Everyday Creative: Make a special dish from basic rice

Are you ready to break out of a rut? The kitchen is one of the first places I turn to when I want to shake up my creative flow.Rice is one of my kitchen staples. I never make just plain rice. It’s always jazzed up with broth, herbs and spices, and sometimes I make more of a biryani with veggies and nuts. But all of those are in my mindless basics.The other night I pulled out Vegetarian Planet by Didi Emmons, one of my favorite cookbooks that has been languishing on the shelf for several years due to new faves (do you do that? cycle through faves or use certain ones during certain times of your life?).I was drawn to a recipe for rice cakes, and it couldn’t be easier! It’s definitely one of those recipes where aspects of it could be made the night before (pre-make the rice and the sweet potato; possibly even wash and chop the veggies)* to speed final prep and presentation for a weeknight meal or gathering.*Note: I did not do this and wish I had so I wouldn’t have felt pressed for time. The rice and sweet potato need cooking and cooling time, so it’s not labor intensive, just time intensive if not planned accordingly. I also love allowing time for final presentation and plating, which I was too rushed to do for my girlfriends with whom I shared this dish.Here’s the conversational rundown forJasmine Rice Cakes with Orange Coconut Ginger Sweet Potato SauceThe Rice Cakes

1. Make 3 cups jasmine rice (2c. rice, 3c. liquid). Jazz it up however you want. I suggest a mixture of broth and orange juice with saffron, salt and pepper, and other spices like chervil, turmeric and any other favorite flavors. You can even add mirepoix or a touch of spicy peppers if you want some zing.
2. Put about 2/3 of the rice into a food processor with a carrot, some red bell pepper, a few scallions, some toasted desiccated coconut and 2 eggs. Blend thoroughly (scrape sides as needed) and leave slightly chunky if possible.
3. Add this blended rice to the remaining rice and mix thoroughly by hand. Taste and adjust salt, pepper and spices as desired.
4. Form mixture into patties. You can make them small or large to your preference.
5. Fry them in coconut oil until browned and warmed through.

The (Amazing!!!) SauceIt’s so easy and delicious. Make extra! You will want to put it on everything. Or maybe that’s just me.

1. Cut a medium sweet potato into thirds. Put in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook until tender.
2. Cool until you can easily handle, and slide skins off.
3. In a separate saucepan, warm 1 can coconut milk (14 oz.) with ½ cup orange juice and 1 tablespoon minced ginger. Keep just below boiling point for about 5 minutes.
4. Add the cooked sweet potato and blend until smooth.

 Serve the sauce and rice cakes with fresh scallions and a squeeze of lime.For a hardier meal option, serve on a bed of lightly sautéed greens (spinach, arugula, dandelion, kale or one of your favorites).It’s also beautiful for appetizers or as a side dish… although it’s surprisingly filling. Don’t be afraid to boost the protein content with a protein powder or nuts/seeds and just eat these for dinner and delicious leftovers.This recipe technically serves 6 as a meal, but I would double or triple the sauce. Try it out and tell me how you expressed your creativity: did you experiment and personalize this dish? I'd love to know!