Rice Bowl with Mushroom Gravy and Kale

This is the second all-vegetarian recipe I've tried and honestly, the first turned out so bland and seriously not good. I ended up throwing in all the vegetables from it into my stir fry I made this week. The couscous and yogurt sauce from the attempt had to be tossed. In my defense, there wasn't very much left of it, I tried to eat it...OK I forced myself to eat it. I just couldn't do it anymore. If I'm going to eat I want it to taste good at least.

This second one turned out so so well though! I actually achieved a successful gravy/ vegetarian dish all in one! Oh She Glows had this beautiful recipe, I actually adapted it a bit. Oh She Glows uses millet as the grain, but I have no idea what that is so I just used the left over brown rice from the stir fry. Stir fry was a life saver this week apparently. Anyway, the mushroom gravy could be put over anything from pasta to quinoa, your choice.

Rice Bowl with Mushroom Gravy and Kale

Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 cup brown rice (use package instructions)
• 1/2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cups chopped sweet onion (1 medium onion)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 cups sliced crimini mushrooms (300 grams)
• 1.5 tbsp minced fresh rosemary
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast (found at a health food store)
• 1.5 tbsp low-sodium tamari (soy sauce)
• 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 & 1/4 cup vegetable broth
• 1 cup fresh chopped kale, stems removed
• Freshly ground black pepper & kosher salt, to taste

1. Make the rice according to the instructions on the package. You can have it cooking while you make the gravy, or you can make minute rice and just set it aside.

2. Meanwhile, grab a large skillet and heat oil over medium heat. Add in chopped onions and garlic and sauté for about 5 minutes.

3. Add the sliced mushrooms and sauté for about 12 minutes longer, stirring as necessary. Now stir in the rosemary, nutritional yeast, and tamari. Cook for a few minutes.

4. In a small bowl, whisk together the broth and cornstarch until clumps are gone, and then stir into the mushroom mixture. Stir in kale. Cook for another 5-6 minutes or so, until slightly thickened. Portion rice into two bowls and serve the mushroom gravy on top.

Southwest Black Bean Casserole

I made this recipe last week and honestly this is one of my favorites, so far. A Pinch of Yum had this great recipe. I actually combined it with another recipe so mine was a little different. Like I left out the jalapeno peppers, bacon and chicken broth. I also used a jar of black bean and corn salsa in it as opposed to the tomatoes and such. I still used a can of black beans though, they're delish and good for you. And I used the cheddar cheese as opposed to Monterrey cheese. Instead of serving it with chips or tortillas I ripped up flour ones and mixed them around in the mixture before I baked everything.

I made the casserole and then I cooked some brown rice and put it with Goya's sofrito tomato base. You just spoon some of it, let's say three or four tablespoons of it, into the rice mixture and mix it around. My friend Joe likes to use the cilantro base, which is also very good if you're a fan of cilantro.

Southwest Black Bean Casserole

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb. ground extra lean turkey
• 1 chopped onion
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeds and ribs removed, diced
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp ground red pepper
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 2/3 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 (15 oz) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1-2 chopped seeded tomatoes
• 1/4 cup crumbled bacon
• 1/2 cup (2 oz) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425F.
2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground turkey and a handful of the onions to the pan, sauteing until meat is browned. Remove turkey and set aside.
3. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion, pepper, and jalapeno, sauteing for 4 minutes and stirring occasionally. Add salt, cumin, red pepper, and garlic. Saute for 1 minute, stirring constantly (I added a tablespoon or two of water to keep things from sticking in the pan.)
4. Stir in broth and black beans. Bring mixture to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. Mash beans to desired consistency.
5. Spoon mixture into an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray. Top with turkey, bacon, tomato, and cheese. Bake at 425F for 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Top with green onions and let cool for at least 10 minutes (otherwise it will be too runny).
6. Serve with sour cream, tortilla chips, on tacos, on a salad, or just eat it plain!