This dish did not turn out especially photogenic, but it was tasty.
Yet another Vegan Eats World inspiration… I followed the recipe pretty closely, aside from the pearl onions; I couldn’t find them organic (boyfriend is antsy about non-organic stuff) and… well, frankly, I am not a big fan. That texture isn’t my favorite. But I did do a quick baby kale braise (in white wine) to go on the side. It’s warm and inviting and tasty.
My favorite thing about a dish like this is that it works best with planning, meaning time spent on the mise-en-place. I LOVE putting together the mise. I don’t know why! It’s incredibly satisfying! I had a tray next to the stove with all the ingredients, prepped and ready to add to the pan as the recipe dictated. A bowl of minced yellow onion! Another of red and yellow bell pepper with a whole ton of minced garlic! A smaller dish with all the spices measured out! The rice, washed and drained and ready to add! Frozen peas, measured, and 1-quart container of vegetable broth just waiting to pour. Half of what they do on cooking shows is just make use of the mise-en-place someone else put together, as if ingredients just come ready to dump from perfectly sized clear glass bowls. THEY DO NOT!
And the prep is most satisfying! The pride I take in a well-diced onion is ridiculous. Yesterday I had perfectly tiny mango cubes for my salad and it filled me with joy I cannot express in words. So if you take nothing else away from this post, please: remember to take pride in your mise.
