By Melanie Albert, Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition, Intuitive Cooking Expert, and Award-Winning Cookbook Author
So honored and excited to create quick, simple, delicious, farm-to-table dishes from the weekly Winter POM Rhibafarms Box with the healthy-eating, vegetarian, vegan Pomegranate Café in Ahwatukee, Arizona and the incredible Rhibafarms and Mark Rhine in San Tan Valley, Arizona.
Let’s take a look at my favorite beauties in the POM Box…
POM Rhibafarms Box. Arizona Winter 2019
Mark Rhine, owner of Rhibafarms dried last Fall’s beautiful chili peppers for us over the last year. What a variety. Big Jim’s, Jalapeno, Habanero, Cayenne, Sweet Bell.
Beautiful Peppers by Rhibafarms.
Rhibafarms Orange Pepper Pilaf & Greens Radish Salad
This week’s recipe is based on intuitively cooking almost all of my favorites in the POM Rhibafarms BOX. It started with being excited with my first fresh thyme of the year, plus the beauty of the dried peppers. You’ll see that I first created a pilaf and extended the meal to a fresh simple salad.
INGREDIENTS from the POM BOX
- Fresh Thyme. Oranges. Dried Peppers. Radishes. Greens. Honey.
COOK GARBANZO BEANS
Simple Ingredients
- 1 cup dried garbanzo beans, soaked in water overnight
- 3-4 bay leaves
Simple Steps
- Pre-soak garbanzo beans in water overnight.
- Rinse beans and then place beans in large soup pot.
- Cover with about twice as much cold water.
- Add bay leaves to tenderize the beans.
- Cover pot and bring to a boil.
- Lower heat and simmer for about 1.5 hours with the lid ajar.
- After about an hour start to test the beans for doneness. They should be creamy on the inside.
- Use the beans in the Pilaf.
ORANGE PEPPER PILAF RECIPE
Simple Ingredients
- 2 tbsp organic extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup brown rice
- 2 cups garbanzo beans
- 1 orange, juiced (about ½ cup)
- 1 orange, sliced
- 3 peppers
- 2 cups water
Mise en Place: Orange Pepper Pilaf. Greens Radish Salad.
Simple Steps
- Pre-heat sauté pan on low.
- Warm olive oil in pan.
- Add brown rice and toast 2-3 minutes.
- Add garbanzo beans, orange juice, water, orange slices, & peppers.
- Bring to a boil.
- Cover and sauté for about 30 minutes, until all liquid is absorbed.
Orange Pepper Pilaf. Garbanzo Beans. Thyme.
Orange Pepper Pilaf
ORANGE HONEY DRESSING
Simple Ingredients
- 1 orange, juiced (about ¼ cup)
- ½ cup organic extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp local honey
- Pinch sea salt
Simple Steps
- Squeeze orange juice into small Mason jar.
- Add twice as much olive oil as the orange juice.
- Add honey to the jar.
- Shake and taste. Adjust for desired taste.
- Add pinch sea salt.
GREENS RADISH SALAD
Simple Ingredients
- ¼ cup Orange Honey Dressing
- 3-4 greens leaves, rough chopped
- 5-7 radishes, sliced
Mise en Place: Greens Radish Salad
Simple Steps
- Gently toss greens with dressing and radishes.
En
Greens Radish Salad
FINAL DISH
- Enjoy Pilaf and Greens Salad for a simple meal.
Orange Pepper Pilaf. Greens Radish Salad.
Love to cook? Check out other POM Farm Box recipes created with the beautiful Rhibafarms produce and Pomegranate Cafe goodies.
- Arizona Winter Greens Saute Recipe
- Cabbage: Two Ways
- Broccoli Cauliflower Flatbread
- Broccoli Cauliflower Fig Salad
Purchase Melanie Albert’s award-winning cookbook, “A New View of Healthy Eating: Simple Intuitive Cooking with Real Whole Foods”
Interested in the POM Rhibafarms BOX. You can purchase it right here.
COOKING CLASSES AT THE FARM AT SOUTH MOUNTAIN IN PHOENIX, ARIZONA
Thanks to Natural Awakenings AZ magazine for featuring my Plant-Based Chocolate Pie on the cover and Plant-Based Dessert recipes in the January 2019 issue.
Join our Simple Daily Plant-Based Eating Tips Facebook Page
INTERESTED IN PLANT-BASED COOKING RETREAT IN SEDONA, September 13-16, 2019. CLICK TO LEARN MORE
PUBLIC COOKING CLASSES AT THE MARICOPA COUNTY LIBRARIES
I’m honored have been leading hands-on cooking and yoga classes with the Maricopa County Library District since 2016. For the Winter Reading Program, the class focuses on Mediterranean Plant-Based Culinary. We’ll be preparing Hempseed Tabouli, Olive Tapenade, and Herbal Hummus. Classes are Free to the Public. Call the libraries directly to make your reservation.
- Tuesday, March 19, 2019, 5:00-6:30pm: Litchfield Park Branch Library
- More to come in the Summer Reading Program: June & July 2019.
WINTER COOKING CLASSES & EVENTS IN THE PHOENIX ARIZONA AREA
- February 18, 2019, 4:30-5:30pm: Grandfamilies Place, Gregory’s Fresh Market. Kids learn to mandoline & marinate veggies and build their own salads.
- February 27, 2019, 12:30-1:30: Monthly Healthy Cooking Demo, Humana Mesa. Melanie’s favorite “Healthy Plate”
- March 2, 2019, 10-11am: National Nutrition Month at the Downtown Phoenix Public Market
- March 19, 2019, 5:00-6:30pm: Litchfield Public Library, Mediterranean Plant-Based Appetizers
- March 27, 2019, 12:30-1:30pm: Humana Monthly Healthy Cooking Demo
HOLD THE DATE: September 13-16, 2019: Plant-based Cooking Retreat in Sedona!
During the retreat in beautiful Sedona, Arizona, you’ll be learning and practicing simple plant-based culinary skills for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner. We’ll also enjoy Sedona hiking, yoga, massage, and special Sedona experiences. Please send me a note, Mel@MelanieAlbert.com, and I’ll keep you posted on the details.
