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Red rice and peas

The first post back is always tricky and my mind has gone slightly blank at the pressure. So let’s keep it simple, stupid! (I’m talking to me, not you.)

This year I recommend you eat less meat and more fibre – you may already be doing this. Sugar is still the enemy but carbohydrate – good carbohydrate – is no longer the great satan. Especially for women over 30 – 35ish (*cough*), you no longer require – or process especially well – a lot of protein from red meat. Did we ever process red meat well? I don’t know. Maybe I just ate too much of it.

To that end, I made myself the other day a really tasty thing, which I must recommend to you.

Red camarge rice, peas and parmesan

2 handfuls red camarge rice

1 handful peas

a grating of parmesan

olive oil

1 Cook the rice according to the packet instructions (it takes a while, probably 25min). You can do this earlier in the day and then heat up later, which is why rice is our friend.

2 Either add the peas to the rice towards the end of the cooking time or throw them, frozen, in a pan with the rice later

3 Add salt and pepper, some olive oil (be generous) and a good grating of parmesan and you have there before you a really healthy, simple lunch or dinner.

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Comments

  1. Sheila Birch says

    January 13, 2020 at 10:14 am

    I’m about to make your amazing curry today … I hate cooking but the red rice thingy seems achievable even for me

    Reply
  2. Sarah Robson says

    January 13, 2020 at 10:22 am

    Bang on Esther! Delicious. I’m right in the middle of a family of millennials doing dryish January, vegenuary (subtle change of vowel – thank the lord) and me, only drinking when I go out…. except for last evening, whoops.) The next few months are full of sourcing, chopping & jujjing (sp?) veggies into hopefully tasty meals 🤞🏼 Welcome back to the Spike!

    Reply
  3. Sue Madelin says

    January 13, 2020 at 10:47 am

    Sounds delicious thank you for sharing. I hope you don’t mind but having taken a food hygiene course once I just wanted to share tips on keeping and reheating rice for anyone who hasn’t heard it before. You can get a particularly nasty food poisoning but from rice so it’s vital that if you are cooking it in advance that you cool it really quickly (if I’m making plain steamed or boiled rice I just run it under the cold tap in a sieve) and then only keep it for 24 hours in the fridge. (It can be frozen for longer perfectly well.) And when you come to reheat it make sure it is really, really steaming hot – 75 degress if you have a thermometer for at least 1 min. And if you ever forget you’ve got cooked rice in the fridge after 24 hours just chuck it away and make more – don’t risk the agony of eating it.

    Reply
    • esthermcoren says

      January 13, 2020 at 11:03 am

      Sue thank you for this very instructive and helpful comment. Yes I meant to make it more clear in the copy that “later” really meant that same day.

      Reply
  4. Kathryn Davies says

    January 13, 2020 at 11:19 am

    Please can someone tell me sense on reheating rice? I’ve somehow inherited the idea that it is a Bad Thing to do, but I’m not sure why.

    Reply
    • Kathryn Davies says

      January 13, 2020 at 11:20 am

      ^^and that’s what happens if you don’t refresh the page before commenting. Ignore me.

      Reply
      • esthermcoren says

        January 14, 2020 at 11:59 am

        Lol! I’m glad you got the answer to your question though x

        Reply
  5. Sarah says

    January 13, 2020 at 12:25 pm

    Thanks Esther this sounds really tasty and easy I love a bit of cooking inspiration even though I love cooking. I was semi vegetarian but haven’t eaten meat since Saturday night when I watched The Gamechangers on Neflix. It has literally put me off meat and I cant even put it in my mouth now. Really cant quite believe it. All my friends told me to watch it and I was like yeah yeah whatever. My husband and me went to the pub yesterday and ordered the veggie roast option. WE HAVE NEVER DONE THIS. Im nearly 50 and feel like my whole life is a lie and Ive brought my kids up all wrong too. Im trying to make my kids watch it now but have only managed to get one of them to and he was super shocked. In my fantasy head Im now a vegan but I just cannot give up cheese much as I want to. Have just ordered vegan bacon on Ocado and that nutritional yeast stuff that all the vegan chefs seem to put in everything. Ive no idea what to do with it. I will report back if I remember. Im just not ready for vegan cheese but may try it at some point. HNY!!! Xxx

    Reply
    • Anonymous says

      January 14, 2020 at 10:38 am

      I have also become vegan overnight after watching Gamechanger. I think everyone should watch it, just to see what they think.

      Reply
    • esthermcoren says

      January 14, 2020 at 11:59 am

      I haven’t been that crazy about meat for a few years now. I mean sometimes, yes, absolutely. But mostly a miso soup and crackers will do me. Can’t give up cheese and butter though – it will have to be prised out of my cold dead hands x

      Reply
      • Anonymous says

        January 14, 2020 at 2:58 pm

        Watch it! Is on Netflix. Entertaining, not too preachy.

        Reply
  6. Nichola Jeans says

    January 13, 2020 at 7:28 pm

    Thank you, great to have another lunch option.

    I read your piece on giving up ‘influencing’. Good for you on recognising how much damage it was doing to you, and letting it go. Hope 2020 brings more from you from a much less destructive place.

    Reply
    • esthermcoren says

      January 14, 2020 at 11:57 am

      Thanks Nichola! It’s so important to move on and modernise and sometimes after having kids you can feel a bit outdated. But at the same time you have to be prepared to say “This isn’t working for me”… xxx

      Reply
  7. Julia says

    January 14, 2020 at 7:20 pm

    Why do you need less protein as you get older? I thought it was important for maintaining muscle mass…

    Reply
    • Anonymous says

      January 15, 2020 at 12:06 pm

      I came on to say the same thing. I thought increasing protein was crucial as the dreaded menopause approaches…

      Reply
    • esthermcoren says

      January 16, 2020 at 9:52 am

      Sorry Julia I wasn’t clear – yes of course maintaining protein in the peri-menopause is important, I meant to target red meat rather than just “protein” but protein comes from all sorts of places: nuts, salmon, lentils, eggs, yoghurt and the occasional high-fibre low fat low protein meal is a good one to chuck in the general mix.

      Reply
      • Julia says

        January 17, 2020 at 10:35 am

        Ah of course. Thank you!

        Reply

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