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Cilantro Brown Rice by HLife Photography

This is veganized version of a very popular Peruvian dish Maryl and I grew up with, called Arroz Con Pollo (“Rice and Chicken”). This version is basically a rice-no-chicken dish. We usually replace the chicken part of the Peruvian dish by serving it with a homemade mixed herb/tandoori tofu, but the rice is so delicious on its own that you can just snack on it solo. My favorite way to eat it is to pair it up with a very limey dark green salad with lots of chopped red onion. The flavor of the mix of the rice, lime, and red onion is what we call “Peru.”

Prep: After rinsing the cilantro with filtered water, pull all the stems off the cilantro, and place all the leaves in a blender.  Add 1/4 cup of water and blend on high speed for 50 seconds until cilantro turns into a paste (or more like a green liquid. Either way is fine). Set aside the cilantro blend. In a medium pot, add the coconut oil and place it in the stove on high heat. Add the onion, garlic, a pinch of black pepper and sea salt. Saute for about two minutes or until onions are translucent. Bring the heat down to medium high, add the cilantro paste and aji amarillo, and mix. Then add the brown rice and saute for  about two more minutes. Add the corn, peas, red bell pepper and olive oil 1/2 tablespoon of sea salt, and blend well.  Add three cups of water and mix with all ingredients. Turn heat back to high and cover. As soon as the water starts boiling, turn the heat down to medium low and set your timer for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Once the timer goes off, check the rice. If there is still some water left but the rice is cooked, mix well, turn the heat to medium high, and let it cook for about 10 more minutes. Check it again and taste. Add more sea salt if needed. Even if there is still some water but the rice is cooked, turn the heat off and blend together. I serve it a little “wet”, but the water will eventually dry out as it sits in the pot while cooling off.

Nutritional info: Brown rice is a gluten-free whole grain loaded with manganese, a mineral that helps your body synthesize fatty acids and cholesterol as well as maintain normal blood sugar levels, and protects your cells form free-radical damage. Brown rice has recently been in our HReport as a food that substantially lowers the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. It is also a great source of selenium (which helps in the prevention of oxidative stress and cancer) and the relaxer mineral magnesium (an HLife featured mineral). Brown rice is also very rich in fiber, which keeps your intestines clean, helps prevent atherosclerosis, and has been shown to reduce cholesterol levels. In a study published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology, it was found that eating foods high in insoluble fiber, like brown rice, can help avoid gallstones. Peas are very high in protein and red bell peppers are a great source of Vitamin C. Cilantro leaves are very high in antioxidants, which protect our cells from free-radical damage. The leafs contain several phytochemicals that studies now show to be imperative for overall health. Cilantro is a good source of several minerals like potassium, calcium, manganese, iron (for red blood cell production) and magnesium. It is also rich in many vitamins, including Vitamin A, folic acid, Vitamin C, and niacin. Cilantro is super rich in Vitamin K, which plays a major role in building bone mass. It is also a digestive and carminative.