VeganMoFo Day 9: Cilantro-Lime Rice and beans

Okay so the pictures might not be so pretty, but the food was delicious! The rice was the Cilantro-Lime Rice recipe form Viva Vegan. And then the beans are an adaptation of a recipe I had written down months ago (I don't remember the original source of that recipe).

Cilantro-Lime Rice 
 
1 cup uncooked long-grain white rice
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth or water
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 Tablespoon lime juice
2 teaspoon lime zest
1/2 teaspoon salt (only if you're using water)
Freshly ground pepper
1/4 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 chopping herbs. Serve immediately.

Mexican Black Beans

4 Jalapeños, roasted (see note)

 1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped small

4 garlic cloves

2 teaspoons cumin

2 (15-oz) cans or 3 cups black beans

1 cup vegetable broth

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped and loosely packed

Heat olive oil over medium-high heat and add onion. Cook until the onions are soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cumin and cook until the garlic turns golden. Add black beans and broth. Simmer until the liquid reduces and beans start to break up a little.. Stir in cilantro and cook for just another minute.

Note: if you have a toaster oven, heat it to 350°F and roast the jalapeños 5 minutes (this time can vary a lot since all toaster ovens have different intensity levels) or until the skins blister and start to turn black. If you don’t have a toaster oven it seems silly to heat a full-sized oven for just a few jalapeños, so try to roast them in advance next time you have the oven on. Then you can just stick them in a container for a few days until you’re ready to use them.