The Beauty of Bland Food

Hello folks,

Here I am, almost 7 months pregnant and still getting sick at most anything with flavour. Add to that that we're moving in a few days and cooking hasn't exactly been a priority this week but, unfortunately, I still need to eat.

This is where "Blank" comes in. I rigged this little gem up a couple years ago when my cooking skills were minimal and I had to be able to feed myself regularly while I was alone for a couple of weeks. It's pretty healthy, filling, and actually fairly comforting once you find the "final prep" that appeals to you.

BLANK

• In a rice cooker, place 3 cooker-cups of rice. (I use plain old brown rice.)
• Fill to the 3 cup liquid line with water.
• To this, add 1 can of black beans that have been very well rinsed.
• Now add in as many frozen mixed veggies as you like. I usually put maybe 6 or 7 rice cooker cups full. There's no need to pre-thaw, just in straight from the freezer. (I like the classic mix with corn, peas, some string beans, and those little carrot cubes, though I imagine whatever you like would work as well.)
• Give the whole mess a stir, put on the lid, and let your rice cooker cook as normal.

Boring, right? Well it's not intended to be eaten like this. It's a nutritional base with a blank flavour (hence the name.) Once it's done, fluff it a bit and keep it in the fridge. When the time comes to eat, take out as much as you'd like, season it in whatever way sounds good, and supplement with extra veg or protein as you see fit. A bit of fat and a few spices make a huge difference in terms of flavour.
Some of my favourite ways are as follows:

• Fried rice: In a small pan, heat up a bit of veggie oil, then add your serving of Blank and toss to coat. Sprinkle in some Chinese 5 spice powder, dried parsley, and soy sauce. I like to finish it with a drizzle of sesame oil and a good stir in the pan to heat through. Also good with added scrambled egg or toasted almonds.
• Fish-day comfort bowl: You know those cans of smoked herring "fish snacks" you find by the tuna cans at the grocery store? Pick one you like. Dump the whole contents into a small pan or pot and start to heat it up. This one doesn't really need oil as the fat from the fish will give you what you need. Again, add as much Blank as you like, stir and heat through, season to taste. (I like just a bit of parsley these days, but normally I'd be more creative in my seasoning choices.)
  
• Inauthentic Mexi-style: Heat some veggie oil in a pan and add your blank. Toss to coat and be a bit rough with it to smoosh up the rice and beans a bit. Add things like chili powder or some taco seasoning mix. Heat and stir until it reaches the texture you like. Makes a great filling for a sort of rice and bean burrito on the fly. Add cheese if you'd like.
• French-inspired: Take a serving of hot Blank and stir in a little bit of butter and a sprinkle of thyme and maybe parsley. Top with some broken up bits of brie or camembert and let the heat get them all nice and melty. (As always, if you're pregnant, make sure the cheese is pasteurized.)
  

Except for the Mexi-style one, these are simple and "safe" enough that I can eat them this week without getting sick. If you're worried about the... consequences... of the beans, just take a Beano pill with your first bite. (I'm not saying that Beano is always okay during pregnancy, but my midwife did tell me I was okay to take it. Check with your own care provider if you have any concerns.) Rinsing the canned beans really, really well before adding them in the first place will help as well.

I imagine this would work with other beans , but I'm really not a fan of beans in general and black beans (especially once they're broke/smooshed up) are the ones I find the most inoffensive to eat.

That's it! A meal in a bowl that can be as bland or as flavourful as you like. It's not gourmet by any stretch of the imagination but it can be tasty and unless you drown it in fat, you certainly shouldn't feel guilty for tucking into a big bowl of the stuff.

If you try it, by all means post the seasonings/add-ins that worked for you.