Vegan Nom Nom: Caribbean Rice 'n' Beans + Avocado/Tomato Salad

Another successful vegan meal from Linda McCarthy's "On Tour" cookbook. This evening I made Caribbean Rice 'n' Beans and a avocado/tomato salad with classic vinaigrette. My meat-chawing hubby really liked this dish and I really liked that it was easy and used only one pot. I did substitute lite coconut milk and used lime in the vinaigrette (as suggested by the author).

Rice 'n' Beans

Rice 'n' Beans

serves 4

1 medium onion, chopped finely

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 pound vegetarian burgers, cubed

1 small chili pepper, trimmed and seeded

3 tomatoes, chopped small

2 1/2 cups coconut milk

1 1/2 cups long grain rice

1 cup canned black-eyed peas or kidney beans, drained

sea salt and pepper to taste

In a large saucepan, saute the onion in the olive oil, then add the burger cubes and toss until they are lightly browned.

Add the remaining ingredients, except the beans, and stir well. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for ten minutes. Stir in the beans and cook for a further ten minutes until the rice is tender, adding water if necessary. Season to taste.

Avocado and Tomato Salad with Classic Vinaigrette

Classic Vinaigrette

serves 4

1-2 teaspoons fine or grainy mustard

2 tablespoons fresh lemon or lime juice, or 2 tablespoons wine, balsamic or cider vinegar

6 tablespoons olive oil

crushed garlic to taste (optional)

sea salt and black pepper to taste

Vegan Nom Nom: Sicilian Bean and Potato Salad

My second succesful dinner from a recipe for Sicilian Bean and Potato Salad from Linda McCartney's On Tour cookbook.

The Classic Vinaigrette was very simple and very tasty!

Sicilian Bean and Potato Salad

Serves 6

Preparation Time: 30 minutes

1 pound new potatoes, unpeeled

1 pound green beans, steamed and cut into 1 inch lengths

1 cup cooked or canned haricot (navy) or cannellini (white kidney) beans

1 small red onion, chopped finely

1/2 cup black olives, pitted and sliced

1-2 tablespoons capers

Classic Vinaigrette

2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley

In a medium saucepan, cook the potatoes in boiling water until they are tender. Allow them to cool slightly and cut them in half.

Mix the potatoes, beans, onion, black olives and capers in a large bowl. Pour sufficient vinaigrette over the salad to moisten it and toss well. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

(I din't have black olives or capers on hand so I left them out of my recipe. As a result I found that I needed to add a small amount sea salt and black pepper to the dish to make the flavors pop)

Classic Vinaigrette

Serves 4

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

1-2 teaspoons fine or grainy mustard

2 tablespoons fresh lemon or lime juice, or or 2 tablespoons wine, balsamic or cider vinegar

6 tablespoons olive oil

crushed garlic to taste (optional)

sea salt and black pepper to taste

In a small bowl, mix the mustard with the lemon or lime juice or vinegar. Whisk in the olive oil gradually. Stir in the garlic if you are using it. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

(Both recipes from Linda McCartney's On Tour cookbook)

Vegan Nom Nom: Pesto Genovese with Green Beans and Potatoes

I found a used copy of Linda McCartney's On Tour cookbook and this recipe for Pesto Genovese with Green Beans was the first I tried. To make it vegan all I had to do was leave the parmesan out of the pesto. This mouth-watering pasta dish was also a big hit with my non-vegan hubby.

The pesto was very easy to make and was so delicious!

The green beans were so fresh and snappy!

Pesto Genovese with Green Beans and Potatoes

Serves 4-6
Preparation time: 25 minutes

6 small waxy new potatoes, unpeeled

3 cups dried penne or fusilli

3/4 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 2inch lengths

4 tablespoons pesto sauce

basil leaves to garnish

Boil the potatoes until tender but still firm, for about 15 minutes. When they are cool enough to handle, cut them into small cubes.

Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the package.

Meanwhile, steam the beans until tender but still crisp, for about 5-6 minutes.

Mix the vegetables with the pasta and toss in the pesto. Garnish with basil, and serve immediately with warm ciabatta bread.

Pesto Sauce

Serves 2

Preparation time: 5 minutes

6 tablespoons freshly chopped basil

2 large cloves garlic, crushed

2/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts, chopped

1/2 cup vegetarian Parmesan, grated

2/3 cup olive oil

sea salt and black pepper to taste

(Both recipes from Linda McCartney's On Tour cookbook)