A Tropical Reprieve

Upon waking this morning with a touch of jaw pain and more annoyance at the glue that is stabilising my gums, I did feel as if a 1,000 pound concrete block was pinning me to my mattress. I had zero energy to lift my head let alone my hand as I painstakingly dialed my supervisor's direct line and left her a mumble-message that I am taking one more day off to recuperate. What can I say? I have learned to pamper myself a bit when I am down and out and no kind of food seems appealing to me. And I know I am not well when absolutely no kind of food seems appealing to me. If someone were to offer me a plate of freshly roasted figs aside a slice of buttered country bread and assorted cheeses, I would wrinkle my nose, grab my icepack, and roll to face the opposite wall -- la la la I'm not hearing you, I'm not seeing you [figs]. And if anyone were to ever witness this scene, call an ambulance or the funny farm fast, as there is something seriously the matter with me.

However, as you can see, I mustered all my good strength this morning to put a bite of something in my belly, and it turned out to be so delightfully nourishing, I just had to share it with all my faithful readers. Last night, on a whim, I put a pot of brown Basmati Rice on the stove to simmer in a few cups of light coconut milk and a touch of water to make up for the rest of the liquid. This morning I scooped out 1/4 of the coconut rice, mixed it with a bit of plain yogurt, topped it with a perfectly ripened banana that I had sliced into mouth-friendly rounds before drizzling the entire dish with maple syrup. The hint of coconut that met the ripe banana that met the touch of syrup and tangy yogurt -- okay, this was worth my rising from bed this morning.

I chose brown rice for its healthy reputation and for more of a hearty punch to my morning. If you've never tried brown rice or if you have tried brown rice and you cannot get used to the texture, this is a great recipe to try, try again. And brown Basmati Rice just has an extra special flavor that really jells well with the coconut milk. If you can find brown Basmati Rice in your local grocery, it is worth the few cents more.

Coconut Rice with Yogurt, Bananas and Maple Syrup
Makes 4 servings

Prepare the rice:
1 cup Brown Basmati Rice (or regular brown rice)
1 14 oz can coconut milk, light or regular
1/2 cup water (I "rinsed" the coconut milk can with water to get the dregs of the coconut milk)
Dash of salt

In a medium sauce pan, heat the coconut milk and water until simmering. Watch to make sure the coconut milk does not foam and overflow. Add the salt and brown rice, reduce heat, cover pot with a tight-fitting lid and simmer until rice absorbs the liquid, about 45 minutes. Check after 30 minutes or so to make sure there is still enough liquid in the pot and to ensure the rice is not sticking to the bottom of the pan and burning. Once rice is smooth and creamy and has absorbed all the liquid, remove from heat, let cool a bit, and either refrigerate overnight for breakfast the next morning, or doctor the rice for a nice change to both rice pudding and rice cereals.

For 4 breakfast servings:
All of the coconut rice, cooled or chilled in the fridge
2 cups plain yogurt, more or less depending on how thin you want the rice
3-4 bananas, sliced
Maple syrup to drizzle

Combine the rice and yogurt, top with bananas and drizzle with maple syrup. You can't make it difficult. Try other fruits, dried or fresh -- maybe grated apple, sliced dried figs or dates, use brown sugar in place of the maple syrup. Try some crushed and toasted walnuts or hazelnuts for added crunch and texture. I may try the nuts someday when I can actually indulge in crunchy tidbits. Heck, maybe you want to make the coconut rice, skip the yogurt, add a touch of milk at the end of cooking time, and make it a hot cereal. Really, my feelings will not be hurt if other variations are preferred -- my promise.