Howdy, friends! Thanks for joining us here at the Blue Barn Farm and Sanctuary. Some days feel a bit heavier than others. There is so much commotion, worry, stress, and anxiety in the world right now. A big part of our mission is sharing different ways to promote living with more compassion. By making small changes in the way we live, we can help to offer kindness when so many are struggling. When I start having that sensation of “but what can one person do to fix this mess?”, I know it’s time for a big yummy bowl of organic brown rice, vegan cheeze, and broccoli. This was yet another inspiration from one of my favorites, Nora Taylor of noracooks.com.  I also want to mention that she gets extra brownie points because she lives in Portland, Oregon! Click on the link above to learn more about her.

I don’t know about you, but I do some of my best thinking while I’m cooking. This meal is definitely all about emotional support. It’s satisfying, warm, cheezy, and easy to make. I adjust the amount of rice/cheeze/broccoli to cater to the number of servings I’m going for. It’s delicious right off the stovetop, and quite possibly even better as leftovers! Which, for those of you who know me, recognize this as a big deal. I can be a little fussy about what I like to reheat. I digress... Once the rice is mostly cooked, but there is still some water left in the pan, I add organic Better Than Bouillon to taste, and mix it in until it’s totally integrated with the rice.  

While the rice is cooking, I sauté some garlic, onion, and spices. To give this dish a bit more protein, I add seitan, but I’m sure you could use your protein of choice. That gets chopped up pretty small, and added to the sauté. Once everything is looking just about ready (5-7 minutes), I put the broccoli on top, cover the pan with a lid, turn the heat as low as it will go, and basically steam those little florets until they are a lovely bright green yet still crunchy.  

Finally, mix it all together, with a can of full fat coconut milk, and cheddar shreds, if you’re feeling cheezy. Simmer this concoction for a good 7 or 8 more minutes to really get all the flavors to blend. Voila! Put it in a bowl, and sprinkle some organic panko crumbs on top for that extra “je ne sais quoi”.  

When the world gets heavy on your shoulders, it’s nice to know there are still innocent souls made of pure love out there. This blog is dedicated to one of them. Nelly Rose is a rescue bunny living with her bunny, piggy, goose, and duck friends at the Blue Barn Farm and Sanctuary, and she is as perfect as any bunny could ever be. Stop by next week to see what Nelly is nibbling on. From all of us at the Blue Barn to you, find some kind and compassionate ways to comfort yourself this week. Empathy is a powerful gift. Let’s share it.