I am accepting

My friend Jen came to town last week, and she insisted on feeding me. So we opened a bottle of wine and made a dish called, "I am accepting." Since I didn't have all the ingredients on hand, we improvised and called our version: "I am somewhat accepting."

Winter nights with a friend in the kitchen are always so satisfying to me. And the warm spoonfuls of nutty red rice with kale and avocado were the ultimate in savory goodness. Here's the recipe:

4 T. orange juice
1/4 t. salt
1 T. olive oil
1 T. tamari (wheat-free soy sauce)
1 T. rice vinegar
1/2 t. toasted sesame oil

Rice:
1 T. olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
1 dried serrano chile, finely chopped
Pinch of salt
4 small garlic cloves, pressed or minced
2-3 tightly packed cups of greens

2-3 cups cooked black Chinese “forbidden” rice (or other nutty rice – brown or red Bhutanese)
2 large or 3 small scallions, coarsely chopped
3 eggs (or 1 ripe avocado for a vegan version)

Toppings:
Toasted sesame seeds
Toasted nori (seaweed) cut into small pieces

To make the dressing: Stir together salt and orange juice and let sit a few minutes. Stir in olive oil, then add tamari, vinegar, and sesame oil. Set dressing aside.

To prepare the rice dish: De-vein greens and slice into short, very thin strips. Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat, then add in onion, salt and serrano chile. Cook, stirring, until onions just begin to brown. Add in garlic and greens, and cook, stirring, until greens wilt and become tender. (You may want to add a bit of water and cover the pan to steam the greens a little if they begin to brown or burn before they get tender.) Add in the cooked rice* and cook, stirring, until the rice is heated through. Add in the scallions and remove pan from heat. Stir in dressing. Cover to keep warm.

To assemble: Pile rice mixture in a bowl and gently top with a poached egg (or chunks of avocado). Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds and nori bits liberally on top. YUM!

Rosemary