I make rice and beans all the time.  Usually I use either Indian spices or Mexican spices and it always tastes great.  You just can’t ruin rice and beans.  Tonight, however, I wanted to try something different, both in taste and in presentation.  I wanted to elevate rice and beans to a new level, because as good as it is, you have to admit, it is not the most visually appealing meal.  Until now, that is!  I added some refried beans so it would have a creamy texture and could be molded into a pleasing shape.  What took me only a few extra minutes of time made the meal infinitely better!  Maybe next time I will try layering grilled veggies in the middle… so many great ideas for the old standy-by of rice and beans!

• 2 15 oz cans beans, drained (I used one can pinto and one can kidney)
• 1/2 15 oz can refried beans (I used Whole Foods organic refried black beans)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 vegan “beef” bouillon (I used edward and son’s “not beef”)
• 1 T olive oil
• 1/2 t onion powder
• 5 cups cooked rice (white or brown)

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat.  Add the onions and cook until translucent.  Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more.  Add the bouillon cube and stir well as it melts into the onions.  Add the refried beans and stir to combine.  Add the beans and gently mix together.

Cook until heated through.  In a large bowl, combine the rice with the bean mixture.  Press into any shape object you like.  I used ramekins.  Then just turn it out onto your plate.

Serves 6

One of the best vacations I have ever had was in Tuscany!  I think if I were to move from the United States, that would be my destination of choice, although in all fairness I have not travelled to enough destinations to be fully equipped to make that decision.  In any event, I just love Tuscany; I love everything about it.  We stayed in the tiny village of Gaiole in the Chianti region, where the rolling hills are breathtaking and as we walked along exploring, the smell of fresh tomatoes, parsley, basil, and garlic was intoxicating.  The food we ate there was among the best food I have ever had.  That is why as soon as I returned home, despite jet lag and tons of laundry, I couldn’t wait to recreate this sauce, which we enjoyed on pasta, on pizza, and even drizzled over grilled veggies.  I think I did a really good job of replicating the sauce, and it even makes me feel a little like I’m back in Tuscany, at an outdoor cafe, under the stars, sipping a nice glass of Brunello di Montalcino.  Ahhhhhhhh Tuscany.

• 1 cup fresh flat leaf parsley
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 2.4 oz. jar capers, drained (capers are actually sun-dried pickled flower buds that are salty and delicious and quite nutritious)
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 t red wine vinegar
• 1 t salt
• 1/4 t pepper

Process all ingredients in a food processor, or in a large bowl with an immersion blender.

Tonight I put the salsa verde on linguine and added some halved cherry tomatoes.

I also made some with whole grain rotini for lunch tomorrow, since this recipe makes enough sauce for 1 lb of pasta.

This was such a huge hit with my family that I know I will be making it again and again,  especially since it was quite easy to make!  I have to give a shout-out to my neighbor Diane, the most lovely and incredible neighbor!  She told me about her coconut tofu with orange sauce and it sounded so amazing I knew I had to make it.  In my pre-vegan days I loved coconut shrimp and I couldn’t wait to capture some of those flavors again.  This is what I created from her guidelines and I can’t thank her enough!  It was also the perfect recipe in which to incorporate kuzu, my favorite thickener. To learn a little about kuzu, click here.  I hope you love this recipe too!

• 1 16 oz package extra firm tofu, pressed
• 1 T ener G egg replacer with 4 T warm water
• 1 T coconut aminos (or soy sauce)
• 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
• 1/3 cup panko crumbs
• 1 T brown sugar
• 1/2 t salt
• 1-2 T coconut oil (not needed if baking)

sauce:

• 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
• 2 t brown sugar
• 1/2 T orange zest
• 1 T vegan butter
• 1 T kuzu root starch (or cornstarch) mixed with 3 T water
• 1 T chopped cilantro for garnish

Press the tofu, either with a tofu press, or if you don’t have one, by placing the tofu on a plate, covering with some paper towel and another plate on top, and then piling heavy items on top of that, such as a large pot or some heavy books.  Let sit for 20 minutes and this will release a lot of the liquid from the tofu.

Next, cut the tofu in half lengthwise, and then into 8 rectangles.

In a small bowl, combine the panko, coconut, brown sugar and salt.  Mix well.

In another small bowl, combine the egg replacer and the coconut aminos.

Dip the tofu pieces in the liquid, then into the crumbs.  Really press the crumbs into the tofu on all sides.

Heat 1 T coconut oil in a large pan over medium high heat and sautee the tofu until golden on both sides.  You may need to add the second T coconut oil once you flip the tofu.

If you prefer to bake the tofu, it is just as delicious, but a bit less golden brown. 

baked coconut tofu

Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Place tofu on a lightly greased baking sheet and spray it with oil spray.  Bake 10 minutes per side and then broil on high for 3-5 minutes, watching so it does not burn.

For the sauce, bring the orange juice and brown sugar to a boil in a medium pan.  Let boil for 3 minutes.  Decrease the heat to low and add the zest, salt and vegan butter.  Stir in the kuzu.  Remove from heat.  Add cilantro and serve immediately.  The sauce will start to congeal if using the kuzu, but this may be an added bonus.  My family loves it because it is like a marmalade.

serves 4