Nancy called in the middle of dinner.  It took me a few minutes, but I’m a keen sleuth and deduced my sister was off her face.  A  dental appointment had gone disco and she was now organising her spice rack in stilettos and a romper.

She was riding a wave of pain killing serotonin that allowed her to  vacuum, organise her closet and meal prep for the upcoming week…despite having zero sensation from nose to jaw. I knew (from a tooth extraction in ’95) that there were regrets associated with dental narcotics. Mine were eating a full plate of spicy nachos and calling a boy that had recently dumped me to try to discuss armadillos.

“Oh,” she said, her words slowing and jumbling as she spoke, “I went online and bought a really ****ing expensive bonsai tree.”

Nourishing Rice, Pork and Prawn Soup

This is a filling and healing soup.  It is the kind of soup I wish I could have made for my sister that day.  We would have sat on the couch and watched stuff on Netflix that had lots of nudity.  Then, just before the drugs wore off, I would have had her call that guy who dumped me to discuss armadillos.

• 4 cups/1 litre bone broth (see Halloween post)
• 3/4 cup/150 grams short grain white rice or sushi rice, rinsed
• 1 pound/450 grams ground pork
• 2/3 pound/300 grams chopped, raw prawns
• 4-5 shitake mushrooms chopped
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp rice wine vinegar
• 1 tsp fish sauce
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1/4 tsp white pepper
• 2 eggs lightly beaten
• 1 tsp ginger juice
• A few handfuls fresh chopped spinach
• 4 thinly sliced spring onions

1. Start by combining the rice with the broth and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and cover, simmering at the lowest possible heat for one hour.  Stir occasionally.
2. While the soup simmers, brown the pork, mushrooms, and garlic until the pork is cooked through. Set aside.
3. Combine the salt, vinegar, fish sauce, sesame oil, and white pepper, and mix into the pork mixture.
4. When the rice is done cooking, mix in the pork mixture and turn off the heat.  Add the eggs and mix thoroughly.  Lastly, mix in the spinach and spring onion and allow to sit for a couple minutes.

Serve with dulse flakes, sesame oil, toasted sesame seeds and coconut aminos.  I make a big batch and have it for lunch most days.  It’s good!  Delicious even.  Enjoy.