Side of Rice with your Taco??

Since my post for National Taco Day was such a big hit, I thought I'd share my favorite dish for eating alongside of tacos:



Behold, the best gosh-darn, Mexican Rice you will ever have!  When I am not making the Cilantro-Lime rice from Viva Vegan, and have a little extra prep time on my hands, THIS is the rice I make for chomping alongside tacos.

Now, the original recipe can be found here, on the site formerly know as Recipe*zaar. (It has now been taken over by Food Network, and is a bit too corporate, and full of non-vegan ads for my taste... Now, I have Pinterest, which is a whole other addiction)! And the best part is: you only need to do one simple thing to make this recipe vegan: substitute the chicken broth to VEGETABLE.

This fantastic recipe was posted by Chef Pot Scrubber, a most colorful and vibrant member of the site.  Check out his profile page here, and see what I mean!

"Are you craving that great Mexican rice from your favorite taco stand? Here it is. This is just like a good Mexican restaurant rice. Many recipes taste good... but the texture just isn't right. You know how it is... you have prepared scores of Mexican rice recipes but always have been disappointed. It may be delicious but kinda "gloopy and wet." Try this. Everything is pureed and cooked in. There are no chunks of anything... just dry fluffy rice with all the seasonings and just the tiniest hint of a tomato flavor. I will throw away all of my Mexican rice recipes- this is the one I have been looking for for years! ... Proceed at your own peril if you stray. Enjoy". ~Chef Pot Scrubber

When you click on the link above, you will be brought to the most THOROUGH recipe instructions that I think I have ever read... or followed, for that matter.  Follow them to a "tee", and you will be enjoying some might fine Mexican rice in no time.

Simple Oven Roasted Potatoes

Today's recipe inspiration comes from one of the biggest Food Network MOFOs of them all, Tyler Florence.
I'm kidding... but seriously...
I happened to find his simple, no-fuss recipe for home made oven fries through a random internet search.  They were such a big hit in our house (and by big hit, I mean the two of us ate the entire sheet), that I find I use this basic recipe formula pretty much every time I roast potatoes.

Simple Oven Fries 
by Tyler Florence

Ingredients

• 2 large russet potatoes, scrubbed and unpeeled, cut in 1/2 lengthwise, and then cut into fourths to make 16 big, fat wedges
• 1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp Kosher salt, and pepper to taste
• 1-2 tablespoons chopped parsley leaves, fresh or dried (I’ve used both)
• 1/4 cup Nutritional yeast flakes

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Preheat a baking sheet in the hot oven for at least 15 minutes.

While the baking sheet is heating, toss the potatoes with the olive oil and 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. 

Then dump the potatoes out onto a baking sheet, spreading to a single layer. 

Roast for 30 to 35 minutes, shaking the pan every now and then, until the potatoes are cooked through, brown and crispy. 

Toss the fries in a big bowl and sprinkle with parsley and nutritional yeast.

I didn't have to change much from the original recipe; I just substituted Nutritional Yeast for the parmesan.  What is so great about this recipe is that it can be easily doubled, and, depending on your mood, you can and add any additional spices or seasonings you prefer.  For example, the batch above, I cut the potatoes into large cubes instead of fries, added some onion and garlic powder, and seasoned salt.

Some other nice additions might be:
paprika (sweet or smoked)
rosemary and sea salt
garlic and crushed red pepper
cumin and coriander
herbs de provence
or, our favorite, OLD BAY!

One secret I do have is that I cook these on a pre-heated stone baking sheet that I got from Pampered Chef a while back.  Their stoneware heats up so nice, and really gives a nice brown crust to anything you might be roasting, especially potatoes.

What are your favorite spice combinations for roasted potatoes?  Please feel free to share because we are always looking for new flavors ^_^

Lemon Rosemary Roasted Potatoes

I had these beautiful stalks of fresh rosemary left over from New Years Eve, and half a bag of potatoes, so I threw together this:



Lemon Rosemary Roasted Potatoes
1 lb potatoes, peeled and cubed (this time I used organic russet)
Zest of 1 lemon, removed in wide strips with a vegetable peeler
2 tbsp Olive Oil
1 large sprig of fresh rosemary, chopped
1/2 tsp sea salt, or to taste
freshly ground black, pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 475.  I use my Pampered Chef large stone bar pan, and preheat the pan right in the oven.  The preheated stone cookies with a nice even heat, and gives whatever you roast on it, a gorgeous brown, caramelized color!

While the oven heats up, place the olive oil and lemon zest strips in a microwave safe dish, and gently warm 30 seconds at a time, until fragrant.  I think I did mine for a total of 1:30.  (You can also do this in a small pot on the stove over low)

Add chopped rosemary and let sit in the warm oil for 10 minutes.

Toss cubed potatoes with the flavored oil on the preheated bar pan, spread evenly,  and add salt and pepper to taste.

Great side dish for chickpea cutlets!!

Roast in oven for 10- 15 minutes, flip potatoes, and roast an additional 5-10 minutes, or until tender

Our Thanksgiving Eats, 2011 Edition

This year, I had much to be thankful for.  My loving family and friends, my health, my home, and the delicious food that we were ALL able to share.

I am fortunate enough to be in charge of SIDES and DESSERTS on Thanksgiving, so even though there is a turkey served, I can eat the better part of the feast as well. It's a lot of work, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

You see, if you cook it well, AND it looks beautiful, no one even bats an eye that they are being served an entire feast of cruelty free vegan dishes!

Here is what I made this year:
Caramelized Butternut Squash

Always a hit, and so simple.  Peel and de-seed three (3) Butternut Squash, and chop into 1" pieces. Peel and halve 4-6 shallots. Toss everything in a single layer on baking sheets with some olive oil (or melted Earth Balance Margarine), brown sugar, salt, pepper, cinnamon and nutmeg (maybe some allspice too, depending on how I'm feeling).  Roast in a 450 degree oven for 40 minutes, turning once or twice, until tender.

Harvest Green Beans

From the Penzey's Spice Catalogue! This dish is a nice change from the usual "Green Bean Casserole" we've all seen so many times. For those of you who aren't familiar with Penzey's spice blend Mural of Flavor, it is a salt-free mix of: shallots, onion, garlic, thyme, rosemary, basil, coriander, lemon peel, citric acid, black pepper, chives, green peppercorns, dill weed, and orange peel.

INGREDIENTS:
1 lb fresh green beans
1/2 cup pecans
2 tablespoons olive oil or 2 tablespoons Earth Balance margarine
2 teaspoons sesame seeds
2 teaspoons Penzey's MURAL of FLAVOR, or your favorite salt-free seasoning
2 teaspoons agave nectar

DIRECTIONS:
1. Wash the beans, and cut the stem end off. (this can be done a day ahead of time).
2. To cook: Bring a pot of water (at least 2 quarts) to a rolling boil.
3. While the water is coming to a boil, heat the butter/oil in a medium pan and simmer on low with the pecans.
4. Once they are lightly browned, add the SESAME SEEDS and MURAL OF FLAVOR.
5. Add the green beans to boiling water and cook 2 minutes.
6. Drain and rinse the beans to stop the cooking, but leave them warm.
7. Drizzle the pecan mix with the honey, stir regularly, then when the beans have been drained and rinsed, add them to the pan and toss with the seasoned nut mix.
8. Place in a serving bowl.
9. Cover the bowl with foil and place in a warm oven until ready to serve.
 

Mashed Potatoes & Vegan Gravy (mostly for me)
Although my mother surprised me and pulled out some of her mashed potatoes that she mashed with Smart Balance instead of butter, so I had extra potatoes!

Posted by EmilyStrikesAgain @ Food.com, this recipe for Vegan Gravy is one of the simplest, BEST tasting gravies I've ever made. I use this 99.9% of the time when I need a basic, all-purpose gravy.  100% omnivore approved! I usually use shallot in place of the onion.

Broccoli Aglio Olio (With Garlic and Olive Oil)

Simple and delicious. A true Italian staple for any dinner. This recipe is just about the ONLY way my mother and grandmother cook their vegetables, and it's the way I do too!

INGREDIENTS:
1 lb broccoli floret
1 -2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 -4 garlic cloves, sliced thin (sometimes I mince too)
1/4-1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS:
1. Steam broccoli over a pot of boiling water, or in a veggie steamer, for about 5 minutes.
2. Feel free to steam more or less, depending on how your family likes their veggies cooked.
3. Keep in mind that you will also be sautéing the broccoli in the next step.
4. In a large saute pan, heat olive oil over medium heat.
5. Add the garlic and saute for about 45 seconds to impart its flavors into the oil.
6. Before the garlic begins to brown, add the red pepper flakes and broccoli to the pan and cook for another 5 minutes, or until cooked to your liking.
7. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

AND WHO CAN FORGET DESSERT!!!!

I want to personally thank Vegan Pie in the Sky, the third installment of Isa and Terry's dessert Trilogy, for the bulk of my inspiration this year! They were truly the stars of the show ^_^

We have, Maple Pecan Pie:

And Pumpkin Cheesecake with Pecan Crunch Topping (this literally blew my MIND it was so good)!!

And, then my version of Tarte aux Pommes, which you might remember from here:

And, there you have it!  Vegan food fit for kings and queens, that stands up to even the most picky meat-eater, and even... my family. ^_^