Okra, Corn, and Tofu Gumbo

(recipe from The Vegan Gourmet by Susann Geiskopf-Hadler and Mindy Toomay)

1/4 cup unbleached flour
3 cups uncooked long-grain white rice (or brown rice)
Pinch plus 3/4 tsp. salt.
1 lb. fresh okra
2 cans (4oz. each) whole green chiles (or use several (5-6) small fresh chiles)
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 medium white onions, coarsely chopped
2 medium carrots, coarsely chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, finely diced
1 cup chopped celery
1 lb. firm tofu, diced
2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels
1 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. cayenne
2 tsp. filé powder (I omitted this)
2 medium fresh tomatoes, coarsely chopped

Place the flour in a dry, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat and brown for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.  You must keep the flour moving to prevent it from burning.  If the flour begins to blacken (not brown), turn down the heat a little and begin again with fresh flour.  When the flour is uniformly dark tan in color, remove it from the pan and set aside.

Cook the rice according to the package directions

Meanwhile, trim off the stem ends of the okra and slice the pods crosswise into 1-inch pieces.  Set aside in a bowl.  Remove the stems and seeds of the chiles and slice them into long, thin strips.  Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a stockpot.  Saute the onions, carrots, bell pepper, and celery for 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until they begin to brown.

Add the tofu, corn kernels, okra, green chiles, chili powder, 1/2 tsp. salt, and cayenne to the browned vegetable mixture.  Lower the heat to medium.  Stir and saute for 10 minutes, then distribute the browned flour evenly over the vegetables and tofu and stir it in.  Add 3 1/2 cups of hot water, the remaining 1/4 tsp. salt, the filé powder, and the tomatoes.  Increase the heat to bring the mixture to a rapid simmer, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.  Serve hot over hot rice.

Lentil and Basmati Salad with Tamarind, Coconut, and Cilantro

(recipe from Food 52)

1 cup basmati rice
1/2 cup du Puy lentils (French lentils)
2 1/4 cups water
1/3 cup plus 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro, including stems
1/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1/2 tsp. salt, to taste
1 1/2 tsp. lime juice

1 1/2 Tbsp. oil
1 tsp. black caraway seeds
1 1/2 tsp. tamarind paste
3 tsp. water
salt, to taste

In a small saucepan, combine rice, lentils and water.  Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until tender and water has evaporated, about 25 minutes.  Fluff and transfer to a large bowl to cool.

In a skillet, temper dressing by heating oil over medium heat.  Add black caraway seeds and cook for about 1 minute.  Seeds should sputter a bit.  Remove from heat.  Add tamarind paste and water, stirring to combine.

Pour dressing over rice and fold to mix thoroughly.  Fold in coconut and cilantro.  Add lime juice and salt to taste.  Serve warm or at room temperature. 

Garnet Pilaf

(recipe from sproutedkitchen.com)

1/2 cup brown rice
3 sweet potatoes (about 1.5 lbs.)
2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
1 Tbsp. smoked paprika, divided
sea salt and pepper
1 small yellow onion, diced
1/2 cup red quinoa, rinsed
1 cup water or broth
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
sprinkle of red chili flakes, if you like some heat
1 bunch fresh chives, chopped (about 1/3 cup)

Preheat oven to 425F.

Rinse and cook the brown rice according to instructions.  This takes the longest, so start the rice first.

Wash and dice the sweet potatoes into 1" cubes.  Pile them on a large, rimmed baking sheet, drizzle with 1 Tbsp. olive oil, sprinkle with 1/2 Tbsp. of the smoked paprika and a few pinches of sea salt.  Toss everything together with your hands to coat and spread them all out in a single layer.  Sprinkle with a few grinds of pepper.

Roast sweet potatoes on the middle rack for 23-25 minutes, until the edges are browned and crisp.

In a pot, add a drizzle of olive oil and sauté the diced onion until just starting to brown, about 5 minutes.  Add the quinoa, a pinch of sea salt, 1 cup water or broth and bring to a boil.  Turn it down to a simmer, cover and cook for about 15-17 minutes until the liquid is absorbed.  Turn off the heat, fluff with a fork and cover it for another few minutes to finish.

When both the rice and quinoa are cooked, put them both in a large mixing bowl.  Drizzle with the remaining Tbsp. of olive oil, remaining 1/2 Tbsp. smoked paprika, red wine vinegar, chili flakes if using, and toss everything together to mix.  Taste for salt and pepper.  Top it with the cubes of sweet potatoes and a ton of fresh chives and serve.

*It may not be piping hot at the point of serving, and that is ok.  It tastes best just a tad warmer than room temperature.

Spicy Black Beans and Rice

(I don't know where this recipe is from...)

One 6oz. jar sun-dried tomatoes (I used an 8oz. jar)
1 large white onion, diced
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
Two 15oz. cans black beans, rinsed and drained
One 15oz. can whole tomatoes, drained and chopped (I did not drain these)
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup cilantro sprigs

4 servings basmati rice
1/2 cup hulled pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup golden raisins


Pour 1 Tbsp. oil from the sun-dried tomatoes (I used several Tbsp.) into a large skillet.  Chop the sun-dried tomatoes and set aside.

Sautee onion and jalapeno in the skillet over medium heat until onions are translucent.  Stir in beans, canned tomatoes (I also added all of the juice from the can), salt and sun-dried tomatoes.  Reduce heat to low.  Simmer for 10 minutes.  Garnish with cilantro.

Fold seeds and raisins into rice, and serve with beans.

(These are not really that spicy - especially if you de-seed the jalapenos.  The various tomatoes and the seeds and raisins in the rice make this dish seem really luxurious.)

Roasted Ratatouille Couscous

(recipe from The Washington Post)

Olive oil or non-stick cooking spray
1 medium eggplant (about 1 lb.), cut into 3/4- to 1-inch cubes
1 lb. zucchini, cut into 3/4- to 1-inch cubes
1 large red bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into 1/2- to 3/4-inch squares
2 medium onions, cut into 1/2- to 3/4-inch dice
2 tomatoes, seeded and cut into 1/2- to 3/4-inch dice (I didn't seed my tomatoes)
1/3 cup plus 2 Tbsp. olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper
2 cups uncooked couscous (I used brown rice)

Preheat the oven to 425F.  Lightly coat a large rimmed baking sheet with olive oil or spray.

In a large bowl, combine the eggplant, zucchini, bell pepper, onions and tomatoes.  Add 1/3 cup of the oil and salt and pepper to taste and toss the vegetables to coat.  Transfer to the prepared baking sheet, keeping the vegetables in one layer.

Roast until tender and just beginning to brown, 60 to 70 minutes (or less - keep an eye on them), stirring every 15 minutes and turning the pan midway through to ensure even cooking.  Transfer to a large serving bowl and set aside.

Prepare the couscous (or rice) according to package directions.  Add the cooked couscous and the remaining 2 Tbsp. oil to the roasted vegetables and stir to combine.  Adjust the seasonings to taste.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Vegetable and Brown Rice Soup

(recipe modified from a chicken and rice soup recipe from Whole Foods Market)

8 cups vegetable broth
1 medium onion, chopped
3 medium carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 cups water
1 cup long-grain brown rice
6 oz. mushrooms, sliced
1 small can white beans
1 bay leaf
1 bunch kale, thick stems removed and leaves thinly sliced

In a large pot over medium-high heat, bring 1/2 cup broth to a simmer.  Add onion, carrots, and celery and cook about 8 minutes, or until onion is translucent, stirring occasionally.  Add remaining 7 1/2 cups broth, water, rice, mushrooms, and bay leaf.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook about 35 minutes or until rice is tender.  Remove bay leaf and stir in kale and beans.  Continue cooking just until kale is wilted and tender, and beans are heated through, 3 to 5 minutes.

(So good!  And easily adjusted to include whatever veggies may be on hand.)