Gallo pinto

Costa Rican rice and beans is an incredibly flavorful meal.  Typically eaten for breakfast but it also makes a great side dish.

I make this in a rice cooker:
1 cups brown rice
2 cups black beans (canned/cooked)
2 1/2 cups water

Saute:
1 large onion chopped
1 bell pepper chopped
garlic cloves chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Cook the rice and beans in advance then saute the onion, pepper, garlic.
Add rice and beans and saute until crispy.

Serve on chopped cabbage or lettuce and garnish with cilantro, salsa, fresh tomatoes and hot sauce.

Baked Eggplant Burger

This is great!

Baked Eggplant Burger Baked Eggplant Burger Recipe found at:  http://thetolerantvegan.com/2011/08/baked-eggplant-burgers/ Makes 4 big burgers   Burger ingredients: 2 teaspoons olive oil, plus more to brush on eggplant before roasting  1 red onion, diced 1 14 ounce can cannellini beans 1/4 cup diced green bell pepper 1/2 an eggplant (should equal about 1 cup) 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley  1 tablespoon pine nuts 1 clove of garlic, crushed 1 teaspoon sea salt 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 cup classic hummus (or your favorite flavor hummus) 1 cup panko breadcrumbs tomato, sliced for topping (optional) lettuce, for topping (optional) I recommend either tahini sauce or hummus as the topping for this burger. I ate both versions and they were equally awesome. Here is the recipe for the tahini sauce in case you decide to go that route. It's the same sauce I used on the Baked Broccoli Burger. Tahini Sauce ingredients: 1/3 cup sesame tahini 1/3 cup water 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 2 garlic cloves, chopped 3/4 teaspoon sea salt    Directions: To make the burgers, preheat your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Roast the eggplant by cutting it into 1/4" slices and brushing each side with olive oil. Bake for 10 minutes on one side, then flip the slices and bake for another 5 minutes. Once the eggplant is done and you remove it from the oven, turn the oven down to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. While the eggplant is roasting, place the diced red onion and 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a skillet and cook over medium heat for 15-20 minutes, stirring often, until the onions soften.  Place the eggplant, onion, beans, bell pepper, parsley, pine nuts, garlic, sea salt and cumin into a large bowl. Add the hummus and stir. Place the mixture into a food processor and blend everything together. It should only take about 15 seconds. Pour the mixture back into a bowl, stir in the breadcrumbs, and use your hands to make four large patties. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray the foil with olive oil or nonstick cooking spray. Place the patties on the foil and bake for 45 minutes, turning once halfway through. While the burgers are baking, make the tahini sauce by tossing all of the ingredients into a food processor and blending until fully combined. Remove the burgers from the oven and eat!

Sign in|Report Abuse|Print Page|Remove Access|Powered By Google Sites

What NOT to eat

There is a wide variety of food available today.  Unfortunately, modern food manufacturing and production makes some of that food unhealthy.
The following foods / food ingredients have an overwhelming preponderance of evidence showing that they are bad for you. These ingredients have been shown to cause cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes or other diseases. 

white flour
white rice
sugar (in all forms... cane, beet, corn, etc.)
salt (2000 mg sodium max per day)
animal fat (cows, pigs, chickens, etc. all contain saturated fat and cholesterol) also including
dairy products (milk, eggs)

Other than that, you should prefer organic food and minimally processed food.  
All food additives should be suspect.
Note that it took 30 years to ban trans fats.  Now food companies have come up with an alternative called interesterified fats (IE fats).  I predict in another 30 years they, too, will be found to be bad for you.  Avoid them now. Check your ingredient labels.

Pizza

In the US, pizza is white flour crust with lot of cheese and a few toppings.  This is, of course, gives you an unhealthy dose of animal fat and refined flour.
However, if you have ever been to Italy, you know that pizza doesn't have to have gobs of cheese and can be healthy.

I make pizza with a whole wheat dough (also lower in salt) which I make in my bread machine.  I top it with lots vegetables (onions, artichoke hearts, olives, bell peppers, tomatoes, fresh basil and whatever else is in the fridge).  I don't use any cheese.
This is great when cooked on the grill or in the oven.  I tend to make a thin crust pizza so it cooks quickly.

Saucier

As any chef will tell you, the sauce is key to great food.
Unfortunately, most vegetarian food uses cheese, butter, cream or milk based sauces.  This just substitutes one animal fat for another so there is no health benefit.  You might as well eat hamburger since it has less saturated fat and cholesterol than cheese.
Anyway, I have been searching for good vegan sauces and I have found a few.

Almond hoisin sauce

A friend brought us a jar of almond butter and I had just opened a jar of hoisin sauce.  This is fast, easy and makes a great sauce for anything.  Traditionally used for spring rolls, we've had it on roast vegetables and potatoes as well as rice and pasta.

• Almond butter and hoisin sauce in a ratio of 2 to 1
• Water to thin

You can also add sweet chili sauce, lime juice, garlic or soy sauce (although most of these flavors are already in hoisin sauce so make your life easy).

Pesto

This is a classic which is usually made with parmesan cheese but is delicious without the cheese.  Some cooks substitute nutritional yeast for the cheese but I've found it's great without the cheese.

• 2 cups fresh basil (can substitute part cilantro, parsley, mint)
• 1/2 cup pine nuts
• 1- 2 (or more) cloves garlic
• 1/2 cup olive oil

Put everything in a food processor or blender and let er rip!

Thai peanut sauce

This is a classic Thai dipping sauce that it great with vegetables, rice, pasta.
This is one recipe which I've found to be good.

• 1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 3 tablespoons water
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon hot sauce
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Just mix it in a bowl... no cooking required.  You can save the cilantro for a fresh topping.

Soy Ginger Cilantro Sauce

3 tablespoons soy sauce, preferably tamari

1/2 tablespoon minced ginger

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 tablespoon minced shallot

1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds, lightly toasted and ground

1/4 teaspoon minced jalapeño

1 1/2 tablespoons honey

2 1/4 teaspoons lime juice

1/2 teaspoon lime zest

3 tablespoons canola oil

1/2 generous bunch cilantro, finely chopped

Quinoa salad

I've had variations on this several times made by my wife and also guests.  It's been great every time.
Basis is the grain quinoa which is a healthy complete protein.  Just rinse it and boil for 15 minutes then let cool.
Add whatever vegetables you have on hand (fresh, steamed or sauteed).
A light dressing of olive oil, vinegar (wine, balsamic or rice... or lemon juice) plus seasonings (try soy, Dijon mustard, sesame, salt and pepper).

Here are some vegetables we have used:
asparagus (steamed or fresh)
sweet peppers (fresh)
onions (sauteed or fresh)
cucumber
tomatoes
parsley (or cilantro or basil)
spinach (wilted or sauteed)

Also good topped with toasted pine, almond or sesame nuts.

Middle Eastern Spice Blend

I found this spice blend recently.  It had a spicy, complex flavor that works well in hummus or with lentil dishes.

1 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. cardamom
1/4 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp. coriander

Hummus

Store bought hummus has too much salt and often not 100% olive oil.

There are lots of recipes for hummus and even entire web sites dedicated to hummus.
This is how I make it.

1 pound dried Garbanzo beans
soak overnight
Rinse and drain
Cook for 90 minutes with 1 tsp. of baking soda in the water until well done.
Rinse and drain.

In a food processor:
Garbanzos
1/4 cup Tahini
1/2 cup olive oil
6 (or more) cloves garlic (pan roasted in olive oil is nice also)
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp tumeric
lemon juice (start with 1/4 cup and add more to achieve desired consistency) (fresh is best)

Blend until smooth... at least several minutes.

This makes about 5 cups hummus.  I usually freeze half.

Magaricz

This is a Russian variation on Italian caponata.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 large eggplant, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 1 medium red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
• 1 green bell pepper, cut into thin strips
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 cup coarsely shredded carrot
• salt to taste
• crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 tbsp. lime juice

Directions

1. Place eggplant in a colander, lightly salt, and leave to drain for about 45 minutes.
2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add eggplant, red and green bell peppers, onion, and carrot; stir to coat. Reduce heat to low, and cook for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until mixture resembles the consistency of coarse jam. Season to taste with salt and red pepper flakes.
3. Cover, and chill at least 1 hour. Serve chilled as a condiment with your favorite bread or crackers.

Watermelon soup

This is a fantastic cold soup for summer.  Easy to make and delicious!

Watermelon
Lime juice
Cayenne pepper (to taste)

I use an ice cream scoop for the watermelon (about 1 cup of watermelon per serving).
A few tablespoons of lime juice per serving.

Put it in a blender or food processor.
Chill well before serving.
You can also add mint and/or garnish with jalapenos.