Baked Brown Rice

I almost feel silly posting a recipe for plain rice, but this method seriously changed my life. It's absolutely foolproof, and it comes out perfect every time. I haven't bothered to cook rice on the stovetop once since I tried it in the oven, nor have I pulled out my rice cooker. I can't believe I ever felt compelled to purchase a rice cooker, anyway. I think I just wanted it because it was cute and red and on sale at Target.

If there was ever a doubt, Alton Brown proved his genius here. I altered the quantities in his recipe a little bit, but it's largely just copied from the Food Network web site.

Baked Brown Rice
Adapted from Alton Brown's recipe

1 1/2 cups brown rice (any variety)
2 1/3 cups water or vegetable broth
2 tsp. olive oil (try sesame oil instead!)
1/2 tsp. salt (omit if using salty broth)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Bring water to a boil on the stove. Combine rice, oil, and salt in an 8" oven-safe dish. Pour boiling water into the dish, stir, and cover with foil.

Bake for 1 hour.

I usually double the recipe and freeze some of it in individual portions. It makes meal prep really easy when I'm short on time (which is basically always).

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Green Pea Hummus

With two jobs, I often have to pack two work meals a day. I try to plan ahead, so I always have something fresh and substantial to take with me. Hummus is a lunch staple for me, and I often make a big batch at the beginning of the week. I portion it out and chop my vegetables ahead of time, so all I have to do is grab a couple of containers when I'm rushing out the door in the morning. It's not the most exciting lunch ever, but sometimes it's all I have time for, and it sure beats raiding my emergency Clif bar stash at work.

I found myself with half a bag of peas in the freezer, so they became the hummus of the week. It's a little lighter than traditional hummus, which I think gives me license to eat a ton of it.

Green Pea Hummus

2 cups frozen peas, thawed (run them under the faucet in a colander to thaw them quickly)
1 tsp. olive oil
3 Tbsp. tahini
3-4 Tbsp. lemon juice
3-4 cloves garlic
1/4 tsp. cumin
salt and pepper to taste

Puree everything in a food processor or blender (I use an immersion blender for hummus because it's easier to clean, and I'm lazy). Add a little water to thin it to your desired consistency.

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Wheatgrass Pesto

This started when my mom gifted me with a cute, seemingly useless, little container of wheatgrass. I don't own a juicer, and what else can you do with wheatgrass? Ultimately, I decided to do with it what I do with most other green things I need to get rid of: make it into pesto.

Sounds weird, I know. I was skeptical, but it actually turned out pretty tasty! Bonus: I got in touch with my inner hippie! Many people in my life would probably argue that I'm never too far out of touch with my inner hippie, but I don't eat wheatgrass much. Or ever.

The problem with wheatgrass is its stringy texture. I tried really hard to puree it in the food processor, but it never completely broke down. Fortunately, once tossed with pasta, the texture wasn't bothersome at all. I cut the wheatgrass with parsley, which tastes kind of grassy anyway, and the flavor wasn't all that different from an ordinary parsley pesto. Except it's extra healthy, I guess.

Wheatgrass Pesto

1 bunch parsley
1 bunch wheatgrass (about the same amount as the parsley)
1/4 cup roasted sunflower seeds
1/4 cup olive oil
3 Tbsp. lemon juice
4-6 cloves garlic
salt and pepper to taste

Blend it all up in a food processor! Toss with pasta, using some of the pasta water to make it saucier.

On a completely unrelated note, check out our very last two remaining backyard strawberries! I thought the strawberries were done, but these guys were still hanging on, being cute. I almost felt bad eating them. Almost.

Thanks for a good summer, little strawberry plants. Also, thanks to the bugs for not eating them before I got there.

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A Naan Starter

Get it? Naan starter? Because I'm starting this blog with naan? I'm hilarious?

This was my first try at naan, and I think it was pretty successful. These certainly came out just as good as a lot of the naan I've ordered in Indian restaurants.

Whole Wheat Naan
Heavily adapted from Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone

makes 8-10 pieces

2 tsp. instant yeast
2/3 cup unsweetened soy yogurt
2 Tbsp. light olive oil, plus extra for brushing the naan
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup warm water
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

Mix all ingredients to combine. If the dough seems too wet (mine did), add flour until it reaches a workable consistency. I had to add at least another cup of flour, but your mileage may vary.  Knead by hand or with the dough hook of a stand mixer for 10 minutes, or until the dough is soft and pliable, but not sticky.

Form dough into a ball and place into an oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel, and let rise for 1 hour. After the dough has risen, divide into 8 or 10 pieces (I made 10 because I added so much extra flour), and roll into thin, oblong shapes. Brush with oil and cook in a pre-heated frying pan on medium-high heat until the dough bubbles.  Brush the top side with oil, flip, and cook through.

I promptly made an open-faced naanwich with pan-fried tofu, homemade hummus, and spinach. Delicious!

About my first ever Vegan MoFo: I don't really have a theme. I mostly aim to a) try new recipes and b) clean out my overstuffed pantry a little bit. I'm super excited to participate, and I hope I have the motivation to keep blogging after the month ends.

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