If you were to come up to me when I was a kid, even a teenager, and say "you're going to be almost 100% vegan from your 20's and beyond", I'd have thought you were crazy. In fact, I probably would have laughed you off the face of the planet - after all, I lived for rare steak, turkey at Thanksgiving and Christmas, the treat of bacon on the occasional special brunch out. However, life (and body chemistry) often has other plans, and now aside from the occasional, small portion of lean fish or seafood, animal proteins are off the menu.
If anything, though, taking meat away simply added a wealth of opportunity for flavour to come into my cooking! My digestion started changing when I was in university - when I couldn't afford much, if any, meat anyways - and rice, pasta, bread, frozen veggies and canned beans became the new "norm" my second year when I no longer had a meal plan. Through friends with similar monetary restrictions but from various ethnic backgrounds, I began to pick up flavour combinations to add to the relatively plain staples. Roasted frozen broccoli, cauliflower and green beans with garlic, onion, chili flakes, cumin and a hint of cinnamon became a filling, flavourful base for leftover rice and lentils, while spiking jarred tomato sauce with what felt like any and every herb and spice from Bulk Barn (all purchased on Student Discount Days) created the go-to condiment for everything my boyfriend and I ate for almost a month - I'd have it spooned over chickpea-filled tortillas zapped in the microwave, mixed with macaroni, broccoli and cottage cheese for dinner, and (for a brief moment when I could eat them) would use it to poach an egg for breakfast.
However, one of the things I never made in the apartment was sweet and spicy rice pilafs. One major reason was that all the recipes I had - from cookbooks, the web and friends - took an hour or more to make, which simply doesn't fit with the "home at 8 and starving" student mentality. The other (and probably more pressing) reason was that the ex did. not. like. dried fruit at all. Not Raisin Bran, not date squares, not cranberry-raisin fruit buns fresh from the bakery. As a result, I got my pilafs from the International Buffet section of our cafeteria in the Student Hall once every couple months, and envied the smells of my classmate's meals as we sat in 3-hour lectures.
Many years and a breakup later, I re-evaluated one of the recipes I was given by the Student Hall during an event for South African Style Rice. Essentially a mixture of sweet and spicy curry infused into Basmati rice and garnished with raisins, it also relies heavily on dried spices as opposed to fresh onion, etc that take time to cook down. Start to finish, I can get a pot on the table in about 30 minutes, with an extra 10 if I add a can of chickpeas (my favourite legume at the moment) to the pot as it simmers. As a bonus, this rice is absolutely divine cold the next day, but also reheats well on the stovetop, in the oven or in the microwave if you want it warm.
World Vegetarian Day is coming up, and to go with it #SundaySupper is providing a roundup of the best veggie-based offerings our team has to offer. Whether you're a lifelong convert or dabbling in Maybe / Mostly Meatless Mondays, You'll find something great!
Did you know?
Some of the reasons people say they have adopted a vegetarian-based diet are to improve overall health, environmental concerns, animal welfare, food safety concerns, and weight loss.
There are several types of vegetarians: A lacto-ovo vegetarian eats dairy and eggs, in addition to plant-based foods. They do not eat meat or fish. A lacto vegetarian eats the same as a lacto-ovo vegetarian, but does not eat eggs. A vegan eats only plant-based foods. A vegan avoids meat, dairy, fish and any foods with ingredients from animal sources. Some vegans also avoid honey.
More females follow a vegetarian diet than males do.
Vegetarians may be prone to vitamin B12 deficiency. Therefore, they must make sure that they get enough vitamin B12 through fortified foods or supplements.
Appetizers
Goat Cheese and Red Onion Quesadilla by The Freshman Cook
Grilled Green Tomato and Mozzarella Salad by Monica’s Table
Italian Lupini Beans by She Loves Biscotti
Marinated Olives by Cricket’s Confections
Orange Ginger Carrot Soup by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
Desserts
Chocolate Orange Beet Cake by Baking Sense
Chocolate Zucchini Cake by Mindy’s Cooking Obsession
Make Your Children Eat Their Vegetables…in a Cupcake! by The Ninja Baker
Zucchini Blueberry Coffee Cake by Pies and Plots
Entrees
Baked Eggplant Parmigiana by Powered By BLING
Burrito Stuffed Peppers by Shockingly Delicious
Butternut Squash Chili with Beans by The Chef Next Door
Butternut Squash Zoodles with Fried Sage Sauce by Home Sweet Homestead
Caprese Stuffed Roasted Eggplant by Sunday Supper Movement
Cheesy Cauliflower Cake by Food Lust People Love
Chipotle Tofu Tacos with Plantain by Caroline’s Cooking
Glazed Carrot and Quinoa Salad with Crispy Chickpeas by Helpful Homemade
Green Goddess Mac and Cheese by Moore or Less Cooking
Mujaddara by A Day in the Life on the Farm
Penne-Wise Pumpkin Pasta by Wholistic Woman
Pumpkin Gnocchi and Spinach with Sage Brown Butter Sauce by The Redhead Baker
Radical Reuben Sandwich by Palatable Pastime
Roasted Delicata Squash Fries with Sriracha Aioli by The Hungry Goddess
Roasted Vegetable Casserole by A Mind “Full”Mom
Rustic Ratatouille by The Crumby Cupcake
Spicy Tofu and Rice Stir Fry by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
Spinach Stuffed Pasta Shells by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
Strawberry Soba Noodle Salad by Sew You Think You Can Cook
Tomato Vegetable Casserole by Beauty and the Beets
Vegetarian Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie by Take A Bite Out of Boca
Veggie Pasta Alfredo by Where Latin Meets Lagniappe
Veggie Riggies: A Rigatoni Sauté by Hardly A Goddess
Sides
Caramelized Onions and Cauliflower by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
Cauliflower Tabbouleh with Chickpeas by Simple and Savory
Cheesy Broccoli Cauliflower Rice by My Life Cookbook
Locro de Papa (Ecuadorian Potato Soup) by Curious Cuisiniere
Restaurant Style Mexican Rice by Cosmopolitan Cornbread
South African Yellow Rice by What Smells So Good?
Spiralized Sweet Potato and Apple Sauté with Dates by The Wimpy Vegetarian
Turmeric Hummus Casserole by Dizzy Busy and Hungry
Vegan Creamy Butternut Squash Soup with Spinach by Cooking Chat
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South African Yellow Rice
Serves 8
2 tbsp. canola oil
1 tsp fresh grated ginger
½ tsp ground ginger
2 tbsp. raw sugar
½ tbsp. turmeric
¼ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp curry powder
pinch black pepper
2 cups white Basmati rice
3 ½ cups low-sodium vegetable broth or water
½ - 1 tsp salt (depending on how salty the broth is)
½ cup raisins
Heat oil in a pot over medium heat.
Add the fresh and ground ginger, sugar, turmeric, cinnamon curry powder and pepper.
Sauté until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
Stir in the rice and cook 2 minutes, then add the vegetable broth, salt and raisins. Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer, loosely covered, until rice is completely cooked – about 15 minutes. Add water if necessary to prevent sticking.
Remove pot from heat, cover, and allow to stand for 5 minutes.
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 235.9
Total Fat: 3.4 g
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Sodium: 413.3 mg
Total Carbs: 48.5 g
Dietary Fiber: 1.4 g
Protein: 3.3 g Save
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