Burrito Bowl

This recipe kind of seems like I should have thought of some riff on this idea myself, but since I didn't, I'm thankful Southern Living magazine did.  I tweaked it to make it vegan and a little more "from scratch", but it's otherwise as they published it:  YUM!

Ingredients:
1 c. brown rice
2 1/2 c. water, divided
1 t. salt, divided
2 T. canola oil, divided
juice of a lime, divided 
3 large Roma tomatoes, chopped
1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and de-veined, minced
3 T. finely chopped onion
2 15-oz. cans black or pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 t. chili powder
1/2 t. ground cumin
2 ears corn, shucked, de-silked, and kernels cut away from the cob
4 c. finely chopped romaine lettuce
2 ripe avocados, diced
4 T. vegan sour cream

Method:
Combine rice, 2 c. water, 1/4 t. salt, and 1 T. oil in a large saucepan with a lid.  Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 40 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Let rice stand 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork

Meanwhile, combine the tomatoes, jalapeno, onion, juice of 1/2 lime, and 1/4 t. salt.  Set aside.

Combine beans, remaining 1/2 c. water, chili powder, cumin and 1/4 t. salt in a small saucepan.  Cook over medium until beans are hot, about 5 minutes.  Remove heat and cover to keep warm.

Heat remaining 1 T. oil in a medium-size cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the corn and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly charred (about 5 minutes).  Sprinkle with juice of remaining 1/2 lime and remaining 1/4 t. salt.

Divide rice, beans, corn, tomato mixture, lettuce, avocado, and sour cream between 4 wide, shallow bowls.  Serves 4.

Caribbean Black Beans with Quinoa

This is another good one from the now-defunct magazine Vegetarian Today.

Ingredients

4 t. canola oil, divided
1 c. quinoa
1 T. plus 1 t. minced fresh garlic, divided
1 c. vegetable broth/stock
1 1/2 c. water, divided
1 dried bay leaf
1/2 c. diced plus 1/4 c. minced red onion
1 T. ground cumin
2 T. white vinegar
4 cans black bans, drained and rinsed, separated
1/4 t. cayenne pepper, rounded
2 T. fresh oregano leaves
1/4 t. salt
1 c. diced Roma tomato
1 small jalapeno, seeds and veins removed, finely diced
lime wedges

Method:
Heat 2 t. oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat.  Toast the quinoa and 1 t. garlic in the oil for 1 minute.  Stir in the broth/stock, 1 c. water, and bay leaf, and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until all the liquid is absorbed, 15 - 20 minutes.  Fluff with a fork, and discard the bay leaf.

Meanwhile, heat 2 t. oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Sauté the 1/2 c. diced red onion, 1 T. garlic, and cumin until the onion softens, about 5 minutes.  Deglaze the skillet with the vinegar, scraping up any browned bits, and reduce until the vinegar nearly evaporates.  Set aside.

Purée 1 can of black beans, cayenne pepper, 1/2 c. water, and the oregano leaves in a food processor or blender.  Stir the puréed bean mixture into the skillet with the onions.  Stir in the salt and the whole beans.  Heat until heated through, about 2 minutes.

Mix the tomato with the minced red onion and jalapeno.

Serve the quinoa topped with the warm beans, topped with the tomatoes, and with lime wedges.  Serves 3-4.

Southwestern Stew with Coconut Quinoa

This special-tasting stew is slightly modified from Anna Lappé and Bryant Terry's (He's from Memphis!) recipe in their cookbook named deliciously Grub.

This is definitely a weekend dish, because it takes a while to make, but it's not difficult...and it's very tasty!

Ingredients:

2 T. extra-virgin olive oil
1 c. sliced red onion
1 (or try 2 for more smoke and spice) chipotle chile in adobo sauce, finely chopped (Remove the seeds if you want to tame the heat.  Leave them if you want to keep it spicy.  They'll be puréed anyway.)
10 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped  (Yes:  10!)
one 28-oz can whole tomatoes, drained, juice reserved
2 bay leaves
up to 4 c. vegetable broth/stock
salt, to taste
2 medium white potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/3-inch chunks
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1 15-oz can coconut milk
1.5 c. quinoa, rinsed
3 T. dried unsweetened coconut
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can corn kernels, drained

Method:
Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large, deep skillet that has a lid.  Add the onion and chipotle, and cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently.  Reduce heat to medium-low and cook uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the garlic, and cook uncovered for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat.

In a blender, puree the drained tomatoes along with the onion and chipotle until smooth.  Pour the mixture back into the large skillet.  Add the bay leaves and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it reaches a thick consistency (about 10 mins).

Add enough vegetable broth/stock to the reserved tomato juice to make 4 cups, then add to the puréed tomato mixture with 1 t. salt (or to taste).  Add the potato chunks, bring to a boil, cover the pot, reduce heat to low, and simmer until potatoes are softened (about 40-45 minutes).

While the potatoes are cooking, combine the coconut milk with 1.5 cups water and 3/4 t. salt in a large saucepan, and bring to a boil.  Add the quinoa and dried coconut, return to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Allow the quinoa to rest, covered, for another 5 minutes, then uncover and fluff with a fork.

When the potatoes are soft, remove the bay leaves from the stew and stir in the black beans and corn.  Serve the stew over the quinoa.  Serves 4 - 5.

Roasted Vegetable Tacos

This is one I just threw together.  You could easily modify this...use smoked paprika instead of chipotles, stir in chopped fresh scallions instead of using onion, use refried beans instead of  black beans, add fresh jalapenos or minced garlic.  Use what you have on hand and what you like!

Ingredients:

2 ears fresh corn, shucked and washed

1 lb. baby bell peppers, seeds and veins removed, sliced

1 onion, halved and sliced

2 chipotles in adobo sauce, seeded if desired, finely chopped

3 T. olive oil

1/2 t. salt or to taste

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

non-stick spray

about 12 corn tortillas

1 lime, chopped into quarters

chopped lettuce

Method:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

In a rimmed baking sheet, stand each ear of corn on its end, and cut the kernels away from the cob using a sharp knife.  Toss with the sliced bell peppers, onion, chipotles, olive oil, and salt until everything is coated.  Spread into an even layer, and roast in the preheated oven 20 - 30 minutes or until the vegetables are browning on the edges.  Remove from the oven and toss with the black beans while still hot.

While the vegetables are roasting, heat a skillet or griddle over medium-high heat.  Spray with non-stick spray, and add a corn tortilla to the skillet.  When lightly browned, flip, and cook until the second side is browned.  Repeat with remaining tortillas.

Top each tortilla with the roasted vegetable mixture, a generous squeeze of lime, and chopped lettuce.

Serves about 4.

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tacos

A big fat THANK YOU! to my very good friend Christa who turned me on to this recipe from Oprah's website.  It is, in a word, outrageously delicious.  OK, that's 2 words.  And not only does it taste great, it includes sweet potatoes, which I'm trying to work into my diet more frequently.  Yay!  This recipe can easily be made vegan by omitting the cheese from the corn toritllas.  Just brush both sides of the tortilla with oil (instead of only one, as in the instructions), and brown both sides.  Either way, it makes 12 6-inch really yummy tacos.

Ingredients:

1.5 T. canola oil, divided

1 onion, peeled and diced

2 chipotles (from a can and in adobo sauce), minced

2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1 + 1/4 t. salt, divided

1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/3-inch dice

12 (6-inch) corn tortillas

additional canola oil

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1/4 t. ground black pepper (optional - I didn't use it.)

salsa, for serving

Method:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat.  Add 1 T. canola oil, then diced onion.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until transparent.  Stir in chipotles, garlic, and 1/2 t. salt.  Add sweet potato, remaining 1/2 T. canola oil, and another 1/2 t. salt, and stir to coat the potatoes with oil.  Cook one minute, then move the skillet to the oven and roast potatoes 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the tortillas.  Heat a frying pan or griddle (I used another cast-iron one.) over medium-high heat.  Brush 1 side of a tortilla lightly with oil, and place the oil side down in the pan.  (NOTE:  At this point you can scatter some shredded vegan cheese over the center of the tortilla if desired.)  Cook until tortilla is lightly golden brown on the underside but still flexible.  Repeat with the remaining tortillas

Remove the skillet from the oven and immediately stir in the black beans, black pepper, if using, and up to 1/4 t. salt, to taste.  Top each tortilla with the sweet potato mixture and a spoonful of salsa.  Try not to eat too many!

Savory Vegan Breakfast - Spicy Black Bean Potatoes

Memphis has a famously great breakfast restaurant called Brother Junipers, and you should visit it if you haven't already.  I love their potato dishes.  The "P1" is my favorite, and I usually order it without the cheese.  This weekend, I didn't have the time to wait for a table at the popular restaurant, so I took a stab at the "P1" at home.  I think it turned out pretty well!

Ingredients:

1 T. canola oil

2 large potatoes, peeled and diced into 3/4-inch chunks

1.5 c. salsa (I used 1 can of Kroger's diced salsa-style fire-roasted tomatoes.  They have some kick!)

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

2 scallions, thinly sliced

Method:

In a large nonstick skillet, preferably with a lid, heat the oil over medium heat.  Toss the potatoes in the oil, and cover the skillet with either the lid or aluminum foil.  Allow the potatoes to cook in the oil until they're softening, about 8 minutes.

Remove the cover and pour the salsa over the potatoes.  Try to have the salsa spread out enough to touch all the potato pieces without disturbing the potatoes.  Pour the black beans on top and recover.  Cook until the potatoes can be pierced easily with a fork.  Remove from heat before the potatoes are too mushy to hold together.  Stir in scallions.

Serve the potato dish with a piece of whole-grain toast and green tea for a healthy, savory vegan breakfast.

Hillbilly Caviar

My friend, Pam, gave me this recipe.  She called it "Hillbilly Caviar" and said she got it from Southern Living magazine.  It's an attractive, healthy, filling, vegan appetizer, and it makes a very decent amount for a small crowd of 20 or so.  Serve it with scoop-style chips or anything that can be hollowed (like maybe thick zuchinni slices).

Ingredients:

1 can black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 can niblet corn, drained

1 can chopped tomatoes, drained (I used the fire-roasted kind of chopped tomatoes, and it worked very nicely.)

1 green bell pepper, seeded, deveined, and chopped

1 orange bell pepper, seeded, deveined, and chopped

1/2 red onion, finely chopped (white or yellow works fine, too)

vegan Italian dressing, to coat

something to scoop the caviar with (like scoop-style chips or any edible, hollow thing - see intro)

Method:

Mix first 7 ingredients, then add just enough vegan Italian dressing to coat everything.  Serve with scoop-style chips (or any hollow edible thing - see intro).

Oven-Baked Burritos

You guys know I've got a lot of tomatillo action going on these days, so I have the pleasant challenge of finding new ways of using tomatillos and tomatillo sauce.  Here's another:  tomatillo oven-baked burritos.  Now, even though these are vegetarian and not vegan, you could easily make them vegan by omitting the cheese and adding, say, chopped onions and/or chopped tomatoes and/or vegan cheese if you're into that sort of thing.  These are simple and delicious!  The recipe serves 2.

4 flour tortillas
1 can refried black beans
tomatillo salsa (click here for recipe)or other salsa to cover burritos , probably 1 cup (ish)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Coat the bottom of a baking dish (large enough to hold 4 burritos) with salsa.

Zap each tortilla in the microwave just enough to make it fold-able (about 10 seconds).  Put 1/4 can refried black beans in a line, bisecting the tortilla.  Fold the tortilla in half over the line of beans, and roll up.  Place the rolled burrito, seam side down, in the baking dish.  Repeat with remaining tortillas.

Pour salsa over the burritos to cover and to coat the ends.  Cover the dish with aluminum foil.  Bake about 15 minutes or until burritos are heated through.  Serve warm, and eat with a fork.

Serving suggestion:  Spanish rice as a side dish.

Vegan Chili

This is a recipe from The NEW Farm Vegetarian Cookbook that I modified. It is my standard vegetarian chili recipe now. I had a dedicated meat-eater tell me this is the best chili she had tasted in her life...So there you go!

Ingredients:
1 onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 T. expeller pressed canola oil
1 c. TVP (Texturized Vegetable Protein)
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. plus 2 T. chili powder, divided
2 t. salt, divided
7/8 c. boiling water

2 cans of beans, rinsed and drained (e.g. 1 can of pintos and 1 can of red kidney beans)

3 1/2 c. tomatoes and tomato sauce and even water (You pick the combination, depending on how thick you like the chili. I use 1 can of tomato sauce, 1 can of petite-diced tomatoes, and a little water to wash the tomato residue out of the cans.)

1 t. cumin
pinch black or red pepper

Method:
1. In a stockpot, sauté onion and garlic in oil until soft.
2. Soak TVP, garlic powder, 1/2 t. chili powder, and 1 t. salt in boiling water for 10 minutes, then add to the stockpot.
3. Add beans to the pot.
4. Add the tomato mix, 2 T. chili powder, cumin, 1 t. salt, and black or red pepper to the stockpot. Begin to simmer.
5. Simmer for 5 - 10 minutes before serving, to allow the flavors to "marry."

Serves 4.

Cuban Black Beans

This is adapted from a recipe my friend Elaine gave me. I am not sure what cookbook she may have gotten it from. She has advised me that my topping of fresh tomatoes is not properly Cuban. If you want to be authentic, Elaine says to top with chopped fresh white onion. Thank you, Elaine!

1 lb. dried black beans
1 T. salt
2 T. plus 2 T. extra virgin olive oil
2 medium onion, chopped
2 bell peppers, deseeded and deveined, chopped
5 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 bay leaves
1 T. dried oregano
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
6 c. prepared white rice (Ok to use brown if you're taking better care of yourself!)
chopped fresh tomatoes to garnish

1. Wash the beans well after picking through them to remove any stones. Put the beans in acovered pot with the salt and 2 T. olive oil and water to cover. Soak 8 hours or overnight.
2. Simmer beans in the same water. Add bay leaves, oregano, and ground pepper. Cook until tendter, 1.5 - 2 hours. Stir very little to avoid breaking the skins on the beans. Add additional water as they are cooking, if necessary. Cook the rice during this time so that it's ready to go when the beans are.
3. Sauté onion, peppers, and garlic in the remaining 2 T. olive oil until soft. Stir these into the finished beans. Remove the bay leaves.
4. Serve the beans over the cooked rice. Garnish with chopped tomatoes.