Happy first second day of Summer! It is official now! That horrible winter is finally over! I don't think we ever really had a spring. But now that summer is finally here to stay for a while I just hope it doesn't go away to quick. These are my near and dear favorite months. And to celebrate the beautiful Summer the Recipe ReDux for June seemed fitting, yet rather difficult. This one really threw me for a loop, but all of these redux themes usually challenge me in some way or another. however I think this one was the hardest yet.
June’s theme: Floral Flavors - Nothing brightens up a dish like a real flower! Whether you live in the northern or the southern hemisphere, edible flowers can add flavor and aroma to salads, breads, spreads, desserts or dips. Make your recipe bloom with rose water, flowering herbs, floral teas, dried lavender blossoms or even fresh flowers like nasturtiums, violets, borage, squash, sunflowers or pretty much any blossom in a vegetable garden.
Flowers!? Well I have to say, flowers are a beautiful thing this time of year, but cooking with them? I've always wanted to try cooking with lavender, but the only way I could get some was to order it online and it would be very expensive. Zucchini blossoms came to mind too, but I have never seen them anywhere to buy. Edible flowers? Yea, like my grocery would ever carry culinary greatness like that. So really, what was I going to do? But then I read the theme again and saw the suggestion of floral teas! Well, that could work. Although I still had no idea how I wanted to incorporate it into a unique recipe. So after much arduous mental debate and recipe creation I decided to go with something simple and something readily available to everyone.
I picked up a box of Jasmine green tea. I have never had Jasmine before so I wasn't sure about the flavor, but knew it is known for its strong perfumy smell and taste. Thus, I had to try it as a plain mug of tea first to see how it would work in a recipe. Well alone...as a mug of tea...it was terrible. Awful. Just not my cup of tea (pun intended). What was I going to do now!? Well, why not use it as an infused flavor in say a rice dish! Perfect. I had hoped. So Friday night...only a day before I needed to write this post, I finally wiped myself in to shape and made a dish I hoped would work. As luck would have it...I won! Thank you flower redux gods! Sweet Jasmine tea infused into short grain organic brown rice with Cipolline onions, and fresh herbs. May I say it was fabulous! Best rice I have ever had to my recent memory.
Aromatic Jasmine Herb Brown Rice
Ingredients: (serves 2)
+ ½ Cup Short Grain Brown Rice
+ 3 Cipolline Onions (or 2 small shallots)
+ ¼ Cup Fresh Chopped Mint Leaves
+ ¼ Cup Fresh Chopped Curly Parsley
+ 1 Jasmine Green Tea Bag
+ ¼ Tsp Garlic Powder (optional)
Directions:
+ Brew a mug of Jasmin Green Tea for 4 minutes.
+ While the tea is brewing, rice your ½ cup of rice and chop your onions.
+ In a pot, pour 1 cup of the hot tea in, along with the rice and onion. Bring to a boil and reduce to low/simmer for about 40 minutes, or until the rice is cooked.
+ In the meantime, chop the mint and parsley. When the rice is done, add in the herbs and optional garlic. Give everything a stir and breath in the fresh beautiful scents!
I love the taste of fresh herbs! I don't use them often and usually just stick with dried, but when I want to get fancy...And did you notice something in these photos? NEW PLATES! Yes! On Friday not only did I make this recipe, but I went out to Bed Bath and Beyond and finally bought some beautiful dishware, cute flatware, and place mats! Get ready for some much prettier food photos! I am so excited! (Too bad I just photographed a ton of recipes these last two weeks on my old plates...). I am loving the white clean plates. I also got some bowls, a larger white place, a few place mats, a cute spoon and fork, and a chic black plate for fun. Total foodie heaven! All of it was super cheap to as I looked for the clearance items, but hey these are great and I am so happy with the purchases. I am keeping all of them safe in my closet in my room away from scratches and people. I am only going to use them for photos! Got to keep it immaculate!
Check out all my other fellow ReDux member recipes too and celebrate the flowers and beauty of summer with their fun recipes!
So tell me:
+ Does your grocery sell edible flowers, zucchini blossoms, or dried lavender? Mine? No it does not. I would kill to make some stuffed zucchini blossoms though...one day!
+ Bought any new dishware recently? I think I want to go back for more! Especially the placements, they were so cheap and I only got a tan and red one, but there were a ton of other colors.
*Recipe linking up for the week! Allergy Free Wednesdays, #RecipeFridays, #RecipeOfTheWeek, #StrangeButGood, Gluten-Free Wednesdays, Real Food Friday, Gluten-Free Fridays, Tasty Tuesdays, Savoring Saturdays, Healthy Vegan Fridays, #Foodie Friday, Real Food Recipe Roundup, Gluten-Free Tuesdays, Tasty Tuesdays!*
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Jessica @ Nutritioulicious
This looks delish! Totally my cup of tea (pun intended!!). I love using fresh herbs - they really accent dishes so nicely, especially grains.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Haha totally! 😉 Fresh herbs are so great! You can't beat their fresh flavor! Dried are my go-to, but when I can get my hands on fresh....it makes such a difference!
Amy
Yum looks great. I love jasmine rice and so easy really! Thanks for posting
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
This isn't Jasmine Rice though, but thanks!
Camilla
Wow this rice looks for delicious, flavoursome and healthy - thanks for sharing a fab dish:-)
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Thanks Camilla!
Sarah James
What a lovely recipe, it sounds delicious, definitely one to try 🙂
#RecipeOfTheWeek
Strength and Sunshine
Thanks Sarah!
Stephanie
Can't wait to try this! Thank you so much for linking up at Tasty Tuesday! Your recipe has been pinned to the Tasty Tuesday Pinterest board! Please join us again this week
Strength and Sunshine
Thanks Steph! XOXO
Honest Mum
Stunning and would never think of adding tea-brilliant, flavoursome addition! Thanks for linking up to #tastytuesdays
Strength and Sunshine
Gotta get unique!
Julie @ Julie's Family Kitchen
Oh yum, looks delicious. #recipeoftheweek
Strength and Sunshine
Thanks Julie!
Becca
Just planted herbs for the first time this year and am excited to try them! Thanks for sharing this at the Healthy Tuesday hop. 🙂
Strength and Sunshine
This recipe had perfect timing then, haha!
Jen
Yum! I'm always looking for a way to make brown rice most tasty, this sounds like just the thing!
Thanks for sharing 🙂
Strength and Sunshine
Thanks Jen! It is a total winner!
Raia Torn
Sounds delicious! 🙂
Strength and Sunshine
Thank you 😉
Sophie at Franglaise Cooking
I'm not a fan of tea in any way, shape or form, but this dish does look really appealing, so maybe it's worth a shot....?
#Recipeoftheweek
Strength and Sunshine
Definetly! Give it a try and let me know! Its not a strong flavor at all!
Weight4Baby (@Weight4BabyLT)
That looks really good!!! I am going to have to try that.
Strength and Sunshine
I hope you do 🙂
The Frugal Exerciser
I don't like brown rice but I need to eat it more often so I'm willing to try out your recipe. Pinning this and thanks for visiting the #wowlinkup
Strength and Sunshine
Well I bet I can get you to like it with this recipe!
rockmyvegansocks
Rebecca - this sounds super delicious! Thank you for sharing it on Healthy Vegan Fridays. I have pinned this on our Pinterest page =)
Strength and Sunshine
Thanks girl!
Amanda H
Yum! I love green tea, so I think this would be right up my alley. Good for you for thinking of something new and awesome 🙂 #wowlinkup
Strength and Sunshine
Thanks Amanda! I'm glad I found a use for that tea besides drinking it straight!
Femme Fitale Fit Club
Wow this looks very interesting and delicious. #wowlinkup
Strength and Sunshine
Thanks girl!
Karen
so glad I found you on Faceboook through SITS...pinning this great recipe now.
Strength and Sunshine
Thanks Karen!
fitnessmomwinecountry
Very clever recipe..I love it and anything with brown rice is a winner winner. 🙂 I am a fan of Jasmine tea, I can pretty much drink any kind of tea
Strength and Sunshine
I have been slowly adding some fruitier teas into my rotation, but I have to say I will forever be a more dark robust tea girl 😉
Tiki Byrd
I normally purchase Jasmine tea. I never thought to make it. I have some loose Jasmine tea and I will have to try it out.
Strength and Sunshine
I used a tea bag! Loose-leaf is to complicated for me, haha!
Deanna Segrave-Daly (@tspbasil)
So many yummy flavors going on in here - look forward to trying this out with my jasmine tea soon!
Strength and Sunshine
I know I'll be using the rest of my bags to re-create this, haha!
Jo-Lynne Shane {Musings of a Housewife}
that looks beautiful, and I bet it makes a fabulous side dish for so many meals.
Strength and Sunshine
Thanks Jo-Lynne! I have it with baked chicken and it was fab 😉
Christy@SweetandSavoring
Looks delicious! I completely agree about fresh herbs, and I never really used them until the last couple of years. They can totally transform a dish 🙂
Strength and Sunshine
They do! You truly can't get that real fresh flavor without them! I need to try growing my own again....otherwise I'll be going into debt soon!
Nichole Josey
Ohh yum!! Rice is one of my favorites:)
Strength and Sunshine
Its do simple and a perfect side dish I always neglect!
Diane Boyd, MBA, RD (@dianeboydrd)
What a perfectly beautiful and appetizing use of the “floral” theme!
Strength and Sunshine
Thanks Diane, I tried to be unique!
Ingrid
Oh my goodness, this looks aboslutely delicious! I'm difinitely going to have to give your recipe a try!
Xo, Ingrid
http://Www.smilingrid.com
Strength and Sunshine
Thank you so much lovely! XOXO
cottercrunch
you know i love this!! sign me up!
Strength and Sunshine
Haha, thanks Lindsay! I'll send you this, you send me some Healthy Bites 😉
genevieve y
Oh I love jasmine tea! It's too bad you didn't like it, but it sounds like the tea worked out really well with this rice dish!
Strength and Sunshine
Yes! Haha, it's perfect for cooking...just not straight up drinking! I really prefer black, less fruity teas to begin with though!
Sami
Looks great! You are so brave to cook with flowers or floral tea. I love Jasmine and I 'm sure this tastes as yummy as it looks.
Strength and Sunshine
Haha well thank you! It was definitely difficult to think of something!
Kimberly
Yum looks heavenly!
Strength and Sunshine
Thanks Kimberly 🙂