Inspirations: or, My Latest Pilaf

I went to Feast tonight, as I have the evening off. So many evenings I work, that having a day off on the same day as the Feast, which comes every 19 days [Feast, not day off], is rare. I become spiritually "hungry". [When I first heard of Feast, I envisioned a roasting pig, but I discovered that it is a spiritual, not a material, term.] Anyway, it is a real pleasure to gather with the friends, read prayers and sing and consult and socialize, and I became very inspired.

The subject of coconut milk came up, which I regard scientifically as sort of a heart attack in a can; however, I was telling about how I used to use it when I made pilaf. As I drove home, even though it is a little late for cooking, I decided to make some. This version differs from years ago when I couldn't have imagined leaving out the meat [usually chicken or beef] or using brown instead of white rice.

What I like about my pilaf is the blend of creaminess from the coconut milk, sweetness from the raisins, and spiciness from the cayenne, tabasco and ginger root.

Pilaf With Beans

1 cup brown rice, rinsed and drained [Basmati or other fragrant rice preferred.]
1 can [5 + ounces] coconut milk [you could use less; I used to use about an ounce and used to freeze 1/4 cup servings of coconut milk in separate snack-sized ziploc bags so I wasn't using so much]
olive oil, cumin, coriander, basil, oregano, dill, sea salt, ground cayenne pepper
a few shakes green Tabasco sauce; a drop of liquid smoke flavoring
grate with small palm-sized grater: 1 + cloves garlic*, a cubic inch or so ginger root, same with Turmeric root [which I have only ever found at Marlene's Deli in Tacoma]
2 carrots sliced thinly; 2 stalks celery, sliced; 1/2 onion diced; entire red bell pepper, diced
1 can red beans, drained [we now save the bean "juice" in a jar in the fridge as soup stock. Pearl thought of that.]
6 or 7 whole sundried tomatoes, cut up with scissors
about 1/2 cup raisins
2 cups water

*I never use a garlic mincer any more. I either grate it, or just slice it up as the vegetable that it is.

Place oil in wok, add seasonings and saute on high a couple minutes while you rinse the rice, then add rice. Saute the rice in the oil and seasonings a minute or two, then stir in the raisins and vegetables and saute. By this time it's necessary to turn the heat down to medium. Meanwhile grate in the garlic, ginger and turmeric. Add water and coconut milk, beans, sundried tomatoes, tabasco and liquid smoke [and anything else I may have left out.] Bring to a boil, lower heat to medium, and cook covered for about 45 minutes until liquid is absorbed.