Sweet Rice

This was inspired by Korean Sweet rice one of my friends made for me, before I knew I was gluten intolerant. I added my own alterations to it. This rice is very versatile and you can alter the recipe to fit your taste. You can add raisins if you want it sweeter, or if you want a sweet nutty flavor, you can add pine nuts.

Prep Time: 8 hours (time comes from soaking Red Beans)

Cooking Time: 25 minutes

Sweet Rice served with stemmed vegetables and
gluten-free vegan veggie burger.

1-2 cups Jasmine Rice
1 cup dried Red Azuki Beans
1 small package of Sweet  Red Kidney Beans* (for best taste, look for beans in refrigeration section in the Asian market)
1 small package of Sweet Pea* (for best taste, look for beans in refrigeration section in the Asian market)


Place the red Azuki beans in a medium bowl and cover with water. Allow the beans to soak overnight.
Once the beans have soaked, drain. Place rice in a pot and cover with water. Add the Azuki beans, sweet red kidney beans, and sweet pea into the rice. If you need more water to cover the rice, add as much needed. Cover with lid. Over medium heat, cook the rice for 20-25 minutes, until all the water has evaporated from the pan. Let the rice sit for 5 minutes with the lid on. Stir rice and serve.

*If you cannot find sweet red kidney beans or sweet peas prepared, you can make your own. Use dried beans, and follow directions on package. Once the beans are cooked, add agave nectar and stir. Sweeten to your taste. To help with consistency, you can add water and potato starch to keep the agave nectar from burning.

Asian Black-eyed Peas with Turnip Greens

Here is a variation on a southern classic of black eyes with turnip greens. 

This recipe requires a bit more cooking time than the other recipes I have posted, but it's definitely worth it.

Prep Time: 5-10 minutes

Cook Time: 30-35 minutes

Asian Black-eyed Peas with Turnip Greens on Jasmine Rice

2 cups of frozen black eyed peas

1 cup of Jasmine rice

1-2 TB of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

3 cloves of garlic, minced

2 cups of frozen turnip greens w/ turnips

2-3 TB of Tamari

1 package of Konnyaku* (Japanese yam, can be found in Asian markets), cubed

Place beans in a pot and cover with water. Bring the water to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer and cover. Allow to cook for 30 minutes or until beans are tender.

Pour 1 cup of Jasmine rice into a pot and cover with 1 1/2 cups of water. Cover pot, and place over medium heat, and cook for 20 minutes or until there is no water left in the pot.

In a skillet, heat 1 TB of EVOO. Stir in the minced garlic, and allow to simmer for 1 minute. Place the cubed konnyaku into the skillet and lightly brown. This is just to add some color and flavor to the konnyaku. Add the frozen turnip greens and cook until tender. If the greens begin to stick to the skillet, add the extra TB of EVOO. Next, add the tamari, and continue to stir the dish, ensuring the tamari is evenly distributed. If you want to add more tamari for taste, feel free. Continue to simmer for 2-3 minutes, being sure to keep stirring. 

To plate, place 1/2 cup of Jasmine rice. Top with green mix then the black eyes beans. Sprinkle tamari on top of dish, if you desire, and enjoy!    

*

Picture of Japanese Konnyaku