Miso Braised Carrots & Leeks with Cilantro Cardamom Basmati

So I took a bit of a break from the blog. Originally it started as a brief one to allow me time to fuel up on some inspiration. Then I decided to finally make the jump over to a real website instead of using this blogger platform. I figured I would wait to do a post until I could do it one the new website because it would be the perfect unveiling. But, everything didn't transfer over smoothly. Of course. For the past several weeks I've had to re-format all 288 posts one at a time. ONE. AT. A. TIME. I'm currently in the summer of 2013 with 2 years of posts left to go.

I decided to take the break the universe was offering since I had so much on my plate at the time. I was trying to finish up my health coaching certification (which I did!!), keep up with my 200 hour yoga teacher certification, and work my job. Now that I'm done with my health coaching certification and nearly done with my yoga teacher training (!!) my time has been more flexible. A couple of weekends ago I had Saturday morning off so I was able to make it to the farmers market. After downing an acai bowl from Ripe Cuisine, I went to load up on some spring produce. The carrots and leeks I purchased from Gundermann Acres Farm were so beautiful that I immediately made plans for a blog post.

After feeling burned out and uninspired for weeks, all it took was a trip to the farmers market to give me back my creative spark. And I have to admit that the carrot and walnut doughnut from Ripe Cuisine helped out a lot, too :)

As I drove home from the market with my windows down, cool air ebbing and flowing through them, I started to formulate a plan for a post. Since roasting seems a bit harsh for spring veggies, I went with a nice braise in a miso broth. I've developed a bit of a soy allergy so finding a chickpea miso at Whole Foods recently was life changing! It's become my favorite ingredient at the moment so I've been using it every way I can. It's adds a subtle sweet earthiness to the veggies that is quite delicious. To add a bit of contrast I served the veggies over a bed of basmati flavored with cardamom, lemon, and cilantro. Mmmmmmm. Wishing I sill had some leftovers...

Miso Braised Leeks & Carrots with Cilantro Cardamom Basmati
notes: leave the root ends intact on the leeks so that they will stay together while braising. If you already have some cooked rice on hand, you can sub in 2 cups. The leeks will braise quicker than the carrots so make sure to check them a couple of times towards the end of the cooking time. 

carrots & leeks
1 bunch carrots, scrubbed & tops trimmed
2 leeks, scrubbed & dark green tops removed
heaped tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp miso
1 cup vegan vegetable broth
pinch of sea salt & pepper

rice
3/4 cup white basmati rice
1 1/4 cups of water (plus a bit more if needed)
1/2 tbsp coconut oil
5 smashed green cardamom pods

juice of 1/2 a lemon
3 tbsp minced cilantro
pinch of sea salt

Make the rice: combine the rice, water, coconut oil, and cardamom pods in a pot. Heat over high until it just starts to boil. Reduce the heat to a low simmer, stir it a couple of times, then cover and cook for 15 minutes. If the rice looks a bit dry towards the end of the cooking time, add up to 1/4 cup more water. Remove the rice from the heat, leaving the top on it so it can steam.

Make the veggies: heat the coconut oil in a large pan over medium heat. Mix the broth and miso together in a small bowl and set aside. Add the carrots and leeks in a single layer and sear for 2 minutes. Flip and sear on the other side for 1-2 more minutes. Add the miso broth mixture to the pan, sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper, and reduce the heat to low. Partially cover the pan and braise the carrots and leeks 15-20 minutes until tender.

Put everything together: remove the cardamom pods from the rice and discard. Add the lemon juice, cilantro, and pinch of salt to the rice and mix to combine. Make a bed of rice on a serving platter or plate and arrange the carrots and leeks over the top of it. Spoon any of the leftover miso broth over the veggies and garnish with additional cilantro if you prefer. Makes 2 main servings or 4 side servings.

Carrots, Leeks, & Cilantro were grown on Gundermann Acres Farm. They can be found at the Urban Harvest Eastside Farmers Market in Houston, Texas.