way of testing out new flavor combinations is by staking a bite size amount of new ingredients together for a small taste. Often times I discover some great new flavor combinations that become favorites. But sometimes, well things don't turn out quite like I had imagine.

Baby spinach and pears taste great together. The sweet tenderness of the pear really compliments the crisp mild taste of baby spinach. These two together make a great salad, just add some walnuts and goat cheese and your set. Baby spinach and mushrooms also taste great together. Both are mild and neither overpowers the other. I love to use mushrooms and baby spinach together in stir frys, along side chicken, stews, and curries. So I got the idea that baby spinach, pears and mushrooms would or should taste pretty good in the same dish. Well, that's not really the case. Before I started on the rice I stacked a piece of raw pear, a piece of raw mushroom and a couple of raw baby spinach leaves together. The taste was quite good, mild and crisp with a slight sweetness from the pear. But once the rice was finished, that was a different story. It was edible but not quite the savory, salty and splash of sweetness I quite envisioned. I don't know if the failure was a result of the spices just not complimenting the main ingredients, that the flavors change once cooked or if it was just an overall failure. My poor guinea pig, I mean my husband, still ate what was put in front of him but didn't ask for seconds. Haha! He's a good sport and for that I shall not torture him with this dish again.

I almost didn't photograph and post this but I thought I'd share my most recent failure. After all most of us have them and that's how learn. Right? You could probably tell that I didn't put much effort into the photos, I felt it wasn't quite a dish deserving of a decent photo. So please excuse the horrible photos. If you're brave enough I dare you to make it, haha!

Ingredients :
1 3/4 cup or 320 grams long grain white rice
1 Portobello mushroom (100 grams or 3.5 oz), thinly sliced
5 oz or 140 grams Button mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 firm pear 10.5 oz or 300 grams , in chunks
4 garlic cloves, minced
100 grams or 3.5 oz baby spinach
2 1/2 cup or 600 ml vegetable broth
1 tsp. salt
large pinch of ground white pepper
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
2 tbsp. olive oil

grated Parmesan, optional

1. Heat the oil in a large pan, saute the mushrooms until soft, drain the excess liquid. Add the garlic and saute 2 minutes. Next add the spinach and cook until wilted. Pour the rice into the pan and stir to well combine. Add the remaining spices and pear chunks into the pan and again stir well. Pour in the vegetable broth, stir, cover and simmer under medium low heat.

2. After 15 minutes check on the rice. Taste the rice for tenderness and if needed add a little bit more broth or water. Make sure that the broth/water does not dry out before the rice is cooked through. If so pour just a little bit more into the pan. Once the rice has cooked through add some grated parmesan cheese if you like. Rice should cook through in about 20-25 minutes. Serve as a side dish or vegan/vegetarian main meal.

Remember kitchen failures are okay we all have them. Tell me what was your most recent kitchen failure?

P.S.

Tomorrow, April 29 is the last day to sing up for the YBR. Sign up here if you haven't done so already.

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Colorful Vegan Turmeric Rice for the IIP

Ever wondered why many curries have a dark orangy-yellow color? Why is American mustard so yellow, or how commercial chicken broth gets a its yellow tint? Turmeric. Turmeric is a rhizome, the stem or roots of a plant that grow underground. Turmeric and ginger are in the same rhizome family. They actually look pretty much the same on the outside until you cut into it and see the ginger is a very light yellow and Turmeric is a vibrant orange color with a hint of yellow. WHFoods describe it as having a "peppery, warm and bitter flavor and a mild fragrance slightly reminiscent of orange and ginger," I find it to have a very mild smell and taste and therefore a great spice for culinary uses. Turmeric is used as a natural textile and culinary dye, as a spice, and has been used for centuries in Indian and Chinese medicines for its healing properties. This vibrant spice doesn't only give food a striking color but it also has so many health benefits.

- natural antiseptic and antibacterial agent
- anti-inflammatory, so used as a natural treatment for arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis
- detoxifies the liver
- shown to be affective in fighting Alzheimer's
- natural painkiller
- may help in weight management
- used to treat depression
- used to treat multiple cancers
- antioxidant
- can be used as a Saffron substitute
And the list goes on and on, I suggest you read the WHFoods website for further information. A very fascinating spice indeed!
Today I have a simple recipe that can turn an ordinary rice dish into a vibrant and beautiful dish. I often prepare it as a side dish for curries, tandoori chicken but it can also be served as a side dish with any other type of food. I use long grain rice but you could also use basmati rice and adjust the liquid amount as needed.

Serves 2-3 side dish portions
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups (275 grams) long grain rice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 small yellow onion, finely diced
1 inch (2.5 cm) piece fresh Ginger, finely diced
1/2 tsp. Cumin seed
1 tsp. Turmeric powder
1 tbsp. sunflower oil (or ghee, but it will not be a vegan dish)
2 cups (500 ml) vegetable broth, low sodium & no MSG*

*You could also use chicken broth for a carnivore version.

extra broth if needed
deep cooking pan or pot

(The little purplish specks on the rice are blue poppy seeds. A little something extra to make the presentation more interesting.)

1. Heat the oil and once it's warm add the onion and saute until transparent, next add the ginger and garlic and saute for another 4 minute. Stir in the rice to the mixture, then sprinkle the cumin seed over the rice and fry for about 5 minutes. Next stir in the Turmeric and stir to distribute the spice throughout the rice. Pour the vegetable broth into the deep pan or pot and stir.

2. Cover and over medium high heat bring the rice to a boil. Once the rice has boiled turn the heat to low heat . Leaving the pot partially covered, allow a small crack for a little of the heat to escape. Continue cooking until rice is soft and cooked through and all of the broth has been absorbed. This should take about 15-20 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve.

You should check on the rice to make sure that it is softening and if all of the broth has been absorbed but if the rice is still raw you can add a little more broth at a time and continue to cook until softened.

This is my submission to Penny's (Jeroxi- Addictive & Consuming) International Incident Party or IIP. This month the theme was color, anything colorful. Make sure you check out Penny's website for the roundup of all the participants. It's always a fun event to join, and there are always so many great dishes submitted. Go on check it out!

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Trinity Rice, A Reminder and An Update

Hello everyone, I hope your tummies are all healing nicely after your large Thanksgiving feasts. This month has been so hectic and busy for me (and all of you) that I just noticed I have not shared enough recipes and felt like I didn't have enough of a choice for my November YBR recipe. So I'm posting a new recipe to try to squeeze in right before the YBR roundup. See you're not the only ones who waits to make your final choices. So this brings me to the reminder.


The reminder: REMINDER if you want to Participate in this month's YBR round up please email me your photo and information by MONDAY NOVEMBER 29, (for people in Asian and Australia that would be early Monday morning for you.)


The update: My cookbook, An Epiphany of The Senses, has had a special holiday price reduction. The new price is only $21.99! I'm not sure how long the lower price will last so I hope you can take advantage of the lower price.

Now on to the recipe. Today I'm going to share my recipe invention called Trinity Rice. Nope not in a religious sense of name, and no it's not a dish named after Trinity from The Matrix trilogy, but rather a reference to "The Holy Trinity" of Cajun cuisine. For those of you not familiar with the word Cajun it is used to describe the French speaking immigrants that settled in the southern US state of Louisiana. Cajun cuisine is for lack of a better word AMAZING! There are so many dishes that I could tell you about (and drool all over my keyboard while I type) but it's best for you to just do a Google search on Cajun cuisine and you'll see what I'm talking about. OMG! Who's craving Crawfish Étouffée now? me me me! Back on subject, Cajuns were immigrants that were expelled by the British from the northern and eastern coastal areas of Canada. When these French speaking people settled in Louisiana their foods were influenced by all of the local mix of people. It is said that Cajun cuisine has elements of French, Spanish, African, Portuguese, Native American and even South Asian Indian cuisine.* So you can see that this exotic mix of culinary ingredients can only have spectacular results!

What is "The Holy Trinity" of Cajun cuisine? It is onion, bell pepper, and celery. These three ingredients, or the trinity, makes the foundation for Cajun cuisine. (You will find a trinity of sorts in many world cuisines but today I'm just going to tell you about this one.) I came up with this rice when I made Emeril's crab cakes and I had leftover onions, bell peppers and celery. I wanted to make a tangy rice to go on the side of the crab cakes. It's a very simple dish that is super easy and quite fast to prepare. But let me tell you the taste couldn't be further from simple. My husband liked it so much that after he took his first bite he asked if I had written down my recipe so I could make it again very soon. So with a request like I wasn't going to deny him and yes I wrote it down as I went along. (Sorry I didn't do the metric conversions for this recipe.)

Trinity Rice (serves 2)
Ingredients:
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
1 medium bell pepper, finely chopped ( I used a red bell pepper)
1 large celery stalk, finely chopped
1 1/2 tsp. granulated garlic
1 1/2 tbsp. olive oil
1 cup long grain rice
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
pinch white pepper
1 3/4 cup vegetable broth, low sodium (I dissolved 1 cube in warm water)

Optional:
fresh Lime or Lemon juice

1. Finely chop the vegetables. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in large pan. Saute the vegetables until they are translucent and soft. Add the rice to the pan, stir and brown the rice for about 8 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent burning and the rice from sticking to the pan. Next sprinkle in all the spices, stir and cook for another 2 minutes.
2. Pour the vegetable broth into the pan and stir well. Turn the heat up to medium high and allow the rice to start to boil. Once the rice begins to boil turn heat down to a low setting cover and cook for another 15 minutes or until the rice is soft and cooked through. About halfway through the cooking time check the rice and make sure the water has not completely evaporated, if so stir in a little more. You can add a tablespoon at a time if needed to continue cooking the rice until it is soft.

If you would like to give the rice a little tangy taste add the juice of a small lime or lemon, or you can adjust to your taste. Serve as a side dish or double the recipe for a large main portion. You can also sprinkle some cayenne or chile powder over the dish to give it a little extra spiciness.

The photo you see above this text show the Trinity rice with a fish fillet. The fish is Pangasius in Chili Lemon Sauce and the recipe can be found in my book on page 22. I think this rice is another great way to enjoy that fish recipe as it gives the fish more depth but all of the spices and the ingredients really compliment each other. Plus both the Trinity Rice and the Fish recipes are really healthy and have only a small amount of healthy fats. See eating healthy food does not by any means equate to bad flavorless foods, just take a look.

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Beef Pepper and Mushroom Barley

First I would like to apologize for not having shared a recipe with you guys in a while, things have been really hectic for me the past few months leaving me with little time to devote to Spicie Foodie. But being that a brand new year is well upon us and many people are back to thinking about healthier eating or loosing those " holiday Kilos/Pounds" , I will be sharing many of my healthier recipes or versions of recipes. So today's recipe is for my Beef Pepper and Mushroom Barley, not only healthy and low in calories but an extremely inexpensive meal.


First some facts and nutrition information on this cereal grain , Barley. Barley is a very ancient grain that is loaded with dietary fiber which helps protect your intestines, it is cholesterol free and low in fat. Barley is high in niacin -B3, thiamine -B1, iron, magnesium, zinc, rich in antioxidants and other vitamins and minerals. The benefits list of barley is quite long and for further reading you can try these sites , Barley Food.org (many yummy recipes too), and WHFoods . Barley is a common food for livestock, it is also used for malting to make beer , whisky and some relatively unknown wine. In some latin American countries it's ground and made into hot beverages, and even barley tea water. If you ever bought coffee substitute drinks it's always and ingredient used.

It seems some people are turned off by barley because they think it's only good in soup, but that is not the only way to prepare it (in fact I have yet to try barley soup). I tried Barley for the first time only a couple years ago and quickly became a favorite in my home, I really liked the nutty taste to it and that it was a great alternative to rice. The first recipe I tried, a light Mushroom barley, was so good that every time I cooked it I experimented with it and have found it to be very versatile and easy to work with. (I have several barley recipes to share with you and will add them in the coming weeks and months.) In fact this recipe is a result of every time I cooked barley my husband and I would start thinking of what else to add to it, first it was the beef and then the peppers and so on.



Your ingredients:
1 cup / 200 grams uncooked Pearl Barley, (boiled equals 3 1/2 to 4 cups )
Soft stewing Beef, a little under 1 lb. / 400 grams
1 small onion , chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
Mushrooms 1/2 cup / 115 grams (either fresh or canned)
1 small green bell pepper, sliced lengthwise
1 small red bell pepper, sliced lengthwise
1 beef bouillon , diluted in 1 cup /250 ml
1 tbsp. / 15 ml olive oil
1 tsp. / 5 ml each salt and black pepper
2 tsp. / 10 ml paprika

1. In a large pot prepare the barley by cooking it in water, follow the instructions on the bag, usually it's 2 cups of water for 1 cup of barley. Should take about 30-45 minutes, in the mean time prepare the other ingredients.
2. Slice the beef into thin slices , and chop and slice the onion, garlic, mushrooms and peppers. In a large pot heat the oil then add the beef cook for about 8 minutes or until the beef has browned. Next add the vegetables cook for 5 minutes, then add the bouillon and spices. Simmer for about 25 minutes or until meat is soft and vegetable cooked through.(The peppers can become very soft or mushy, if you don't like this you can add the peppers later to cook to the texture you desire.) Most of the broth will have cooked off and there should only be a little bit let, you will use it to mix with the barley.

3. Next add the cooked barley to the beef mixture and combine all the ingredients well. Taste for salt and pepper, you also want the barley to be well coated with the paprika to give it a slight red color, so if need to add a little more paprika. Continue to cook under low heat for another 5-10 minutes to get the ingredients well combined and until all of the liquid has dissolved.

That's all a very quick ,easy and inexpensive meal without giving up any taste!

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