I've reached that point in the year (or maybe my life??? ... Who knows) at which if I don't get a meal that's steamy hot and full of carbs every day then that day is basically an absolute waste for me. It's so cold out, and I'm enjoying taking the time to cook so much more at the moment, that I just can't get enough of trying new recipes like this.
A while ago I spoke about my chicken and broccoli stir fry recipe on Nourish ME, which has now become a staple in our household. Seriously, we eat it every week, and it's such an easy meal to make that's jam packed full of goodness. The sauce I've used on there is exactly the same as the one I've used here because it is uh-mazing, and tastes just as good on beef as it does on chicken.
I've spoken before about the fact that I enjoy brown rice way more than white rice - I just think that the texture and flavour are both much more preferable in the former. The one downside? It takes almost three times as long to cook. Ugh. But, when Tilda offered to send me a selection of their newly-branded rice pouches, I was pretty darn excited to get some wholegrain rice* that only takes two minutes in the microwave. You can fry it as well if you're not a fan of microwaves (I know so many people aren't) and it still only takes three minutes then.
I've only ever tried normal pilau rice before, and I really haven't been a fan, so I was pleasantly surprised to find that I enjoyed this to the extent that I hunted it down in my weekly food shop to rebuy. Tilda kindly sent me a range of their flavours, including mushroom basmati* and coconut basmati* rice. My boyfriend offered to be the guinea pig for the mushroom one because I cannot stand the slimy little things, and he loved it. I enjoyed the coconut one too, but I have to say that the wholegrain pilau is still my firm favourite.
Anyhow, let's get onto the recipe!
Ingredients:
(for 2 servings)
300g beef (diced)
Sauce (recipe here)
Tilda wholegrain pilau rice
Sea salt
Black pepper
Method:
1.) Tenderise the beef
2.) Heat a tablespoon of oil in a wok or frying pan.
3.) Season the beef with salt and pepper and cook until it is done to your liking. I enjoy having mine still pink in the middle and it took about ten minutes on a low heat.
4.) Whilst it is cooking, make the sauce.
5.) When the beef is nearly completely ready, pop the rice pouch in the microwave for two minutes.
6.) Pour the sauce over your beef and cook for a further minute.
7.) Plate everything up.
This really is such a simple meal to make and I'll definitely be making it again in the near future!
*Although products in these post were gifted to me for the purpose of a review, all opinions are my own as always*
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It's fairly common knowledge amongst my close friends and family that I'm a 'fussy eater', but I rarely even attempt to explain why. I don't choose to 'turn my nose up' at things, or refuse to try a new food because I'm being obstinate on purpose, believe me. In the past few years I've extended my palate and the range of food that I eat massively, but to this day I still struggle to even consider trying new things, or changing the way I eat.
My mental health and general anxiety are closely connected to the way I eat. I'm 100% an emotional eater, but it goes beyond just eating when I'm sad or happy or worried. There are certain foods I associate with happiness (watermelon and nachos, for example), and if I've had a bad day, then a 'normal' meal just won't suffice, and it might even end in tears because I haven't had one of my special meals that I associate with happiness.
This may all sound very strange, but it has a massive impact on the way I eat and what I choose to eat. Gradually over the past three years of our relationship my boyfriend and I have worked together to expand my idea of 'safe' and 'happy' foods, that I can eat to maintain a good mood, and I've started eating things I could never have imagined eating before. If you had asked me back in 2013 whether I would ever eat paella or sushi, I would have grimaced and replied with a firm 'nope', but now these, and other more adventurous foods, have a place in my diet.
It's not even just the content of the food that my anxiety impacts, but the way the food is presented and eaten as well. Meals with lots of different components (e.g. a roast with meat, potatoes, stuffing and several types of vegetable) take me forever to eat because I have to have a mouthful that contains the right proportion of each type of food. This involves me chopping everything up into the 'right' size before eating it, and I just can't imagine not doing that. This is possibly the most irritating aspect of my food anxiety - if you're eating with me I WILL take forever.
As well as this, if I'm cooking for myself the different foods on my plate cannot be touching or piled on top of each other, unless it's a dish that is designed to be like that, for example, paella. So, it actually takes a little longer to plate up, and god forbid if anyone smothers my food in a sauce I don't like.
New foods also pose quite a threat. It took two years of incessant persuasion for my boyfriend to even get me to try sushi, and then I discovered that I loved it ... whoops. This means that I'm *that* person that goes to a pizza restaurant and orders margarita, because I know I like it.
So, when Tilda Rice offered to send me some samples of their new rice and pulses pouches, I was more than a little nervous. They sent me: the chickpea, harissa and lemon pouch*; the pinto bean, green chili and lime pouch*; the edamame, spring onion and wasabi pouch*; the split pea, green chili and coriander pouch*; and the black bean, jerk and coconut pouch*. In essence, the pouches contain basmati rice with a sauce and a form of pulses.
Not only do some of the pouches contain new foods for me, but also everything was mixed. However, I had agreed to write this post, so I wanted (and needed) to push myself into trying to whip something enjoyable up out of these pouches of goodness.
I'm not going to lie, I didn't enjoy all of them too much - everyone has their favourite and least favourite flavours right? Well I don't like barbecue sauce (I know, I know, it's a crime), so jerk sauce never goes down very well with me. However, the chickpea, harissa and lemon pouch was utterly divine, and I would actually repurchase it for a nice easy lunch when I'm feeling a little lazy.
How did you overcome your food fears with them, I hear you ask? Well, for starters I didn't rush my sampling of them. I probably tried one every other day and decided not to put too much pressure on myself. If I didn't like it and couldn't finish it, that was fine, because I had put myself out on a limb to try it. I also ensured that I had something I knew I liked to accompany it. With some I made a little curry sauce and chicken, and with others I had homemade chunky pasta sauce. Combining familiar flavours with these new ones definitely made them a lot easier to handle.
Do you have any food fears like me?
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