Pumpkin Pistachio Kale Fried Rice

Treasured Cookware: Share a story of classic cookware – and a healthy recipe to go with it. Some of us will be celebrating Mother’s Day next month (May 11,) but it’s more than once a year that many of us cook with a pan, a wooden spoon or another piece of cookware passed on to us from the kitchens of our favorite relatives. Let’s see what you can cook up with your treasured kitchen tool!

I had slight difficulty with this one, mostly because my family doesn’t do all that much cooking. My dad once gave me a bowl of mustard pasta (yes, really) and I made the mistake of believing my mom.
(dad): Try it!
F: (sniffs the pot of pasta) Why does it smell kinda…strange…?
(dad): Just try some!
F: Did you have any yet?
(mom): Yeah, I had a bowl of it. It was fine.
F: Well, okay then.

In case you were wondering, I now have trust issues. I forgot that my mom doesn’t love and adore food the way I do, and pretty much only eats because it’s necessary to survive. ;_;

This entire back story is really just to explain that there isn’t actually a piece of classic cookware that’s been in my life for as long as I can remember. The one constant I can consistently recall (which may or may not have to do with the fact that I’m Asian) though is our rice cooker!

Since I’m currently located across the country from my family, I’m obviously not using the same one they have, but I absolutely adore this thing. <3 I’ve used it for all kinds of kitchen experiments in the past 1.5-ish years–for instance, to bake cakes for friends’ birthdays and to cook quinoa.

The recipe is adapted from here! One look at that picture and there was pretty much no way I could go on without trying to make it. The substitutions were done based on my budget/what I already had in my apartment, and it didn’t come out looking anywhere near as pretty as the recipe I modified it from, but people liked it a lot! It’s been ages since we’ve been able to do a potluck (med school got in the way), so I gathered everyone at my place over the weekend and we had a mega-feast! It’s been a long, long year, so it was great to be able to relax for an evening while enjoying great food and company. :]

Pumpkin Pistachio Kale Fried Rice with Maple Tofu Cubes

• 4 cups cooked brown rice
• 1/2 cup raw pistachios, shelled
• 1/2 small sweet onion, diced
• 3 cups kale, chopped (thick stems removed)
• 1 grapefruit (juice + pulp)
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• sea salt, to taste
• black pepper, to taste
• pinch of cayenne pepper
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp EVOO
• 2 tsp honey (can sub with maple syrup to make it vegan!)
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 cup firm tofu, cubed

Instructions:

1. Cook rice in rice cooker. (Preferably day-old rice.)
2. Heat 1-2 tsp EVOO in a skillet (or ginormous pot) over high heat. Add the chopped onion + saute for 1-2 minutes. Add pistachio nuts and saute for another minute until they’re toasted.
3. Add in another tsp of EVOO and add rice, pumpkin, salt, pepper, grapefruit, garlic and spices. Toss and saute so that pumpkin distributes evenly through the rice.
4. Add grapefruit juice to hydrate the pan and ingredients. Saute until it absorbs. Transfer to large bowl.
5. Add tofu cubes to skillet Drizzle honey and ground ginger over tofu cubes.  Add a bit of salt and pepper.
6. Saute on high and toss it with the rice until just combined.
7. Serve hot!

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This was the view from our “front porch!” WV paints its sunsets as though the sky’s on fire. My phone camera doesn’t do it justice, but it’s still beautiful all the same. <3

This was all but three of us! (One’s taking the picture and two of em’ came later.)