Category Archives:  Rice dishes

Orange Sesame Vermicelli

Tomorrow’s the very last day of VeganMofo… can you believe it?!

Sometimes (especially towards the end of the Vegan Month of Food) some of us (eh-em) tend to feel a bit lazy… but still need adequate fuel to get us through that last stretch.  These simple rice noodles do just that- not altogether a complete powerhouse of a meal, but definitely a nice accompaniment to a larger dinner, or alone as a light lunch.

I had them midday today and am using the leftovers to accompany some sort of gingery tofu with a cucumber salad for tonight’s dinner.

Also, I really enjoy how this dish looks… kinda leopard-like, you know?

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Baingan Bharta (more or less)

My love for Baingan Bharta has turned into a bit of an obsession lately; especially  since I mentioned it in my recent post for blueberry salsa. This recipe is an adaption of the link I posted from Manjula’s Kitchen. But, it’s a tad different with the addition of yellow zucchini squash.

The entire dish comes together quite easily, although the mashing of the ingredients while cooking takes a little elbow grease.  It works wonders to curb a desperate craving for Baingan Bharta, say… really late at night when everything is closed and the nearest Indian restaurant is 45 miles away.

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Creamy [No] Chicken and Rice

vegan-cream-of-no-chicken-rice-recipe2

Recently, an overwhelming craving for a “Chicken n’ Rice” dish from my childhood came sweeping back over me. As a child I usually made my own version, which was one of the first dishes I ever loved as a wee person.  Obviously it was pretty easy to make, and from what I remember… very addictive.

It literally was some cooked long grain rice mixed with a can of unaltered Cream of Chicken Soup. I distinctly remember it being a lovely pale neon yellow and pretty salty.  :)

I guarantee you I ate waaay too much of that stuff as a kid.  So, I finagled up a newer, and less scary version of my childhood staple. It brings back memories, but I added some maturity to the whole mix with veggies and stuff.

As we were eating this “new and improved” version … my husband (who has eaten plenty of the canned-soup rice in his lifetime) and I both agreed that it hit the spot for nostalgia. It definitely requires a few more steps than the original dish, but the other way seems a little too easy to me.

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Apricot Risotto & My Frigidaire Flair Oven

apricot risotto

The apricots in this risotto turn from sweet to elegantly savory with the slow addition of vegetable broth.  The whole process of making risotto is pretty repetitive (add liquid, stir, add liquid, stir) so I have included some exciting photos of my newly acquired Frigidaire Flair Oven, c. 1960. ( I know, shameless bragging)

We found it desperately needing a new home on Craigslist, and just couldn’t resist the urge to drive almost two hours and pick it up (during a crazy wind/rain storm).  Luckily, since it weighed 325 pounds, we were told that we could just open up the patio door and wheel the oven out through the backyard.  We would also avoid a bunch of stairs this way… thank goodness.

The backyard was nice and flat.  It was also atop the steepest hill in Ohio, and we needed to get it into the truck that was parked all the way at the bottom.  That was a lot of fun.  But, after we heaved it into my hubby’s old truck and strapped it down, we were home free.

Although, once we got it home, my husband had to install a 220 volt outlet where our gas range once stood.  That took about three days.  And, apparently the attic in our house is a pretty horrible place to be crawling around.

This was all completely my idea.  I was smitten, what can I say?

The oven is an absolute dream come true, and I can’t wait to give her a proper coat of pale cerulean blue paint… which would coordinate well with practically everything in my life.

Swoon…

Okay, back to the risotto:

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“Microwavable” Quinoa and Basmati Pilaf

Rice and Quinoa pilaf

My niece is on Spring Break from college, and we were talking about the access to good vegan food while living in student housing.  She said I was tantalizing her with recipes that she couldn’t make.  Poor hungry girl.  I admit, most of my recipes would be pretty hard to prepare without an oven.  :\

She needed nutritious and delicious food that could be made on a tight budget, with little effort.  So, she came over to my kitchen and helped me create a recipe for when she returns to her dorm.

This is a simple rice and quinoa blend with a creamy almond sauce.  It’s filling too.

The entire dish can be made with just a blender and a microwave, in about 25 minutes.  And, it boasts just 10 ingredients that most people will have in their pantry.  Okay, maybe not most people, but the ingredients are pretty common vegan staples.

The entire experience was also very helpful for me, because my oven actually broke the other day.  (Yes, I totally freaked out).  Happily, I have learned that it is  possible to cook quinoa and rice in a microwave; therefore, there is no need to panic if you are without a stove.

So, this post is dedicated to all of you wonderful readers -without ovens or rice cookers – who are hungry for a yummy home-cooked meal.

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Forbidden Rice Salad

forbidden rice salad

Forbidden rice is so wonderfully amazing.  With its chewy texture and deep purple hue, it is as striking as it is tasty.

If you have not yet experienced the taste/texture/greatness of Forbidden rice, it’s worth tracking down.  It is, without a doubt, the best rice I have ever enjoyed… and it’s practically black.  Very cool.

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Vegan Hoppin’ John

vegan hoppin' john
Since it is New Year’s Eve, I find it necessary to offer up a nice black-eyed pea recipe.  Black eyed peas are traditionally eaten in the United States on New Year’s Day to bring prosperity for the upcoming new year.   This recipe is similar to a traditional Hoppin’ John recipe but, it has a few extra goodies.  I left out the tomatoes on this one, and of course, there are no animal ingredients.

This is a simple, filling, one dish meal that can be whipped up relatively fast, provided you have many different pots and pans handy. I like to start cooking all the other stuff while the rice and beans are cooking.  This saves lots of time, but creates a quite bit of stove top clutter.  The ingredients can be subbed out based on what you have on hand.  Feel free to use brown rice or quinoa instead of basmati, add or subtract whichever veggies you’d like, and season to taste.  Just don’t leave out those black eyed peas!

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Jeweled Basmati Rice

jeweled basmati rice

This is a simple and elegant dish that will work in just about any circumstance, whether it be a main dish, side dish, or holiday take along.  I was inspired by looking at some beautiful photographs of foods from Iran.  I love the color combination of the pistachios and cranberries, along with the lovely orange-y hue of the rice.  The good thing about this dish is that you can prepare all of the mix-ins while your rice cooks… so I would definitely classify this as a quick meal.  It took me about 35 minutes (using a rice cooker) to make it all come together, and my kitchen smelled absolutely wonderful.  This was the first time I tried anything remotely close to this, and it was so easy, I will be making this over and over again.

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