Soaked Brown Rice

Add the following to a medium glass bowl:

1 1/2 cups medium grain brown rice
3 cups cold water
2 tbsp salt
1 1/2 tbsp rice vinegar (optional)
2 tbsp wheat bran (optional)

Cover the bowl and let sit at room temperature for 6-8 hours, then either move the bowl to the refrigerator or drain and rinse the rice thoroughly under cool running water.

Preheat your oven to 375°F, then add the rice to a pyrex baking dish along with:

2 cups boiling water or broth
1/2 tbsp vegetable or olive oil

Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 75 minutes, until the water is absorbed. Fluff with a fork and serve.

How to Cook Barley

Preheat your oven to 375°F.

1 cup pearl barley
2 cups hot water
1/2 tbsp vegetable or olive oil
3/4 tsp salt

Heat the water until boiling in a pot or tea kettle. While the water heats, add the barley and salt to a loaf pan or 8-inch square baking dish (I always use a pyrex dish). Cover the rice with the boiling water, add the oil, and stir briefly. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 50-55 minutes, until the water is absorbed. Makes 4 servings.

Variations:

For herbed barley, sub 1 cup of vegetable broth for 1 cup water and add 1/2 tsp dried thyme, 1/2 tsp dried minced onion, and black pepper to taste.

Lindsay's Mashed Potatoes

2 lbs. russet potatoes
1 lb. yukon gold potatoes
1 tsp salt
1 cup non-dairy milk
1/4 cup non-dairy margarine
3/4 tsp dried minced onion
1/4 tsp dried garlic
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
salt and pepper to taste

Slice the potatoes into equal-sized chunks and add them to a large pot.  Cover the potatoes with cold water and add the teaspoon of dried onion and teaspoon of salt.  Cover the pot and bring to a boil over high heat.  Once the water boils, reduce the heat slightly (the water should be agitated, but not at a rolling boil) and cook for 20-22 minutes, until the potatoes can be easily pierced by a fork. Drain the potatoes and then return them to the pan for around 30 second, stirring constantly until somewhat dry.

Remove the pot from the heat and add the non-dairy milk and margarine and mash only until any large chunks are broken up (don't overmash).  Mix in the remaining minced onion, red pepper flakes, dried garlic, and chili powder and add salt and pepper to taste.

Creamy Herbed Quinoa

1/2 cup boiling water
1/4 cup raw cashews
1/4 cube vegetable bouillon
1/4 tsp dried minced onion
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/8 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp low-sodium tamari
1/4 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 cup quinoa, soaked & rinsed
1 1/2 cup cold water
3/8 tsp salt

Add the boiling water, cashews, bouillon, onion, thyme, basil, oregano, and pepper flakes to a blender carafe. Cover the carafe and let sit for one hour, then add the tamari and vinegar and blend until well-combined. Set aside.

Add the quinoa to a medium pot and add the cold water and salt. Bring to a boil, then cover the pot and bring to a simmer, cooking for 15 minutes. Add the cashew sauce from the blender to the pot and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add additional salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 4 as a side.

Roasted Root Vegetables with Mustard Glaze

2 lbs. carrots, sliced
1 lb. parsnips, sliced
1 lb. waxy potatoes, sliced
1 lb. starchy potatoes, sliced
3 tbsp olive oil
2 1/2 tbsp stoneground mustard
2 tbsp brown rice syrup
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 1/4 tsp dried cut rosemary
3/4 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Cut the carrots, parsnips, and potatoes into slices of equal thickness and move to a large mixing bowl. Coat evenly with the olive oil,l then move to two large foil-lined baking sheets and bake for 20 minutes.

 While the vegetables cook, rinse the bowl and whisk together the mustard, brown rice syrup, vinegar, dried rosemary, and salt (I place the bowl in a hot water bath while I whisk to make the brown rice syrup easier to incorporate). Remove the vegetables from the oven and move them to the bowl, gently stirring to evenly coat. Move the vegetables back to the baking sheets and bake for another 25 minutes. Add additional salt if needed and serve.

 Serves 6-8 as a side.

Mashed Sweet Potatoes

4 lbs. sweet potatoes (around 8 medium)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp rubbed sage or dried cut rosemary
1/2 tsp salt
non-dairy milk as needed

Scrub the potatoes and use a fork or knife to prick holes in each. Bake on a foil-lined pan at 350F for 90 minutes, then remove from the oven and let cool for 15-20 minutes. Peel the potatoes and place in a large bowl and add the olive oil, herbs, and salt.  Use a fork or potato masher to mash to desired consistency, adding non-dairy milk as needed.  Serve as is or spoon into a baking dish and bake uncovered at 400F for 20 minutes.

For sweet rather than savory: substitute dairy-free margarine for the olive oil and add some combination of the following instead of the herbs: maple syrup, brown sugar, allspice, cinnamon, ginger, or nutmeg.

Simple Bread Stuffing

24 oz. French bread, cubed*
2 1/2 cups good vegetable stock (homemade or boxed)
3/4 cup chickpeas with skins removed
1/4 cup non-dairy margarine
2 tsp dried rubbed sage
1/2 tbsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried minced onion
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp red chili flakes
1/2 cup roughly chopped raw walnuts

The bread should ideally be a few days old.  If not, heat in a 200°F oven for an hour or more until dry and crusty.  Lay the bread in a large pyrex dish and set aside.

Add the chickpeas to a blender carafe and blend with 3/4 cup of the stock.  Melt the margarine and add it, along with the rest of the stock and the sage, thyme, onion, pepper, and red chili, to the carafe, and blend until combined.  Pour the mixture over the bread and add the walnuts, then stir to thoroughly combine.  Flatten the mixture slightly and bake at 350°F for 50-55 minutes, until the top is crunchy.

Alternatively, you can reduce the margarine to 2 tbsp and cook 1 pound of cremini mushrooms with 2 tbsp olive oil and and 2 tbsp minced garlic over medium heat in a large pan, then add to the stuffing before baking.

* I use 2 baby boules from Whole Foods.

Ratatouille

1 medium eggplant
4 tbsp olive oil
3 large zucchinis
1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp dried minced onion
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste

Peel and cube the eggplant and place in a large colander.  Place the colander over a bowl and sprinkle salt liberally over the eggplant.  Let the sit for 30-45 minutes, then rinse well under cold water and drain.  While the eggplant is being salted, dice the zucchini into chunks similar in size to the eggplant.  De-seed and dice both bell peppers and the tomatoes.

Begin the ratatouille by squeezing the eggplant dry in fistfuls and adding to a large skillet over medium heat.  Add 2 tbsp of olive oil and cook for 3 minutes, stirring once a minute or so.  Remove the eggplant (leaving any excess oil in the skillet) and place in a large pot.  Add the zucchini to the skillet and add another 1 tbsp of olive oil.  Salt the zucchini and cook for another 3 minutes, stirring once a minute or so.  Remove the zucchini (again leaving any excess oil in the skillet) and place in the large pot with the eggplant.  Lower the heat to medium low, add the last 1 tbsp of olive oil to the skillet, and add the bell peppers.  Salt the peppers and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the peppers to the large pot and heat over medium heat.  Add the garlic, dried onion, thyme, cayenne pepper, and black pepper and stir, cooking for 2 minutes.  Add the tomatoes and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the balsamic and cook for another 10 minutes.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Cranberry Sauce

1/2 cup water
1/2 cup cane sugar
3 cups (12 oz) cranberries
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp dried ginger
big pinch of salt
juice and zest from half a navel orange
1/2 tsp vanilla

Combine water and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat and simmer until sugar is dissolved.  Add the cranberries, cinnamon, ginger, salt, orange juice and orange zest and simmer until cranberries begin to burst, around 15 minutes. If the cranberries are slow to burst, they can be lightly crushed against the side of the pan with a fork. Stir in the vanilla, then remove from heat and let set in a bowl or mold.

Colcannon

2 lbs. yukon gold potatoes*
3 cups (lightly packed) kale or spinach
2 tbsp non-dairy margarine
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp dried thyme (optional)
non-dairy milk
salt and pepper to taste

Clean and cube the potatoes into 1-inch chunks and cook in heavily salted boiling water until tender, around 12-15 minutes. While the potatoes cook, heat the margarine and oil over medium-low heat and cook the garlic for one minute. Add the kale/spinach and cook for 5-10 minutes (less for the spinach, longer for the kale), stirring occasionally.

When the potatoes are done, drain and add back to the pot.  Add the kale/spinach and any remaining oil in the pan and mash with a potato masher, adding enough non-dairy milk to reach the desired consistency. Add  the dried thyme (if using) and salt and black pepper to taste.

*Or a mix of 11/2 lbs. russets and purple potatoes and 1/2 lb. red potatoes.

Sweet and Sour Quinoa

1/2 cup quinoa
1/2 cup cold water
1/4 cup orange juice (juice from 1 orange)
1 tbsp low-sodium tamari
2 tbsp hot water
1/2 tsp rice wine vinegar
1/2 tsp dried basil
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tbsp grated ginger
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 cup pineapple chunks or 1 small mango, diced

Soak the quinoa for at least 10 minutes in cold water, then drain and rinse thoroughly in a fine mesh strainer. Add the quinoa to a medium pot and cover with the cold water and orange juice. Bring to a boil, then cover the pot and bring to a simmer, cooking for 15 minutes or until the water is absorbed. When the quinoa is done, keep covered and set aside.

While the quinoa cooks, combine the tamari, hot water, vinegar, and basil in a small bowl. Set aside.

When the quinoa is halfway done being cooked, heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and add the garlic and ginger. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently, then raise the heat to medium and add the pepper and carrot. Cook for 6 more minutes, giving the mixture a good stir every minute or so, then add the pineapple or mango and the quinoa. Drizzle the tamari mixture evenly over the quinoa, then stir to combine. Cook for another 10-12 minutes, stirring the mixture every couple of minutes.

Serves 2. If you double the recipe, make sure you're working with a large saucepan.

How to Cook Quinoa

1 cup quinoa*
1 1/2 cup cold water
1/4 tsp salt (plus more to taste)

Soak the quinoa for at least 10 minutes in cold water, then drain and rinse thoroughly in a fine mesh strainer. Add the quinoa to a medium pot and add the cold water. Bring to a boil, then cover the pot and bring to a simmer, cooking for 15 minutes or until the water is absorbed. When the quinoa is done, keep covered and let sit for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork, add salt to taste, and serve.

Makes 4 servings.

Simple additions: 1/4 cup peanut butter + 1/2 tsp chili flakes + 3/8 tsp ground ginger

*Note: when measuring out quinoa, I always add around a teaspoon more than recommended (a bit of the quinoa always sticks to the strainer).

How to Cook Brown Rice

Preheat your oven to 375°F.

1 1/2 cups medium grain brown rice
2 1/2 cups hot water
1/2 tbsp olive oil or 1 tbsp tahini
3/4 tsp salt

Heat the water until boiling in a pot or tea kettle. While the water heats, add the rice and salt to a loaf pan or 8-inch square baking dish (I always use a pyrex dish). Cover the rice with the boiling water, add the oil, and stir briefly. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 75 minutes, until the water is absorbed. Fluff with a fork and serve.  Makes 4 servings (recipe can be easily doubled and baked in a 9"x13" pan)

Variations:

For savory red rice, sub 1 cup of vegetable broth for 1 cup water, and add 1/2 tsp sweet paprika, 1/2 tsp dried minced onion, 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, and black pepper to taste.

For soy ginger rice, reduce the salt to 1/2 tsp and add 1/2 tbsp low-sodium tamari, 1 tsp brown sugar, 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, and 1/2 tsp - 3/4 tsp ground ginger.