WHITE BEAN RATATOUILLE

I know that a lot of the country has been in the midst of a heat spell, but we’ve actually been having rain and thunder storms here in the desert!  It may still be hot, but with the air conditioner up and the rain pounding on our metal roof I was able to convince myself, for just a minute, that fall was upon us.  It was AMAZING!  And in the midst of my deluded fall fantasies I made a big pot of one of my favorite fall comfort foods, ratatouille.  The brilliance of ratatouille lies not only in it’s ability to make you feel like you’ve eaten a really hearty and satisfying meal, but in the insanely easy way it’s prepared.  Essentially it’s no more than stewed vegetables.  Which means, chop, cook and serve.  So at the first hint of fall I recommend you welcome it with a pot of this!  xx-Sarah  {more after the jump}

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easy green curry

my family sent me a care package a while back (yes!) that included spices from a store called “savory spice shop“.  there are quite a few of these shops all over the country and they also offer online ordering.  their spices are to die for.  and one of the spices that came in my gift is the thai green curry.  i have a hard time finding a lot of the traditional thai curry ingredients here in the desert, so i improvised and whipped up this easy and delicious green curry from ingredients that anyone can get their hands on.   and the best part, it comes together so quickly that it’s the perfect weeknight meal for when you don’t feel like doing a ton of work but want a dinner that’s totally satisfying.  hope you enjoy!  xx- sarah  {recipe and more after the jump!}

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ginger broccoli with forbidden rice

this is one of those easy peasy throw together meals that will satisfy you in a hot second. well, at least it will if you love ginger and broccoli like i do- pretty much like a fat kids loves cake (thanks for that one 50 cent)

recipe after the jump

the what:

6 cups chopped broccoli 

2 cups of forbidden rice, cooked

3 tablespoons chopped ginger

3 tablespoons mirin (available in the japanese section of your market)

3 tablespoons tamari

pinch of red pepper flakes, or more (optional)

1 tablespoon maple syrup

sesame seeds

the how:

cook two cups of forbidden rice (in my rice cooker i prefer 2 cups of rice to 2 1/4 cups of water)

chop broccoli into florets, set aside. i love the stems of broccoli too, if you haven’t tried eating those, chop them into chunks and include in your measurement. the bottoms of the stems can get tough and inedible, so make sure you’re taking note of the tenderness.

mix ginger, tamari, mirin, red pepper flakes and maple syrup.

in a large sauté pan, cook broccoli and 2/3 of ginger mixture on high heat.  if the broccoli starts to stick, add a little water or more of the ginger sauce.  

once broccoli has reached your texture preference, remove from heat.

serve in small bowls, with a couple spoonfuls each of rice and broccoli.  mix the broccoli and rice, add a little extra ginger sauce if you’d like and then sprinkle with sesame seeds and eat up! * i also added a little siracha to mine before eating, love that extra spice!