Side Dish

Rice Salad

Rice Salad

Rice Salad

This is another quick recipe that won't heat up your kitchen too much this summer. The combination of the lime, mango and jalapeño will make your taste buds sing!

Rice
1 ¼ cup water
1 cup long grain rice
½ teaspoon salt

Dressing
¼ cup rice wine vinegar
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 medium lime (2 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons agave nectar
½ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon ground pepper

Salad
1, 15 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup diced mango
1 cup diced red bell pepper (about 1 pepper)
1 cup diced cucumber (about 1 cucumber)
1 tablespoon diced jalapeno

  1. Pour cup water, rice and ½ teaspoon salt in a saucepan.

  2. Swirl pan, don’t stir and bring to a boil.

  3. Cover, reduce the heat and simmer for 18 minutes.

  4. While the rice is cooking, make the dressing. 

  5. Whisk the rice wine vinegar, lime juice and zest, the olive oil, agave nectar, salt and pepper in a large bowl. 

  6. When the rice is done, remove it from heat, keep it covered and let sit it for 5 minutes.

  7. Pour the rice, black beans, mango, cucumber, jalapeno in the bowl and stir well. 
     

Did you make this recipe? Show me! Tag @vegancookingwithlove on Instagram.


Homemade Vegan Refried Beans

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Are you celebrating Cinco de Mayo or do you just love Mexican food as much as I do. These Homemade Vegan Refried Beans will hit the spot! You'll be surprised at how good these taste with just a few ingredients.

Homemade Vegan Refried Beans

Makes 1¼ cup

1 tablespoon coconut or oil
½ cup diced onion
1 tablespoon minced jalapeño, about half a pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ancho chili powder, or other chili powder
½ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon black pepper
1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, preferably low-sodium, drained and rinsed
½ cup vegetable broth, plus more if needed

  1. Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium-low.

  2. Add the onion and jalapeño and cook until tender, about 3-5 minutes.

  3. Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper and cook for 1 minute more or until fragrant.

  4. Increase the heat to medium and mix in beans and vegetable broth.

  5. Using a potato masher or back of a spoon, mash beans into liquid.

  6. Continue cooking for 7-10 minutes until the liquid is absorbed and the beans hold together. Stir frequently to make sure it doesn’t stick to the pan.

Did you make this recipe? Show me! Tag @vegancookingwithlove on Instagram.


Steamed Vegetables with a Vegan Herbed Butter Sauce

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Kick up the flavor of your steamed vegetables with this vegan herbed butter sauce! Watch the video and see how I steam my veggies without a steamer.

Steamed Vegetables with a Vegan Herbed Butter Sauce

Vegetables

1 bunch or 3 crowns broccoli, cut into florets
1 large carrot, julienned or thinly sliced or half of a 10oz bag of matchstick carrots
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

Sauce

1/4 cup vegan margarine or olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
¼ teaspoon dried rosemary
¼ teaspoon black pepper
⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)

  1. Pour salt, oregano, marjoram, thyme, rosemary, black pepper and crushed red pepper in a small bowl and set aside.

  2. Melt margarine or heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat.

  3. Once it’s simmering, add the spices and cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant.

  4. Stir in lemon juice.

  5. Remove from the heat.

Option 1 - If you don’t have a steamer basket

  1. Heat 1 cup of water in a skillet on medium-high until boiling.

  2. Add the vegetables, stir them once and steam them for 5 minutes.

  3. Drain vegetables in a colander, transfer them to a large bowl and pour the sauce over them.

  4. Toss to coat thoroughly.

Option 2 - If you have a steamer basket

  1. Steam the vegetables until crisp tender in a steamer basket.

  2. Transfer them to a large bowl and pour the sauce over them.

  3. Toss to coat thoroughly.

Did you make this recipe? Show me! Tag @vegancookingwithlove on Instagram.


Vegan Mac and Cheese

Vegan Mac and Cheese

This mac and cheese recipe is the best I've tasted yet! The sauce is so flavorful, you don't even miss the cheese :)

I made a few changes to the original. I doubled the sauce, but not the salt and I also preferred to thinly slice the vegetables so they can cook a bit faster. This isn't required but it does decrease the cooking time. I also altered the preparation order based on my experience making the dish. Enjoy!