"Shake Your Coconuts!"

{Please tell me you've heard of Junior Senior. If not, that's makes me a sad Jes}

You guys. YOU guys. You have to try this. Color Me Vegan by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau has been good to me so far. Several recipes in there have attracted my eye (and stomach). The most recent was Coconut Rice. For reals, I die.

Coconut Rice

adapted from CMV by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau, pg.176

1-13.2oz can coconut milk (her recipe calls for Light, but what I had in the cupboard was definitely NOT)

1 1/4 cups water

1 1/2 cups brown basmati rice

large pinch of salt

1 green onion, thinly sliced

(the recipe in CMV called for adding coconut extract and shredded unsweetened coconut flakes. I had the flakes but forgot them. Still tasty.)

Put the coconut milk, water, rice and salt in a medium sauce pan. I was thinking about using my ricecooker (maybe next time). Not sure how that would turn out. Bring mixture to a boil, cover and turn heat to low. Cook for about 35-40 minutes until the rice has sucked up the water. There will be some coco-floaties on the surface of the rice. Stir the rice and add the sliced green onions. Done!

I decided to serve mine with the following:

-a layer of fresh baby spinach

-topped by the coconut rice

-followed by some steamed broccoli, to which I added a touch of sesame oil halfway through steaming

-Spicy Ginger Black Beans (recipe follows)

-Sesame Seeds (not in the picture, added afterwards)

Spicy Ginger Black Beans

my own quick creation when I realized I wanted beans, too

1/2 can cooked black beans

1/2 tsp fresh ginger

healthy squeeze of sriracha

S & P

dash of garlic and onion powders and cumin

1 tsp soy sauce

Lightly mix all ingredients together in a small bowl. Microwave for 1 minute, 30 seconds or until hot. Stir again.

What a good dinner to top off a long day.

Jes

Peasant Supper Sundays 10/17

Heck yeah! Can't wait to start Vegan MOFO! I will be SO done with the wedding by then, you all have no clue (well, maybe you do if you've been married before, I guess).

Anyhoo, for Peasant Supper Sundays this past weekend 10/17 I made a variation on a recipe I found in Clean Eating from last month (Sept 2010 I think?). That magazine is pretty good for recipe inspiration, first time buying it.

Here's my version of their Hearty Lentil Soup:

3 cups green lentils (they used red--couldn't find red and was at the grocery store way too long to care)

1/2 cup brown rice

1 yellow onion, diced

2 cloves garlic

1 red bell pepper, diced

5 cups water (could use stock as well)

red pepper flakes (to taste)

cumin (1/4th tsp?)

S & P

whopping handful of kale

2 small potatoes, diced in large chunks (I had a purple and a red potato, added both)

Basically, I cooked the onions garlic, and bell pepper in a large pot in olive oil. Added the potato, lentils, kale, and rice, plus the 5 cups of water and seasoning, and had it on a low simmer for about 50-60 minutes. Yummy, full of vitamins, and so easy. Plus, for me, it made like 5 servings, which is great for a healthy lunch.

I did forget to rinse my kale (I know, I know!!! UGH!), so it was a little gritty, but only at the bottom of the soup. I actually got so excited when I cut into the purple potato (didn't know it was purple) that I literally squealed with glee and ran through the house to show Phil. I went to K-State (GO CATS!) so this was pretty squeeee-worthy for me.

Jes