Red Pepper and Almond Rice

Unexpected combination that tastes o-so-good

It’s been a while, yes. But the important thing is that I’m back and nothing has really changed. With my food, at least. Still experimenting and still snapping pics. There’s an impending blizzard coming and as I watch the news reporters interviewing people stocking up on food and supplies, I can’t help but think of my near-empty refrigerator and pantry. I don’t have much and I’m still hoping to hit the supermarket some day this week. O time…where did you go?

But don’t fret, my pet. Random ingredients sometimes make the best dishes! I had two red peppers that were slowly shriveling up to death. What do you do with red peppers except fry and roast them? It’s one of those ingredients that is so hard to use. Like cucumbers. You slice them up with some oil and herbs in a salad. Whoopee. Whoever knows what else to do with cucumbers, let me know. Unless I think of something first!

I wanted a comforting and earthy dish. Comfort is one of those things that I’ve been needing a lot of lately. You can see the empty chocolate wrappers for proof. Nothing says comfort like a nice starch that sits in your stomach. So rice it was, with a pepper, and obviously some onion…..and maybe some almonds….and how about cinnamon!

I did a whole post on cinnamon, and I should really use it more. It really brings out deep flavors in foods other than cakes and squashes. I say if you have a sautee going on, add a dash and see how it comes out.

Red Pepper and Almond Rice

RED PEPPER AND ALMOND RICE

1 cup basmati rice
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tab of butter
1 red pepper, julienned
1/2 white onion, sliced
1/2 tbsp curry powder
1/2 tbsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup sliced almonds
salt and pepper to taste

1. Dry toast the almonds in a frying pan. Once they turn a little brown and smell good, put them to the side.

2. In a separate bigger frying pan, heat the oil and butter. Add red pepper and onion slices and sautee until onions are a bit translucent and peppers begin to wilt.

3. Add almost all the curry power, cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Save a bit for afterwards to give it a fresher flavor. Keep tossing the peppers and onions to coat and sautee for about 10 minutes or until onions are golden brown.

3. Boil the rice in 2 cups of water until water is totally absorbed.

4. When rice is done, add a bit of rice at a time to the pan with the peppers and onions and toss. Keep adding and tossing until all the rice is incorporated into the mix.

5. Add the almonds last. Taste for seasoning and add more spices according to your taste.

6. Serve warm!