day 10: volcano rice bowl with veggies

Since I spent a good deal of time in the kitchen cooking yesterday's lunch, I wanted to make something quick and tasty for dinner tonight.

My choice: volcano rice with carrots, spinach, green onions and kale.

Rice bowls are simple and filling, not to mention fun, because you can get creative and throw in whatever vegetables you have lying around in the kitchen. And, depending on how stocked your pantry is, you can whip up a rice bowl without having to make a special trip to the market.

A few weeks ago I stumbled upon Volcano Rice. I had never heard of it before and being a big-time rice lover, I wanted to check it out. And tonight turned out to be a perfect night to do just that.

This rice is grown on West Java's mineral rich volcanic soil and here's a breakdown of the nutritional facts I found interesting:

Based on % of daily value

Potassium - 145mg

Protein - 6g

Manganese - 60%

Magnesium - 20%

Phosphorus - 20%

Molybdenum - 10%
Zinc - 8%
Selenium - 2%

A few Christmases ago, I was lucky enough to receive the Cadillac of rice cookers for a present (thanks, Mom and Dad), so I threw two cups of uncooked rice into my cooker, filled the water to the appropriate line, pressed start and walked away. Many rice cookers have the "warming" feature so it's nice to be able to cook rice in the morning and keep it warm indefinitely, or until you figure out what's for dinner. It's one less step to worry about when you're ravenous and tired after a long day at work.

If you don't have a rice cooker, don't fret; you can easily cook rice in a pot. Just follow the directions on the package.

To my Tai Sophia family who may be reading this: I made tonight's dinner according to the Theory of Five Elements.

Have you tried that yet?

Wood = carrots; earth = spinach; metal = green onion (and the rice); water = kale.
Oh, and fire = raspberries, which I'm enjoying as I type this post :)

Anywho, tonight's rice bowl was a success, just what I wanted. Simple, tasty, filling.
Hope everyone's staying dry and warm tonight!

Peace and love --
~Jo

Volcano rice bowl with veggies

Serves 2

3 cups volcano rice, cooked
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
4 green onions, tops off, sliced
2 handfuls baby spinach
2 handfuls kale, chopped
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon nama shoyu or soy sauce

Bring a medium pot of water to boil. Once boiling, add the kale and cook for 3-4 minutes.

While you're waiting for the water to boil, in a large saute pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the carrots and cook for about 5 minutes until soft. Add the green onions and cook for another minute. Add the spinach and stir, cooking for another 2 minutes.

The kale should be ready by now. Remove it from the water with a slotted spoon and add to the carrot/onion/spinach mixture and stir.

Add the nama shoyu (or soy sauce) and mix well. Add the rice and mix well, making sure the rice is evenly coated with nama shoyu and sesame oil.

Spoon into bowls and enjoy!