Spicy Broccolini with Wild Rice

I have totally become a spicy food person since meeting my boyfriend. Mind you, I'm not someone who puts hot sauce on absolutely everything (he is!) and I still choose mild or medium spiciness when given an option. But, compared to how bland my tastebuds used to like things, that's an improvement! I can handle much more Mexican spice than I can Indian spice though - I'm still working on that one. Anyways, I tend to find ways to add more spice and more heat to most of my recipes. If you don't enjoy these sorts of flavors, definitely tone it done - especially on this one. Also, don't make this if you dislike broccoli, because it's chock full of it! 

Side story: we have these family friends that are really cool. The mom is in oil and gas (like my mom), but their dad is an artist. So, their house is full of cool stuff. I remember the first time I went over there, probably 15 years ago, and I was amazed. I didn't know anyone who had a purple and yellow kitchen floor, a neon sign with their last name in the hallway, bathroom cabinets made of chrome, or one of those paintings hanging where the guy is holding a gun and it looks like its pointed at your wherever you go... anyways, their house rules. I also don't know if any of them read this blog, and I have never told them how much I love their house in person. But, oh well. The point of the story is that their weird artist dad just used to do weird artist dad stuff all the time, and I remember one time when the mom and girls were out of town and he carved "I Hate Broccoli!" into the wood above their kitchen sink. I thought that was so cool. Wouldn't it be fun to live with such a quirky person? I think so. Maybe some day, I'll tell you about the "creative kitchen" I had with my roommate in college, but that's a story for later. On to the recipe! 

Spicy Broccolini with Wild Rice

serves four 

Ingredients:  

2 cups Wild Rice

24 ounces broccolini, chopped into small florets 

2 medium yellow onions, diced

4 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

6 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced

8 cloves crushed garlic

6 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons Ume plum vinegar 

2 limes

salt and pepper, to taste

red pepper flakes, for topping 

Directions:

1. Get the rice cooking! I threw it in my trusty rice cooker, which takes almost an hour to cook. This is the longest step of the recipe and can totally be done ahead of time - FYI. If you cook it in the rice cooker, you need 2 cups of water for every one cup of rice (same as if you are doing brown rice). But, if you are doing it on the stovetop, you'll need to follow the package directions. Either way, it's going to take a while, so get it going!  

2. Using a large wok, heat 3 Tb of the sesame oil over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onions and sauté, stirring occasionally so they don't burn. Let them cook until almost translucent, about 10 minutes.

3. Add the rice, smashed garlic cloves, minced ginger (I used my Ninja for this and it was awesome), broccolini, soy sauce, plum vinegar, and last tablespoon of sesame oil. Combine and let cook for a few minutes, until the broccoli is tender and bright green, but not overcooked.

4. Squeeze the lime juice over the top and stir to combine. Portion into bowls and top with a sprinkle of red pepper flakes. 

5. Eat while watching the latest episode of Adventure Time. It will make everything taste even better. 

Recipe Adapted from A House in the Hills