Viva Vegan!: 200 Authentic and Fabulous Recipes for Latin Food Lovers (22 page)

2. Stir in the cilantro and remove from the heat. Serve mounded on a serving dish, or pack it lightly into a measuring cup or large ramekin and it turn upside down onto a serving dish for a cute timbale-style presentation. Serve with hot sauce, as desired.

 

Wake Up with the Painted Rooster

 

A
simplified version of
gallo pinto
is a favorite protein- and fiber-packed breakfast of mine. It can be made in less than 20 minutes, if you have the two main ingredients prepared and ready to go in the fridge. Make it with brown rice and you probably won’t be hungry until well into lunchtime!

 

Prepare a batch of Basic Beans from Scratch (page 81)—use black or your favorite red bean—and enough rice to make at least 4 cups. Keep the rice and the beans in two separate containers in the fridge until ready to use. Lightly oil a well-seasoned cast-iron pan and add a heaping ½ cup each of the rice and drained beans for each serving. Follow the basic procedure on page 90 for making
gallo pinto
, first frying together the beans and rice until hot and slightly browned and then pouring in ¼ to ⅓ cup of bean-cooking liquid and several dashes of either vegetarian Worcestershire sauce or Salsa Lizano and your favorite hot sauce to taste. Cook until the liquid has evaporated and the mixture is sizzling. Serve with more hot sauce and sliced tomatoes, avocado, or diced tropical fruit.

 

 

•
Serves 4 as a side, about ¾ cup per serving

•
Time: Less than 30 minutes

 

1 cup uncooked long-grain white rice
1½ cups water (but check the package
directions for the suggested amount)
1 tablespoon olive oil or nonhydrogenated
vegan margarine
½ teaspoon salt

 

1 cup uncooked long-grain brown rice
2 cups water
1 tablespoon olive oil or nonhydrogenated
vegan margarine
½ teaspoon salt

 

1. Rinse whichever rice you are using in a fine-mesh strainer. In a large, heavy-bottomed pot with a tight-fitting lid, combine the rice, water, oil, and salt. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat, stir the rice
only
once, and lower the heat to low. Cover the pot and cook for 20 to 25 minutes for white rice, or 40 to 45 minutes for brown rice, until all the water has been absorbed. Properly cooked rice is tender and slightly chewy with no crunchy cores.

2. Remove from the heat and let sit with the cover on for 5 minutes. Remove the lid, fluff the rice with a fork, and serve immediately.

• The kind of pot you use can make or break your rice. Look for a medium-size, thick-walled, heavy-bottomed pot with a tight-fitting, heavy lid, as this will ensure proper steaming of the rice. And old-fashioned way to get a tight seal around the edge of your pot is to line the edges with foil, but if you invest in a quality pot this isn’t really necessary.

• Never stir rice while it’s cooking (only risotto gets to break this rule)! Just keep that lid on and check only after the minimum suggested cooking time. Latin-style rice should be firm and fluffy. Stirring rice while it’s cooking can result in broken grains and make your rice mushy or sticky. Just stir once before simmering and fluff rice with a fork after the grains are done cooking.

• Not all brands of white rice are the same when it comes to how much liquid is needed during cooking. Read the directions on the package for the recommended water amounts and cooking times, and make adjustments accordingly with the liquid amounts and cooking times for these recipes. Long-grain brown rice is more predictable, with a fairly consistent 1-part-rice to 2-parts-water ratio.

• Using a gas range? Look for inexpensive metal heat diffusers that can be placed under pots to ensure more even cooking.

•
Serves 4 as a side, about ¾ cup

•
per serving

•
Time: Less than 30 minutes

 

1 cup uncooked long-grain white rice
1½ cups vegetable broth or water
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 teaspoons grated lime zest
½ teaspoon salt (only if you’re using
water)
Freshly cracked pepper
¼ cup chopped cilantro, lightly packed
1 green onion, green part only, sliced
very thinly

 

1. In a heavy pot, combine the rice, vegetable stock, olive oil, lime juice and zest, salt (if using), and pepper to taste. Bring the mixture to a boil, lower the heat to a simmer, and cover the pot. Cook for 20 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice grains are tender.

2. Remove from the heat and sprinkle the rice with the cilantro and green onion. Fluff the rice, working in the chopped herbs. Serve immediately.

•
Serves 4 as a side, about ¾ cup

•
per serving

•
Time: Less than 30 minutes

 

2 tablespoons Annatto-Infused Oil
(page 31)
5 cloves garlic, chopped finely
1 cup uncooked long-grain
white rice
1⅔ cups vegetable broth
Salt and freshly ground pepper
¼ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

 

1. In a large, heavy pot with a lid, combine the annatto oil and garlic over medium heat. Cook until the garlic is sizzling and fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the rice and coat all of the grains with the oil. Pour in the vegetable broth, salt, and pepper and stir. Increase the heat and bring to a rolling boil, then lower the heat to medium-low. Cover and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice grains are tender.

2. Remove from the heat, fluff the rice with a fork, and serve garnished with the cilantro.

•
Serves 4 as a side, about ¾ cup per

•
serving

•
Time: Less than 30 minutes