40 Day Vegan, Day 1 Recap



Rice and Beans
Photo by Bgrace

Here is a photo of yesterday's meal.  Rice and beans, Brazilian style, with green beans, vinagrete, rye bread and pineapple juice. 

To make rice:  Heat olive oil in pan (enough to coat)  stir fry rice until golden.  Pour boiling water over rice (Less than they say.  I usually do 5 cups water for 3 cups rice.) Add good amount of Kosher/sea salt to water and minced garlic (about a teaspoon).  Best rice you will ever have. 

Beans: sometimes I open a can, but if you want to do it right, soak beans overnight or for at least 6 hours.  Drain water and put in crockpot.  Add enough water to cover (by a couple inches and add more as needed.)  Throw in chopped garlic cloves (2-3) a few slices of bell pepper (red is best) a teaspoon of cumin if you have it, a bay leaf, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.  It will be fantastic in about 5 hours.  Serve over rice.  (Later, you can blend the leftovers up and use it in all sorts of things, like a tortilla or pita with veggies.)

Vinagrete: Chop up about twice as much tomato and pepper as onion.  (I like the purple color of red onions.)  (About 2 tomatoes, 2 peppers, and 1/2 an onion.)  Add 1/4 cup white vinegar and 2 Tablespoons olive oil. Let it sit at room temperature for at least 2 hours, 3 is better.  The O &V will react with the veggies and do amazing things.  Stir it up and make sure the juices are well distributed about every hour.  Right before serving (at room temp) add salt and pepper to taste.  Brazilians actually use this over steak.  It is AMAZING.  But over rice it is fantastic too.  (Even without beans.)  My kids even love it.

Green Beans:  I know this may seem silly, but seriously, I think green beans taste fantastic cut this way.  Simmer until bright green in highly salted water.  Don't overcook. 

Bread: This is rye, store bought.  No eggs or milk.  The butter is vegan--Earth Balance.  Really good.

Rest of Day 1 Vegan Food Journal Log:
I drank water but not enough.  Ate swedish fish at school (which isn't exactly cheating (not meat or dairy) but not exactly a vegetable either.)  When I got home Grace snuck downstairs for a late night snack with me.  I warmed up corn tortilla chips and pulled out a couple premade salsas and an eggplant humus (babaganoush) out of the fridge to dip them in...and had a glass of sangria, which I did not share.  :-)