“No meat in this?” – Clark Griswold from Vacation “You get plenty of meat at home. Be polite. Have some ketchup.” – Ellen Griswold from Vacation Yes, and just like Hamburger Helper, this recipe does just fine by itself. In fact, I will say that every time I make this dish, I can rarely eat the entire thing. It is that hardy for you meat-lovers. You see this recipe is a bowl full of vegetable goodness. It is simple and quick to make. Often times, you can whip this one up with things you have in your pantry. This of course is a bonus if you have failed to properly plan for the week. However, the inspiration for this dish came from my first vegan lunch in a restaurant. There used to be a little vegan restaurant down the street from my house that I ventured into one day. The place was dimly lit and a bit dodgy. But they served me a lovely dish of brown rice loaded with all sorts of steamed veggies. What hooked me was this delicious white sauce poured over the top of the veggies. It was a cross between ranch dressing and a creamy garlic sauce. I headed home and vowed to duplicate the dish since they wouldn’t share their recipe with me. It has become a staple in our meal rotation. At first, I wasn’t going to post anything about it. You see this dish is just a humble bowl of rice and beans. But as I made my version of the white sauce last night, I decided that this recipe is a worthy addition to your kitchen as well. Oh and I forgot to mention, my version of the white sauce is my ode to Ranch Dressing. This condiment is a staple in many an American household. Up until a couple years ago, I often found myself in the Hidden Valley. But this dressing is 100% vegan, and I bet you another $100 that you can’t tell it is vegan. In fact, I will boldly state that you will begin using this dressing on lots of other things (if you can’t think of any other uses, stay tuned). Since I don’t have a fancy name for this one, I present BOB’S BEANS AND RICE BOWL.
Ingredients
- 2 Cups Cooked Brown Rice
- 1 Large Carrot (chopped)
- 2 Celery Ribs (chopped)
- 1 Large Zucchini (chopped)
- 1 Med. Red Bell Pepper (chopped)
- 1 Med. Yellow Bell Pepper (chopped)
- 15 Oz. Can of Cannellini Beans (rinsed & drained)
- 2 Garlic Cloves (minced)
- 1 Tbs. Onion (minced)
- 1 Cup Vegetable Broth
- 1 Cup White Wine
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- ½ Cup Vegan Mayonnaise
- ¼ Cup Plain Rice Milk
- 1 Tbs. Lemon Juice
- ½ Tsp. Garlic Powder
- ½ Tsp. Onion Powder
- 1 Tsp. Dried Oregano
- 2 Tsp. Fresh Dill (minced)
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
In a saucepan, add the canned beans, garlic cloves, broth, wine, thyme and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce and simmer until the beans are cooked and tender. I mash up a handful of beans when adding them to the pot. This helps thicken the liquid and gives you a nice little bit of gravy to soak into the rice.
While the beans are cooking, in a small bowl whisk together the ingredients for the dressing: veganaise, rice milk, lemon juice, garlic and onion powders, pepper, oregano, and dill. Place the dressing in the frig and let the flavors mix well. You can also do this step up to a day ahead of time because the longer this dressing sits the better it is.
Now steam your remaining vegetables for about 10 minutes. I have listed some of my favorite veggies but by all means add others if you like. Snow peas, green beans, broccoli, and bok choy would make nice additions. I like to leave my vegetables nice and crisp, but you can feel free to cook them longer if you want. Then you just have to place the cooked rice in the bottom of a bowl. Top the rice with the veggies and then add on the dressing. We like a lot of dressing on our beans and rice bowl, but use the dressing as you see fit.
http://www.grassfedcarnivore.com/beans-and-rice/
First goes the rice
Then go the beans
Finish with veggies
That’s it. Nothing to it but a bowl full of vegetable goodness. And if you have any dressing left over, feel free to use it on anything calling for ranch dressing. I promise you can’t tell the difference. Eating vegan never felt or tasted so good. Longer Letter Later.
Love, Bob aka The Grassfed Carnivore
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