spiced chicken pilaf bento

 

Hello there! In today's bento, a tasty brown rice pilaf with chicken and persimmon, served up with garden radish and greens and a slice of roast squash from Thanksgiving dinner.

 

Brown Rice Pilaf with Persimmon and Chickpeas

 

Saute one half of a large red onion, sliced into crescents in a tablespoon of butter. Add a cup of basmati brown rice, salt, freshly ground black pepper, a half inch piece of diced fresh ginger, and dashes of cinnamon and ras al hanout to taste, then pour in two cups of water.

 

Add a sliced firm persimmon to the pilaf and if you feel like tipping the balance more towards sweet, a handful of dried dates, and toss in a half cup of toasted, chopped almonds. Cook, covered until rice is tender, then add torn pieces of cooked chicken (I used about 1/4 of a roast chicken--dark meat adds extra savor). Stir in a cup of cooked chickpeas, two bias-cut scallions and melt in some more butter. Taste and correct seasonings: is the dish mildly spiced, savory-sweet and buttery? You are there. Serve and enjoy! 

 

"Red Scarlet" radish

 

 

Lemons and pink-violet geranium from the garden

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

beautiful gift bento box

 

Today's bento was inspired by a lovely and exotic bento set from a friend (thank you Jennefer!) and the discovery of a savory new spot for Vietnamese fare in Santa Rosa--Kettles Vietnamese Bistro. Jamison and I had a late lunch there yesterday...

 

 

This rustic covered iron bowl contained my entree of savory rice with ginger, chicken, scallion and roast pork

 

 

Jamison's yummy noodles with seafood, sparked with tamarind

 

 

Today I added garden arugula and asparagus (yep--asparagus coming up in mid-November!), carrots, mini pepper and scallion to the leftover savory rice for a bento lunch:

 

 

From the garden a salad of mixed greens, radish, nasturtium

 

 

I love the vibrant colors and elegant shape of this bento set!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

garden gathered bento

 

Hi friends! A bento with several elements from the November garden, to include wild arugula and tender baby lettuce mix (from an Italian seed package), "Long Scarlet" red radish (from Jamison's raised bed of several radish varieties) with a mildly bitey mineral flavor. Sliced Porterhouse steak nestles in a little blue bowl. A persimmon delivered by a friend and pink camellia from a large tree on our property share the photo...the luscious pink camellia blooms give me immense joy.

 

Speaking of plants, I visited a huge nursery on the outskirts of Santa Rosa today and had to take home another camellia--could not resist the deep pink flowers and musical name. Enjoyed seeing a splendid assortment of fruit and olive trees at this amazing botanical resource (Urban Tree Farm):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hope you are enjoying autumn and all of its vibrant-subtle-vivid stages!