VEGGIE RICE PILAF

My veggie rice pilaf picture here with Dijon lemon glazed baked

salmon and lemony garlic green beans.

INGREDIENTS:


1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted
1 Tbsp oil
1 Tbsp. Earth Balance
2 carrots, diced
1 shallot
1 pkg. button mushrooms, sliced
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 tsp. thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
Cooked brown rice, cook this in veggie stock


DIRECTIONS:

Saute the carrots and Earth Balance till soft.  Add the mushrooms and cook till tender.  Add the peas, thyme and salt and pepper.  Cook till peas are thawed and cooked.

Add to warm cooked rice, toasted pine nuts and adjust seasoning.  Stir all together.

WARM LEEK SALAD

warm leek salad

I'm not sure why I never posted this amazing recipe.  It was a favorite of mine at The Garden, a lovely off-beat vegetarian restaurant in Red Bank, NJ,  owned and operated by a very talented Turkish man.  Who knew he'd give me the recipe just by simply asking?

INGREDIENTS:

3 bunches leeks, cut horizontally. Using the whites, but these into slices and place them in cool water for 10 minutes to clean out the sand.  The sand will soak to the bottom.

1 bag carrots, slice diagonally

1 red onion

3/4 cup brown rice, cook and set aside

2 tomatoes, dice

1 Tbsp. olive oil

DIRECTIONS:

Heat oil in a large pot over low flame.

Saute onions in the oil, keeping flame low.

red onions add a sweetness to this dish

Add leeks and continue to saute for 5 minutes.

onions and leeks saute together

Add carrots.  Add tomatoes.

Simmer with the lid on until the carrots are tender (25 to 30 minutes).  Test with a fork - if it goes thru easily, it's ready.

Turn off the heat and add the cooked rice.  Stir all together.  Serve warm.

The leftovers can be served warmed up OR cold.  Good either way!

served with my leftover Kofta

STEWED VEGGIES ON RICE

my garden okra and eggplant

INGREDIENTS:

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 large onion, diced

1 eggplant, peeled and diced

1 green pepper, chopped

2 cans diced tomatoes with olive oil and basil

approximately a doz okra, trim and slice

3 sprigs of oregano, remove stems and chop

1 tsp basil (more if none in the tomatoes)

1/2 tsp thyme

salt and pepper

cooked brown rice

DIRECTIONS:

Saute the onion in the olive oil and a bit of salt.

Add the eggplant and saute a few minutes.  Add the remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to simmer.  Cook at least 45 minutes.  Delicious served over brown rice.  Even better the next day.

simmering on the stove

the best way to cook rice

I purchased my rice cooker about 10

yrs. ago at an Asian market,

well worth the price



RISOTTO WITH EGGPLANT & TOMATOES

roasting eggplant

some of my slight changes but basic recipe from Martha Rose Shulman via the net

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb. eggplant (1 large or 2 small)

2 Tbsp. olive oil or I use a small am't of veggie broth

1 small onion, minced

1 can diced tomatoes with garlic and basil, drained

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

salt to taste

1 1/2 cup arborio rice

1/2 cup dry white wine

6 cups veggie stock

freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup Vegan Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with foil, and oil the foil.  Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise, and with the tip of your knife make an incision down the middle of the cut sides that goes just about down to, but not through, the skin.  Lay the eggplants on the baking sheet, cut side down, and place in the oven for 20 minutes, or until the skin has shriveled and the eggplants are beginning to collapse.  Remove from the heat and allow to cool until you can handle them, then dice and set aside.

Saute the onion in a small am't of veggie broth.  Cook, stirring often, until it is tender, about 5 minutes, and add the garlic.  Cook, stirring, until the mixture is fragrant, about 30 seconds, then stir in the tomatoes, thyme, diced eggplant and salt to taste.  Cook, stirring often, until the tomatoes have cooked down and small fragrant and the eggplant is thoroughly tender, 10 to 15 minutes.  Taste and adjust seasoning.  Set aside.

the simmering tomatoes and eggplants

Put your stock or broth into a saucepan and bring it to a simmer on the stove, with a ladle nearby or in the pot.  Make sure that it is well seasoned.  Heat the remaining olive oil over medium heat in a wide, heavy skillet or saucepan.  Pour in the rice and stir just until the grains separate and begin to sizzle.  Add the wine and stir until it is no longer visible.  Stir in the tomato and eggplant mixture and cook, stirring, for about a minute, until the mixture is well combined and sizzling.

sizzling rice awaits the white wine

Begin adding the simmering stock, a couple of ladlefuls at a time.  The stock should just cover the rice, and should be bubbling, not too slowly but not too quickly.  Stir often, and when you see that the stock has been absorbed by the rice, add another ladleful.  The rice will be cooked through but still chewy after 20 to 25 minutes of adding the stock in increments and stirring.  When the rice is tender all the way through but still chewy, it is done.  Add pepper, taste and adjust salt.

Add the last of the stock.  Stir in the Parmesan and remove from the heat.  The mixture should be creamy.  Serve right away.

I also LOVE this as a leftover!

cooking away

the finished product, melts in your mouth,

thick and creamy