I had a can of coconut milk sitting in my pantry for the last while that I rediscovered when I was packing during my move to my new place. Finally succumbing to the temptation of using my package of Forbidden Rice, I decided to cook some of the rice with the coconut milk to make a sticky rice sort of snack. Following the package's instructions and substituting 1/2 cup of the water asked for with the coconut milk, the rice came out still a little too hard. So I decided to make this meal out of it. I cooked more rice, but this time short grain brown rice and nearing the final boil/steaming stage, I added my day old Forbidden rice. I let that steam cook until the rice was done (about 15 min). While I started the brown rice, I pan fried a half large Vidalia onion cut into large chunks, until translucent and aromatic. Then I pan fried about 2 cups of halved (if they were large) baby red skin potatoes. When the potatoes took up a nice crust, I added 1.5 cups cubed chicken breast and seared those for about 1-2 min. I added 3 tablespoons of Thai green curry paste and stir fried the above until fragrant. I added about 3/4 cup chicken broth to deglaze the pan before adding 1 large can of drained chickpeas. Letting this whole mixture come to a boil and reduce slightly, I followed this up by a 1/2 can of coconut milk (the remainder of what I had used to for the forbidden rice the day earlier) and allowed the whole thing to simmer for about 10 min while I tended to the rice. I added 1 cubed bosc pear to the pot and allowed things to simmer for 1 min before adding about 2 cups of frozen veggies (broccoli, peppers, string and snow peas, water chestnuts, mushrooms). Allowing this to heat a bit until amost to the boil, I added 1 package of cubed silken firm tofu and let the whole pot simmer for an additional 5 min. Yummy spicy savory green curry with nutty rice. :) The chunks of pear were lovely since they contrasted the spicy curry with sweet creaminess (a bit grainy, but you know what I mean). The tofu addition was nice too, because they almost gave the mouth a break from the overload of flavours going on in this dish.

This painting inspired Rachel McArdle to create a mouth-watering pasta recipe called Flirty Fettuccine! Flirty Fettuccine Did you know? • Cabbage is the 2nd most eaten vegetable in the world. Must be all those school dinners! • The Greeks believed eating raw cabbage cured headaches, eyesight and stomach problems. • The largest cabbage ever grown weighed over 8.5 stone (55kg). Serves 4 Pasta 150g (5oz) chestnut flour 100g (3.5oz) all purpose unbleached flour 2 eggs and 1 yolk A pinch of salt Sauce 1 savoy cabbage 200g (7oz) bacon lardons Glug of olive oil A sprig of fresh rosemary 4-6 leaves of fresh sage 1 bay leaf Large glug of dry white wine 1 small cup of vegetable broth or bouillon Instructions: Prepare your pasta by combining the flour and salt and placing in a mound on your work surface. Make a well in the centre and add the eggs and yolk. Work into a dough and knead well (at least 10 minutes), then roll the dough and cut into fettuccine (long ribbon shapes). Core the cabbage and separate leaves. Blanch in boiling water for 5 minutes and allow to drain and cool. Heat the oil in a pan and add the rosemary, sage, bay leaves and bacon lardons. Cook for 5 minutes, until browned. Chop blanched cabbage into 1 cm strips and add to the pan with white wine to deglaze. Add the stock as necessary to keep cabbage moist. Place the fettuccine in a pan of boiling water and cook for 3 minutes or until al dente. Drain and add the cabbage sauce, ground black pepper and serve with a lusty red wine.