We just got back from a whistlestop trip to the dessert. Friday night in Palm Springs at the very luxurious
http://www.theparkerpalmsprings.com/index.php, food by the pool (most amazing corn off the cob soup, which I will post the recipe I think will best match what we ate) and then a trip to Joshua Tree - amazing what a feast for the eyes!!!! On the way back we stopped at a small local Health Food Store, Natural Sisters Cafe, to get the kids some food - we took their special which was brown rice with black beans, served with sour cream, cheese and salsa and to drink Kombucha. On the way home I thought how this meal has become a staple in our Californian diet - not one we consumed before coming here or one I would have thought that nutritional. However using good quality ingredients and throwing in few raw vegetables to boot you have a very nutritious and easy meal for the whole family. See recipe below.
Another Californian staple drink is Kombucha, which recently seen a rebirth in popularity - to be drunk in moderation and with caution for kids (you really need to know where its coming from before giving it to kids) I would love to hear from anyone out there who either makes their own, drinks it on a regular basis or is a fan.....
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3/4 cup uncooked brown rice
- 1 1/2 cups low sodium, low fat vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 3 1/2 cups canned black beans, drained (or dried, soaked and cooked as per directions on the packaging).
1. In a stockpot over medium-high heat, heat the oil. Add the onion and garlic and saute for 4 minutes. Add the rice and saute for 2 minutes.
2. Add the vegetable broth, bring to a boil, cover and lower the heat and cook for 20 minutes.
3. Heat the black beans and add the spices.
Serve together with a side of guacamole, salsa, cucumber sticks, pepper sticks, carrot sticks and any other vegetables you like!
