Concoctions like these are one of our default "oh crap, there's no food in the house" dinners. Even if some strange mold has infiltrated the entire crisper, there are always bags of all kinds of different grains in the freezer.

You can make this with practically any grain or green you have in the house. Rice, barley, quinoa, millet; chard, kale, spinach, arugula, escarole: whatever. I might not use something like teff or amaranth, since they are so teeny, but you can always give them a try.

This is also a great way to use up any forlorn cups of leftover quinoa &etc. you may have lying around.

Rice, chard, garlic, cheese

olive oil
garlic
chard/other cookable greens
any additional vegetables
cooked brown rice/grain of your choice
salt, pepper, various herbs
fresh parsley
mozzarella/other cheese

If you are starting with raw rice, put it on to cook first. Follow whatever rice cooking method you like best. Personally, I throw my rice in the rice cooker with some water, hit a button, and walk away. I love you, rice cooker.

So. Smash several cloves garlic and mince them up. Warm a sauté pan on medium, add olive oil and garlic, and cook, stirring occasionally. If you are the type to want hot peppers in everything, now is the time to add them.

While your garlic cooks, wash several leaves of chard and cut the leaves off the stems. (Note: do not try to eat kale stems, if that's what you happen to be using.) Set the leaves aside for a minute. Chop the stems into small slices and add them to the pan along with some salt and pepper. If you want to chop and add any other vegetables, go right ahead. This is also a good time to add whatever herbs you may desire. I think I put oregano and parsley in mine.

When your rice is done, add as much as you like to the pan. Stir everything together and let cook for a few minutes, so the rice gets a chance to soak up the tasty oils. If things start to stick to the pan, you can deglaze with a little dry vermouth or a splash of water.

Chop your chard leaves roughly. Add them to the pan and stir intermittently until wilted. Turn off the heat, correct seasonings, and finish with a little chopped parsley (or any other fresh herbs you like).

Done! Now you just have to to decide how you want to eat your rice and greens. I put mine in a bowl with a handful of cubed mozzarella, which melted in a most satisfactory way. You could also stick them in a tortilla with some refried beans, cover them with sriracha sauce or granted parmesan, or just eat them totally plain.

Leftovers are great scrambled with eggs and hot sauce and (again) either stuffed into tortillas or eaten out of hand. I mean, out of bowl. Out of a bowl. Yes.