This rice feels like a comfort meal. The coconut milk makes it creamy, the turmeric adds a
unique spice, the greens jazz it up, and the roasted chickpeas enhance with a bit of a crunch.
The veggies, rainbow chard and green beans, can be substituted for many other darky leafy
greens or vegetables, including kale, spinach, collard greens, mustard greens, peas, broccoli,
cauliflower, bell peppers, or carrots. This recipe uses chopped frozen green beans, but fresh
beans work as well. Turmeric, a known antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, can provide great
health benefits, including relieving pain and symptoms of arthritis as well as improving memory
and lowering the risk of Alzheimer’s disease! This recipe has been adapted from NYTimes
Cooking.
Total fiber-sugar-protein for whole pot: 17-9-36 (17-0-36 if tracking only added sugar) Fiber-sugar protein for a portion: 4-2-9 (4-0-9 if tracking only added sugar)
Directions:
- Heat oven to 350 degree Fahrenheit
- Heat 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil and sesame oil in large pot or Dutch oven
over medium heat. While heating, chop onion. - Add onion to pot and stir frequently for 5 minutes.
- Add turmeric, paprika, and salt and pepper. Mix until onions are coated and
softened (about 3 minutes). - Rinse uncooked rice until the water runs clear, then add to the spiced onion mixture,
along with the can of coconut milk, 1 ½ cups of water, and ½ teaspoon salt. Stir
together until coconut milk is incorporated, then cover with a lid. Once boiling, turn
heat to low and cook for 10 minutes. Do not stir. - While rice is cooking, drain chickpeas and toss with remaining olive oil, cumin,
cayenne pepper, and salt and pepper. - Drain chickpeas, then toast in oven for 10-15 minutes or until desired crunchiness is
achieved. - While chickpeas are toasting, de-rib rainbow chard and tear or chop into small
pieces. Do the same for the green beans if using fresh green beans. - Once rice has cooked for about 10 minutes, add green beans and rainbow chard on
top of the rice, but do not mix in. Replace lid and cook for an additional 5 minutes. - While rice is finishing cooking, heat small pan over medium heat. Add sesame seeds
and shredded coconut and stir frequently until slightly toasted. - Place sesame seeds and coconut in small bowl, remove rice from heat and mix to
incorporate the vegetables, and remove chickpeas from the oven. - Plate rice and top with toasted chickpeas and the sesame-coconut mixture.
Note 1. Oils have zero fiber, sugar, and protein, but they offer calories and fat, both necessary
to bodily strength and health. Typical olive oil provides, per 1 tablespoon, 120 calories and 14
grams of total fats, which is a blend of 2 grams saturated, 1 gram polyunsaturated, and 11
grams monounsaturated fats. Typical canola oil also contains 120 calories and 14 grams of total
fats, composed of 1 gram saturated, 3.5 grams polyunsaturated, and 9 grams monounsaturated
fats. Other oils are similar but varied, and you can consult a particular oil’s Nutrition Facts table
for details. For more information pertaining to oils, you can read our article on fats.
Note 2. Spices do not come with a Nutrition Facts table. They typically have no (zero) nutrients.
They do not offer calories, fats, fiber, sugar, or protein. Some spices, however, are of concern
with individual medical conditions. For example, salt (sodium) is a seasoning that warrants
careful monitoring of consumption levels because eating too much can increase your risk of
high blood pressure, heart attack, and stroke. Other spices are thought to have unique health
benefits separate from providing calories, fiber, and protein. You can read our article on spices
and seasoning for more details.


