Cream of rice soup with fresh veggies

Don't be surprised to see a ton of rice dishes popping up on here!!  In an effort to save money and learn to budget (and maybe finally become an adult..ew), I came up with a system I think is working out pretty well for my sister and I.  Rotating weekly, one of us takes on the responsibility of preparing breakfast, lunch (usually breakfast leftovers), and supper.  We are up at 6am, out the door for a morning run at 7am, and the chef of the week has 30 minutes after we get home to have breakfast on the table.  Keeping a set schedule is good for me because I am really impulsive--I go to the grocery store almost every day if I don't have a budget and buy anything I think I might need (or 10 of everything).  Wednesday is grocery store day and whoever is cooking that week goes alone with a list in hand so there is no distraction or impulse buying.  50$ is the maximum spent (it's usually well over 100$).  Having a set grocery store day and budget means you have to plan ahead--I've never been good at that...  There is no prepared snacking between meals except for fruit with some almond butter, I bought apples and bananas for that, and we have grapefruit fruit from a neighbors tree :)  No prepared snacking means that when I plan a meal and it comes time to make it, all the ingredients are still there, so there are no more frequent trips to the grocery store.  Having one designated chef a week is a great solution when you have two people in the house that both love cooking--we were having a hard time keeping the fridge stocked, or even deciding on what to make because we both wanted to cook.  

This week is the first week of the new system and also my turn as chef.  I went to the library and got a bunch of vegan cookbooks and made myself a weekly schedule of possible meals with as little ingredients as possible.  I tried to find meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner that used mostly the same ingredients to minimize shopping and also meals that could be repeated with little change to make them new and exciting.  This is the reason for the abundance of rice on my blog lately.  Including grains in every meal is a great way to stay focused and full until the next meal and also an effective money saving tool (a cup of rice goes a long way...)

I was inspired by the book 3 bowls in which the author, Seppo Ed Farrey, explains the system of the vegetarian Zen Buddhist temple in which he is head chef, or tenzo.  He is responsible for preparing the meals for the twelve to twenty-four monks and laypersons who live there, as well as visitors staying for retreats.  Cooking begins each day at 6:35 AM.  From there, he has 45 minutes to prepare, cook breakfast and strike the meal gong, signaling the monks doing zazen (sitting meditation) that breakfast is ready.  If he runs behind schedule, so does every one else.  

The meals must be substantial enough to sustain the monks through their three-hour work shifts--there is no snacking.  It is particularly important that the meals be well-balanced, nourishing and hearty.  Breakfast and lunch are formal meals, following rituals established in traditional Zen monasteries and are served and eaten in silence.  Each diner gets three bowls--a large, medium and small bowl.  The largest contains the base of the meal, usually a grain or noodle dish.  The middle is usually filled with a stew.  A vegetable dish, or an occasional salad in the smallest bowl completes the meal.  The silence allows them to focus solely on what they are consuming, being grateful and reflecting on all those responsible for their meal; farmers, workers on the fields, truckers, grocery store employees, and finally, the tenzos who have prepared it.  Supper is a casual meal, usually leftovers supplemented by a few basics such as bread or nut butters.  Usually a big hearty soup with homemade bread and a savory spread, with a green salad.  

The monastery is located 20 miles from the nearest small town and even farther from any major source of food supplies, so he plans ahead and relies on a well stocked pantry, making due with missing ingredients or substituting with something else.  Often, leftovers are transformed into a new, creative dish, like sweet  potato-walnut burritos, that were devised to use up sweet potatoes and lentils from a previous meal.  It's a daily challenge to keep the meals interesting while staying within a budget and on a tight schedule.

Mindful cooking is a must in the temple.  Food lovingly and mindfully prepared taste better and satisfies longer.  Keep in mind the time you have allotted to cook and wisely choose recipes you wish to prepare, keeping time constrains in mind.  If you know the morning will be busy, prepare your breakfast the night before--wash and chop all veggies and soak or cook rice and beans overnight so only a simple reheating is necessary in the morning.  Before you begin, make sure you have all ingredients needed, or workable situations.  When washing, chopping and stirring, think of only washing, chopping and stirring.  Breathe and be mindful of each slice of the knife, each swirl of the spoon.  Before throwing away anything, consider if it might have a use--compost? soup stock?  (Save all scraps from cooking, whether it be the skin peeled from a potato or carrot, leaves of celery, or the hard stalk of broccoli.  Place it all in a ziplock bag in the freezer.  When you have a substantial amount, boil it all in some water a few hours for a rich, vegetable stock.)  Keep it simple, relax and enjoy the process of cooking.  

Cream of Rice Soup with Fresh Veggies

Serves 2-4

This taste more like cream of corn to me and it's deliciousssss!  Hot thick soup with fresh, crunchy, cold veggies and herbs.  Seems like a perfect soup in the sumer also if you serve it all cold.  The soup takes a while to cook so plan ahead.  Start it after lunch if it's for dinner.

For the Cream of Rice Soup;

Bring 8 cups of water to a boil.  Add 1 cup rice and bring it back to boiling.  Turn heat to very low and let it simmer for 3 hours, stirring occasionally.  Turn the heat off and let it sit one more hour.  By now, you'll be surprised at how much the rice has expanded!  It should have filled the pot with about 1 cup of the water evaporated.  It's okay to stop here and eat it as a hearty soup, throw in some veggies or cooked beans and serve hot.  

If you want a creamy soup, blend the rice/water with 2 tsp sea salt until creamy.  Return to the pot and reheat for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly and being very careful not to burn the bottom of the soup!  As you reheat, soup will thicken and bottom can easily burn if you don't pay attention and it's not so tasty.  

Cut up some fresh corn, parsley, tomatoes, garlic, and green onions and mix it all in individual bowls.  You can try other options if you like it spicy or even sweet.