Comfort Today, Spring Tomorrow, March, The Month We All Look Forward To!!

Today is March 4th. Why am I mentioning that obvious fact? Let me tell you. We are having a blizzard here in Vermont and so far, have about 10 inches and counting. I am of the opinion that once March 1st comes, all snow must end. We have paid our dues; it is time to think and be spring and act accordingly. I am ready for spring veggies, recipes, gardens, the color green, and of course flowers, eatable or otherwise.

I must confess I have started adding in some nice fresh asparagus that has started turning up in our local supermarket, and a salad now and then. Today, however, I have tossed together a side dish to go with my chicken from leftover, fresh, pantry and freezer items. Yes, I need comfort right now, as the snow keeps coming down and down and down!!

My freezer item is my precooked for my freezer brown rice (I always keep frozen rice of some type in freezer for a quick meal)

My leftover item is precooked shredded cabbage, prepared just until crisp tender, drained and allowed to dry (green today, another day Napa)

My fresh items are my spices, basil and parsley.

My pantry items are canned chic peas, freeze dried scallions, tarragon, and lite soy sauce.

Here is my simple comfort dish: all items in amounts of choice, your kitchen after all.

Sautéed my cabbage in some of my home-made basil olive oil, once cooked down and starting to brown a little I added my spices, soy sauce, my defrosted brown rice, and can of chic peas, let that simmer for a few minutes until heated through then added my fresh herbs and served.

This whole dish, if prepared the way I did and with what I used takes about 20 minutes tops. It is so tweakable and rice dishes are so economical for our food budgets. Of course, there is always going to be someone in the family who doesn't like something in a rice stir fry. Just do what I always told my member, just pick it out, it's just that simple!!

Happy Cooking and Think Spring!!