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Pamela Anderson's Crispy Saffron-Spinach Rice Cake

Excerpted from 'I Love You: Recipes from the Heart' by Pamela Anderson

AARP

Published October 30, 2024

Pamela Anderson's Crispy Saffron-Spinach Rice Cake

This Crispy Saffron-Spinach Rice Cake will have you testing your pan-flipping abilities for the grand reveal.

Ditte Isager/Voracious

Your cast-iron skillet needs to be well seasoned for this rice cake, similar to a Persian tahdig. An enameled or nonstick pan works too, but choose one that’s not so deep, because you’ll need to flip the pan for the grand reveal. Ta-da! It’s very exciting the first time you land it … even if it falls apart a little. I garnish everything quite heavily, from soups to rice dishes. — Pam Anderson

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Crispy Saffron-Spinach Rice Cake

Serves 4 to 6

Anderson's cookbook, "I Love You," began as a box of recipe cards for her sons.

Veracious/Little, Brown and Company

Cooking with Pamela

Anderson shared three recipes from I Love You with AARP members:

Buddha Bowls with Crispy Sesame Tofu

This hearty, flavorful bowl is packed with plant-based protein.

Crispy Saffron-Spinach Rice Cake

Crunchy texture and vibrant flavors make this a worthy main course or side dish.

Stone Fruit Clafoutis

This dessert looks like a work of art and takes less than 10 minutes to put together (plus baking time).

Ingredients

¼ cup, plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
10 ounces baby spinach
3 sprigs thyme
1 small hot chile pepper, finely chopped, or pinch of red pepper flakes
Fine sea salt
2 cups basmati rice
Pinch of saffron threads
½ cup unsweetened plant milk
3 tablespoons chickpea flour
3 tablespoons plant butter
½ cup pomegranate seeds
¼ cup pistachios, toasted and chopped
6 dried apricots, finely chopped
Torn fresh herbs or more pomegranate seeds, for garnishing

Directions

Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the spinach and cook, stirring constantly until it wilts, about 2 minutes. Add the thyme, red pepper flakes, and a pinch of salt. Set aside.

Rinse the rice in a fine-mesh sieve, swishing the grains with your fingertips, until the water runs clear.

Bring a medium saucepan of very generously salted water to a boil. Add the rice, stir well, and cook at a simmer for 7 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water.

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Pour 1 tablespoon of hot tap water into a small bowl and add the saffron threads, crumbling them with your fingers. Let soak for about 5 minutes to draw out as much gorgeous color as possible.

Transfer about half of the boiled rice to a medium bowl. Stir in the plant milk, chickpea flour, and saffron mixture.

Heat a 10-inch nonstick or very well-seasoned cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Melt the plant butter in the skillet, swirling it around to cover the entire bottom. Use a wooden spoon or silicone spatula to scoop the seasoned rice into the skillet, and press down with the spoon to compact the rice. Add the cooked spinach as the next layer, spreading it evenly. Sprinkle the pomegranate seeds, pistachios, and dried apricots over the spinach. Top with the remaining rice as a final layer, again compacting it by pressing with the spoon. Drizzle with the remaining ¼ cup olive oil. Use the handle of a wooden spoon to poke several holes in the rice, so that you can see the bottom of the pan. The oil should be sizzling. Cook for 15 minutes, then decrease the heat to low, and cook for another 15 to 25 minutes. Rotate the pan every 5 minutes so that the heat is even underneath the rice.

Remove from the heat and let cool for 10 minutes, then use an offset spatula to loosen the rice around the edges.

Be brave. Put a large plate on top of the skillet, face down. Using oven mitts, hold the skillet and plate together and flip them over together in a swift, confident turn so that the rice cake is on the plate. Garnish with torn herbs or pomegranate seeds. Crack the crusty top with a large spoon, and scoop what you’d like.

Excerpted from I LOVE YOU by Pamela Anderson with Maria Zizka. Copyright © 2024 by Anderson Media Company, LLC. Photographs by Ditte Isager. Used with permission of Voracious, an imprint of Little, Brown and Company. New York, NY. All rights reserved.

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