Steamed veggies and rice is a favorite dish of mine. This was one of my go-to orders at restaurants when I was living in L.A. I don't really see it on menus anymore, even when I visit Southern Cali. I never did see it on a menu outside of the L.A. area. Oh, well.
Steamed veggies and rice is yummy, simple to make, healthy and cheap.
If you have a couple of pots and a steamer, you are good to go.
Veggies and Rice with Parmesan
1 cup brown Texmati rice (or the rice that you prefer)
2 ¼ cups water (you may need more or less water if using another rice, I always check on my rice periodically anyway--sometimes the water recomended is just not enough)
¼ tsp. salt
pepper
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic- minced
3 green onions-chopped
8 oz. raw broccoli florets
12 oz. cauliflower florets
9 oz. carrots - sliced to about ¼” thickness
11 oz. zucchini (1 zucchini)-sliced to about 1/3” thickness
5 ½ oz. yellow squash (1 squash)-sliced to about 1/3” thickness
8 oz. green beans-trimmed
10 oz. butternut squash-peeled and chopped into 1” pieces
(if you aren’t sure how to peel butternut squash, A Veggie Venture will show you).
It's really easy!
2 oz. parmesan - grated
Spray butter
Heat olive oil in a medium sized pot. Add garlic and cook till light brown. Add rice and water. Add salt and pepper. Heat to a boil.
Then reduce the heat and simmer with a lid on the pot. About 15 minutes before the rice was done, add the green onions. I needed to add more water than what I was supposed to need, so you should check the rice periodically and stir.
Heat the oven to about 325 F.
Prepare the pot for steaming the veggies--it should be big (like a pot you’d cook a good sized batch of pasta in). I used one that was about 10” across and 6” high. I use an old school metal steamer that opens up like a flower. Mine is ancient, but it works great. Add water to just below the steamer bottom.
Add the butternut squash to the steamer pot.
Add the other veggies to the steamer pot and steam them however long you like them steamed. I layered my veggies. I put the longer cooking veggies on the bottom, so as the top layer was finished cooking, Cover and cook.
Check the water once in a while so you don't scorch the pot. I have done this. Often.
This is how long I cooked my veggies:
Zucchini - 9 minutes
Yellow squash - 9 minutes
Green beans - 15 minutes
Broccoli - 17 minutes
Cauliflower - 17 minutes
Carrots - 17 minutes
Butternut Squash - 30 minutes (till they feel right when you pierce them with a fork, however you like your squash done)
When the rice is done, toss in the parmesan (save some for sprinkling on top, if you like).
Put the rice in an oven safe dish. Top with the cooked veggies. Sprinkle with a little cheese. Put in the oven for a few minutes to heat a bit, less than five would be great.
Some of the restauarants I ordered steamed veggies and rice from gave the option of adding cheddar cheese on the veggies. They heated that so it was all melt-y, and it was hecka yummy. If you are watching cholesterol, I would go light on the cheese. They do have lowfat cheddar, though.
I have made this dish for folks that aren't into healthy foods, and they really liked it. Even the kids were digging in.
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