Spinach vegetables with rice

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• 150 g brown rice
• 500 g fresh leaf spinach, cleaned
• 1 large onion(s)
• 1 m.-sized fennel bulb(s), finely chopped
• 2 medium-sized carrots, finely chopped
• ¼ tsp thyme leaves, dried
• e.g. sea salt
• 100 ml cream
• 1 tsp paprika powder
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• ¼ tsp allspice powder
• ¼ tsp nutmeg powder, freshly ground
• e.g. walnut oil

Instructions

Working time approx. 20 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 25 minutes; Total time approx. 45 minutes

simple, vegetarian

First things first: The amount of brown rice is roughly equivalent to 1/2 a large cup (a coffee pot). Cook the half cup of rice with 1.5 cups of water and about half a teaspoon of salt, covered, until the water has evaporated. This takes about 45 minutes if it’s brown rice. After about 15 minutes, chop the onion and fry it in a pan with a little oil until it’s translucent and partially browned. Add the chopped fennel and continue frying over low heat for a few minutes, then add the chopped carrot and thyme and let everything simmer for about 10 minutes. Season the vegetables in the pan with salt, add the cream, and cover with a good teaspoon of paprika. Note: If you’re vegan or on a dairy-free diet, use oat, rice, or soy cream instead—but don’t use the full amount at first; save some for later. Sprinkle the finely chopped garlic on top. About 10 minutes before the rice is ready, put the spinach on to steam. One method I prefer is to tear the spinach into bite-sized pieces (about 4-5 cm) and place it in a large metal colander (e.g., for draining pasta) and steam it over a large pot of water. The spinach should only come into contact with the steam. This works even more efficiently if you can somewhat seal the colander with a large lid, for example. Turn the quickly wilting spinach several times so that the upper layers are at the bottom. I steam the spinach only until it is lightly chewable, but not completely disintegrated or has turned into mush. Just before the rice is ready, the vegetables in the pan and the spinach should be sufficiently cooked. Add the spinach to the pan, season lightly with salt, and add the remaining cream. After about 1-2 minutes, season with allspice powder, freshly ground nutmeg, and a little walnut oil (feel free to use another oil if you prefer). Finally, stir in a little more spinach to the vegetables. When serving, place the rice and spinach on the plate either side of each other or on top of each other, depending on your taste. I like to spread the rice on the plate and layer the vegetables evenly over it.