Meatless Monday Brown Rice and Veggies

I put this rice dish together with things I had on hand and it was delicious! Tom added cheddar cheese to his rice. The rice was warm enough so that it melted the cheese ... yummy! I opted for a little feta on my rice. You can prepare the rice ahead and keep it in your frig to add to the other ingredients when you get home from a day of work or errands.

Note:
Just wanted to say that I don't hesitate to use canned beans when I cook, if I am short of time. When grocery shopping, be sure you look for the brands in your grocery that you like and stick with them. This may take a bit of experimenting. It's probably better if you can use dried beans instead of canned, providing you have the time.

I ALWAYS rinse all the varieties of the canned beans I use. I also discard the bean liquid. I think there's a lot sodium in most major brands and I hope rinsing will help get rid of some of the salt. For some reason, canned organic beans seem to have less added sodium. You will notice that I don't add salt when using so many canned products. And of course, you should use low-sodium or no salt added products whenever possible.

Veggie Brown Rice
Ingredients:
6 cups cooked brown rice
1-16 oz package frozen broccoli flowerets, cooked
1 (14.5 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 (14.5 oz.) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1 (28 oz.) can Southwestern diced tomatoes, with juice

1 (10 oz.) can RoTel original diced tomatoes & green chilies, with juice
Shredded cheddar cheese or Feta cheese
1/4 tsp. pepper
Pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a large pan and heat. Serve hot with shredded cheddar or feta cheese sprinkled on top.

Say Cheese . . . for Meatless Monday!

It's time to fondue!!!
I've posted this recipe before but a repost seemed like a timely idea, especially since it's Meatless Monday. This is one of our favorite cold weather meals. With the arrival of snow last weekend, it is now officially fondue season. We used to reserve it for company but now, in our old age, we have it for just the two of us! It's a cozy, in-the-kitchen kind of meal. We got our first fondue pot back in the 1970's. It was the kind that worked with Sterno. I was never too crazy about the Sterno. Our second fondue pot was bright red and electric. I liked that one much better. It lasted a really long time, expiring very dramatically, with sparks, at a party at my brother and sister-in-law's. We are now on our third pot, also electric.

Classic cheese fondue is made with a combination of Swiss cheeses, typically a Gruyere and the more mild Emmental, with a fruity white wine such as a Riesling. A splash of kirsch is sometimes added. I never have kirsch on hand so I've never added it. Some cooks use cornstarch instead of flour. You also need long-handled forks for skewering and dunking. Of course, there are countless variations for fondue. We've made beer fondue and we've fondued shrimp in peanut oil. And then there's dessert fondue. But our favorite fondue is definitely the Swiss cheese variety.

CHEESE FONDUE
1-1/2 cups white wine (Riesling or Chenin Blanc)
1 T. lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2# Swiss cheese, cubed
2 T. flour
dash black pepper
dash nutmeg
1 tsp. tarragon
1 T. parsley flakes
2 tsp. chives
Dippers:
French bread cut so that each piece has a crust, cauliflower and broccoli flowerets, apple slices. Really, just about any veggie works. Some may need to be par-boiled, but I like the crunch of fresh.

Pour wine into pot over low heat. Do not allow wine to boil. When small bubbles appear on bottom, add lemon juice and garlic. Toss cheese with flour. Gradually add handfuls of cheese stirring constantly after each addition with wooden spoon in figure 8 motion. Add spices. Continue to stir. This can burn on the bottom if the heat is too high. Serve hot with dippers: french bread, apples, etc. using long handled fondue forks.

Serve with a tossed salad.

Thanks for the recipe!

I just made the most delicious dinner, inspired by my blogging friend Beth at Rhubarb and Venison. I've been following her blog for months. I don't remember how I originally found her; I just know I'm glad I did! Beth is a working mom and a new mom and in that regard she reminds me of my daughter. I enjoy reading her blog. Her style is fresh and friendly and natural. When you read it, you'd swear you were in her kitchen visiting over a cup of tea. We're also neighbors, kinda sorta. She lives in North Dakota and I live in Minnesota. Anyway, Beth posted a yummy recipe a few days ago and I knew right away I was going to make it. I love pasta and I'm always looking for new ways to serve it. I used to make a similar recipe, back in the day, but Beth's is MUCH better. I changed it just a bit, since I had Ziti in my pantry. And I added 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes, 1/2 tsp. black pepper, 1 tsp. oregano and a can of salt-free sliced mushrooms, drained. I tossed some Parm on top and Voila! A tasty dinner ready in a jiffy.

Beth's Rotini with Broccoli and Navy Beans
Adapted from The Vegetarian Times Cookbook.
1 lb. rotini (I used 16 oz. Ziti)
1 jar marinara sauce (we both used the Target brand)
1 15 oz can Italian diced tomatoes (Beth used Italian seasoned Muir Glen)
1 15 oz can navy or cannellini beans
1 large bunch broccoli, cut into florets
Handful of olives, pitted and chopped
Bring pot of water to a boil. Add large pinch of salt to water, then add rotini (Ziti). When rotini is almost done with about 1-2 minutes left to cook, add broccoli. While the pasta finishes cooking, drain beans in strainer, rinse and leave beans in strainer. When pasta is al dente and broccoli is tender but still a little crunchy, turn off the stove and pour pasta and broccoli over beans in the strainer to both drain the pasta and warm the beans. Transfer all back into pot and place pot on warm burner. Pour tomatoes and marinara sauce over pasta mixture; stir well. Add olives, toss and serve. I added the red pepper flakes, black pepper, oregano and sliced mushrooms to the pasta sauce before I added it to the pasta. Mmmmm!