Asparagus and Courgette Rice

Monday 26 June 2017

I wanted to cook us something quick and light today . . . fresh, and healthy.  I remembered seeing this recipe in the June issue of Food to Love and I had everything in the house to make it and so I put it on the menu!

Not only was it incredibly easy to make, but very quick to make also, using a minimum of ingredients


Courgettes (zucchini), asparagus, chicken stock and brown rice.  Oh, and a bit of Parmesan cheese and some fresh parsley.  Not a lot really!

I used the pre-cooked brown rice that comes in pouches that you can keep in your store cupboard. I always have some of that stored away. It always comes in very handy!


I prepped all of my ingredients . . .  cleaning and chopping the vegetables, grating the cheese, and it went together very quickly.  I am sure I had it ready and on the table in less than 15 minutes!


 I used a gel pot stock, the kind you get from Knorr, and I used the vegetable one which meant that the dish was completely vegetarian.  Well, except for the cheese.  I know a lot of veggies don't use cheese because it is a milk product and they don't even use anything produced by an animal.

I've never quite understood that myself.  I get the not wanting to eat meat bit, but not the not using anything that is produced by animals.  Surely there is not a lot wrong with that, but I might not be seeing it in quite the same way as they do.

 In any case this is delicious.  With lots of colour and crunch along with a bit of nuttiness from the brown rice.


I love courgettes and I love asparagus, but if you didn't like those I am sure you could create another combination that would be equally as tasty . . .  like green beans and peas . . .  or, well, just use your imagination. I think almost any vegetable combination would work . . . 

 Except for maybe beetroot, that is not unless you want to be eating pink rice!


Some people don't mind eating pink food.  I am quite fond of beetroot myself!  I hope you will give it a go!  It would make a lovely quick and tasty mid-week supper!




*Asparagus and Courgette Rice*
Serves 4
 
Quick, easy, and delicious. Also very colourful and crunchy. You can add some chopped cooked chicken, steak, or fish to this if you wish. 

180ml chicken stock (3/4 cup)
1 large courgette, trimmed and coarsley chopped
1 large handful of fresh asparagus, trimmed and coarsely chopped
500g cooked brown rice (3 1/4 cups)
2 TBS coarsely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
80g finely grated Parmesan cheese (1/2 cup)
salt and black pepper to taste
Extra Parmesan cheese to sprinkle on the finished dish 


Combine the chicken stock, courgettes and asparagus in a deep skillet.  Bring to the boil, and then simmer, uncovered, until just crispy tender and the liquid has reduced by half.  Add the rice and parsley.  Cook, stirring, until heated through.  Stir in the cheese and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Serve with extra Parmesan cheese for sprinkling on top. 

Note - if you want to add cooked chicken or fish, add it with the rice. Make sure it is completely heated through.



For the die hard protein fans in your life you could add some leftover chopped meat of course, but a lovely fried egg also goes very nicely on top. Just saying! Scrumpdiddlyumptious!!  Bon Appetit!

12 comments

  1. Zukes,summer squash, onions and meat balls frozen or homemade.
    Yummmy dinner Marie! Hugs!

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  2. We enjoy rice dishes:) In fact tonight it's just chicken fried rice:)

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    1. Yum! I love CFR Mon! One of my favourites!

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  3. I'm not a vegan or even a strict vegetarian (I try to cut down on all animals products though), but the point of not eating animal products is the belief that killing animals for food is unethical, and large numbers of animals are still killed to produce dairy products and eggs (what do you think happens to the male calves/chicks, or the cows/ hens that no longer produce high yields?), even if their meat isn't eaten. Everybody should choose for themselves what they find acceptable, but it is a bit unkind to mock vegans on your blog for making no sense, when their stance is in fact much more morally consistent than that of vegetarians.

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    1. I was not in any way mocking vegans?? I am not sure where you get that. I said I didn't quite understand it, but then maybe I was not seeing it from the same perspective. I don't really see where that can be construed as mocking them?

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    2. But thanks for your comment and information.

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  4. Marie- vegetarians can use cheese made without rennet (from animal stomachs) but vegans cannot use any cheese at all. I would make this with vegetable stock. Thanks for the recipe.

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    1. I,used vegetable stock Jay. It was delicious!

      PS thanks for the information re vegetarians and vegans!

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  5. Very nice, Marie....I love anything fast and healthy. This fits the bill!

    Jane x

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Jane, we both really enjoyed this. I think you will too! xo

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  6. This was a delicious dish, which was really easy to make. I wanted some protein in it, so chose to cube and lightly brown some halloumi to stir in at the end. Mine was chilli halloumi, so there was a kick of heat in it which we like, but plain halloumi or even tofu would work equally as well.

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