Prep Time: 10 Minutes

Cook Time: 30 Minutes

This is a wonderful comfort food in the colder months of the year. I enjoy making this simple dish and adding different types of vegetables. This is a great dish family dinners or pot lucks. Invite your non-vegan friends over for dinner and serve this great Spanish style dish. Even if they aren’t vegan they can’t resist the wonderful taste of spices, rice, vegetables and avocados. Make a toss green salad and serve with hot tortillas or warm bread. It is sure to make a hit with everyone and they will be begging you for your recipe.

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon margarine or vegan butter

¼ Teaspoon dried oregano, crushed

1 Tablespoon virgin olive oil

¼ Teaspoon ground cumin

¼ Teaspoon ground turmeric

1 Large red or white onion, diced

4 Cloves of garlic, minced

1 Can 14 ½ ounces vegetable broth

1 Cup long grain white or brown rice, uncooked

¼ Teaspoon salt

Pepper to taste

1 to 2 Large green or red chilies, seeded and diced

12 Large mushrooms, sliced

2 Carrots, graded

1 Large white turnip, graded

4 Large tomatoes, seeds removed, peeled, and diced

1 Large Green bell pepper, diced

1 Large Yellow bell pepper, diced

1 Cup vegetables, chopped (your choice)

1 Large black beauty eggplant, skin removed, cubed

2 Large ripe avocados, seed and skin removed, sliced

5 Sprigs cilantro, chopped

Directions:

Add butter and olive oil to a 2-quart saucepan. Melt butter over medium head, mixing with the olive oil. Add onions, mushrooms and garlic, cook until onions are translucent. Add diced chilies, oregano, pepper, salt, cumin, turmeric, and rice to your saucepan. Stir continuously for 3 minutes until the rice is opaque. Add vegetable broth, bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 18 minutes. Add mixed vegetable of your choice, red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper and diced eggplant to the top of the rice, spread evenly, and don’t stir. Cover and cook another 7 minutes or until rice is tender. When rice is tender and all the liquid is absorbed, fluff with a fork. Mix in avocado slices, graded carrots, diced tomatoes and graded turnips. Turn off the stove and let stand 5 minutes, covered before serving. Serve with diced cilantro and a scoop of salsa on top of the rice.

Image: flickr.com