Kale and Brown Rice

This really isn't a recipe at all but rather, it's a quick showcase of my favourite comfort foods, brown rice and kale.  My husband jokes that I have the most boring taste and after 17 years together still can't understand how I can be content to eat plain boiled brown rice.  He was the one who first named it my 'comfort food'.  When I was in my early 20s and saving up for my first overseas trip, I at brown rice for lunch every day while my workmates feasted on an array of delights from the nearby food court.  The rice served me well and I was soon jetting off to the UK while my colleagues were still stuck in their cubicles, albeit with tasty lunches.  It was many years later that I discovered kale and thankfully it is now readily available in supermarkets here.  How I lived without it so long I don't know.

Often, for a quick lunch, I'll serve brown rice with sautéed kale.  My girls and I absolutely love it.  A quick 'recipe' follows.

What you will need:

• 1 to 1 1/2 cups of brown rice
• lots of fresh kale
• small clove of garlic (I often use just half)
• 1 tsp chilli in soy bean oil (from Chinese supermarkets, not spicy at all)
• Peanut oil
• about a tablespoon of good quality gluten free oyster sauce

What you need to do:

1.  Put the brown rice on to boil, usually takes about 25 to 30 minutes.

2.  Meanwhile, wash the kale, remove from stems and chop roughly.

3.  When the rice is about 5 minutes from being ready, heat the peanut oil in a wok.

4.  Add the garlic and chilli in soy bean oil and stir quickly.

5.  Add the kale and mix well, stirring constantly.  Add a little water and cover to steam.  Cook until the kale softens, but is still green.

6.  Add the oyster sauce and mix well.  Cover and let sit while you drain the rice.

7.  Serve the rice and kale side by side.  If you want to really go wild, sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds for a taste sensation.