Filling w inter Fare

By Kate Downham, Deloraine, Tas.

Cold weather calls for warming, filling food, or perhaps fuel is more apt. These two handy recipes are easy to make and provide loads of energy to help you through the working day. I also make these a lot in spring, where the random bits of greenery pulled from the garden complement chorizo from the larder and rice from the store cupboard in a symphony of simple frugal brilliance.

sP anis H r ice

This rice makes for a simple one pot meal, great as a side dish to fried eggs or lamb chops. The leftovers are delicious the next day in leftover grain patties.

3 cups (450g) short grain or medium grain rice optional water, for soaking

3 tbsp lard or olive oil

2 med onions, diced

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 150g chorizo, chopped into small pieces around 1lt bone broth or water a few handfuls of cooking greens (around 300g) salt to taste

If using brown rice, soak overnight in enough water to cover rice by 2.5cm.

The next day, drain and rinse the rice, and drain again.

Heat the lard in a heavy-bottomed pot with a tight fitting lid over medium high heat. Add onions and sauté for around 3 minutes, or until tender and fragrant. Stir through the garlic and chorizo for a minute or two, and then stir through the rice. Add enough broth to cover it by 2.5cm, put any slow cooking greens such as mustard greens or kale on top, and bring to the boil with the lid on.

Reduce heat and simmer until rice is cooked, around 40 minutes for soaked brown rice. Add salt to taste. If you’re using fast-wilting greens such as spinach or rocket, quickly stir these through now before serving.

Serves 4 to 6.

Le F tover g rain Patties

This recipe is especially good using leftover Spanish rice and even fried rice. For every 240ml (1 cup) of leftover rice, add 1 beaten egg and 4 tbsp of flour. Mix through well, shape into patties, and fry in a 12mm thick layer of lard or ghee over medium-high heat. Cook on one side until browned in places before flipping over and frying the other side until browned.

Find further delicious recipes in, A Year in an Off-Grid Kitchen available from Kate Downham, PO Box 115, Deloraine, Tas 7304. RRP: $50.00 posted. Website: the nourishinghearthfire.com. T