Vegan Health Rice and Beans

No, these rice and beans aren't consummately healthful, I just wanted to take this space to promote Ginny Messina's blog, The Vegan R.D., which she's been writing since November 2007. I really should go and get blood work done to see how I'm doing on vitamins. I'm probably deficient at least in B12 and D. Vegan Essentials is a good place to buy supplements!

serves: 2

prep. time: 100 min.

INGREDIENTS

1 c. soup mix beans

3/4 c. short grain brown rice

1 yellow bell pepper, diced

1 poblano pepper, diced

some scallions, chopped or cut with kitchen scissors

1 avocado

juice of 1/4 lime

cumin

chipotle powder

dried cilantro

DIRECTIONS

1. Bring 4 c. water to a boil in a medium-sized pot. Add beans and simmer until tender, usually about an hour and a half.

2. Simmer the rice for 50 minutes.

3. In a pan, saute the peppers and scallions with seasoning in oil over medium-high heat for several minutes.

4. Mash the avocado with lime juice and salt.

I have a poem in the latest issue of The Capilano Review! It's the first time I'll see my byline in print. (Thanks to A. for encouragement!)

Operation Pull-Out Tacos

 

Three days ago, the US military officially fully withdrew from Iraq. The occupation has ended after nine years. The whole thing has been almost too stupid, too nightmarish to believe, and most Americans withdrew their emotional forces a long time ago. And I don't think we learned anything. I don't even have the sense we could, as a people, prevent our government from a repeat offense, if you'll allow me that understatement. I propose a national New Year's resolution: renounce cynical reason.

makes: approx. 10 tacos

prep. time: approx. 30 min.

INGREDIENTS:

tortillas

1 lb. firm tofu

few collard leaves, torn into pieces

1 poblano pepper, diced

1 sweet potato, skinned and cubed

2 avocados

juice of 1/2 lemon

cumin

coriander

salt

chili powder

DIRECTIONS:

1. Boil water for the potato. Cook until soft, drain.

2. Saute the tofu over medium-high heat. After it starts to stick, add the poblano pepper and shuffle with a spatula every couple of minutes. Season. When the tofu begins to brown, add the collards and cook until sort of wilted.

3. Fry tortillas in a pan over high heat.

4. Mash two avocados with lemon juice and salt.

5. Serve with salsa!

Cato Street Conspiracy Beans and Rice

181 years ago a plot to assassinate all the British cabinet members and the prime minister was thwarted. Go big or go home, right?

My coworker called in sick today so I'm on duty 4pm-12am. Luckily, the navy beans'd been soaking for a while (2 days...) so when I got out of class I threw 'em on the stove, made some rice, and fried up the other stuff. I haven't tried it yet. The plate presentation was scraped into a plastic container immediately after the above photograph was taken.

makes approx. 3-4 servings

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 lb. navy beans

1 c. rice

2 hot house tomatoes, sort of cubed

1 avocado, sliced

1 poblano pepper, diced

1 medium white onion, diced

cumin

coriander

cayenne

salt and pepper

red wine vinegar

oil

DIRECTIONS:

1. Soak the beans overnight (or longer, if you plan incorrectly) in 4 c. water. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer, cook for 70 min.

2. Bring the rice to a boil in 2 c. water, simmer for 45 min.

3. Sauté onion in oil in a pan over medium heat for a few minutes. Add the pepper. After another few minutes, add the tomatoes, avocado, seasonings to taste with a splash of vinegar. Cook until desired texture.

Fried Tofu and Potatoes

I made this dinner last Wednesday. It's tofu and potatoes fried with onion, grape tomatoes, a poblano pepper, and an avocado. I got to try out a citrus zester my parents gave me for Christmas. Worked like a charm.

Curious fact: While doing some research on Wikipedia to attempt to determine what sort of potato I'd bought from the farmers market (I think they were Bamberg!), I learned that potatoes produce toxic compounds called glycoalkaloids, which can kill you! Guess that doesn't happen too often.
makes 3-4 servings

INGREDIENTS:
1 lb. firm tofu, cubed
4-5 small (Bamberg) potatoes, cubed
1 medium yellow onion, diced
3 handfuls grape tomatoes, halved
1 poblano pepper, diced
1 avocado, chopped
(the seasoning is pretty much stolen from Isa, without whose recipes I would be helpless)
2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. turmeric
1 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. lime zest
1/4 c. yeast flakes

DIRECTIONS:
1. Boil potatoes until tender, but not to the point of mushiness.
1. Peel and dice the onion. Coat the bottom of a metal pan in canola oil and place over medium-high heat. Add onion.
2. Do as much chopping and dicing as possible until the onion is translucent. Add tofu. If the potatoes are ready, drain them, chop, and add to the pan.
3. Let the tofu fry until the bottoms get crispy. Work them with the spatula, then add the poblano. Fry for something like 5 minutes.
4. Add the spices and herb with enough water to just coat the bottom of the pan. Fry for another several minutes, occasionally scraping with the spatula to make sure nothing gets fused to the pan. Add more oil if needed.
5. Add the tomatoes and avocado. After a minute, add the nutritional yeast and shuffle well. Cook for a few minutes.

(Recommended:) Serve with hot sauce.

One of my favorite vegan/food blogs, Vegansaurus, posted the above picture. Sounds like Meave was uncomfortable with as well as amused by my message. I was only offering my hospitality, honest!