I am a fair to middling cook/baker and have been known on occasion to experiment, depending on what is in my cupboard and fridge at the time. When I feel like cooking, I usually make three of four dishes at a time so that I can enjoy the convenience of having on hand what my daughter lovingly used to refer to as “leftunders”. This is especially true at holiday and special occasion time when I am putting together menus and dishes for family and friends.
Sometime after becoming vegan I noticed that my views about wasting food and ingredients had slowly started to change. I became much more aware of throwing unused food in the “bin”, as they say in Britain. Somehow, I now detested discarding leftover dishes of food, even if they were past their “best before” date. Other vegan friends of mine have reported feeling this way as well. I am guessing that it must have something to do with being more in touch with the destructive environmental impact of the farmed animal industry, and not wanting to contribute negatively to an already seriously damaged Mother Earth.
So, sometime before Christmas, I was making a dish with sweet potato as an ingredient, while an un-recipe related pot of rice was simmering away on the stove – just because I like to have rice on hand in the fridge. It makes a great snack and I will often have it for breakfast with a side of bean dip. Occasionally I will turn it into rice and raisin pudding which, by the way, also makes a very tasty breakfast.
Of course, I had some leftover grated sweet potato and not wanting to waste it, I threw it into the partially cooked rice. Lo and behold I ended up with a sweet, soft rice that tasted pretty darn good. We polished it off in good order and I decided to tweak it and try it out on my family on Xmas Eve. A plant based fondue was on the menu and I always include a side of rice. It was a hit. My daughter remarked that it was very tasty and my grandchildren ate theirs with relish (not literally, of course).
So there you have it: A simple family dish that is easy to prepare, has very few ingredients, is not too spicy for the little ones, keeps well in the fridge and is low fat and nutritious to boot.
Plus there is an added bonus for me, as I am pleased as punch with myself for having created it. LOL!
I hope you enjoy.
Vegan Annie’s Handy Kitchen Tips
Turn the rice into a main by adding some beans or plant based sausage.
Add herbs and/or spices as desired.
May all beings be happy and free.
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 4 servings (3/4 cup) | 10 minutes |
| Cook Time | Passive Time |
| 25 minutes | 10 minutes |
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Easy Peasy plant based cooking which will appeal to all ages. This dish is sweet, nutrient filled, low fat, colorful, tasty, comforting, re-heatable......
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- 1 cup onion peeled and diced
- 1/4 - 1/2 cup vegetable broth or water to stir fry the onion
- 1 cup grated sweet potato
- 1 cup brown rice rinsed
- 1.5 cups vegetable broth or water to add with the rice.
- 1 tbsp coconut oil optional
- to taste salt and pepper
- Peel and dice one medium sized onion, enough to make one cup.
- In a medium size saucepan, place 1/4 cup or so of vegetable broth (or water) and add diced onion.
- Cook over medium heat for about ten minutes, stirring often until the onions are translucent.
- Add veggie broth or water as needed to prevent onions from sticking.
- Grate 1/2 medium sweet potato until you have filled a one cup measure.
- Do not pack down.
- Add sweet potato to cooked onion and stir lightly to combine.
- Place rice in a fine mesh sieve and rinse under running water for one minute or so.
- Add rice to onion and sweet potato mixture and stir to combine.
- Add 1.5 cups of veggie broth or water to rice mixture and bring to a boil.
- Cover, turn heat down to low and simmer rice until all the liquid is absorbed.
- Remove from heat and let sit covered for ten minutes.
- Fluff gently with a fork and add coconut oil is desired.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
Delicious as a side paired with a veggie loaf or some bean dip and a vegetable (raw or cooked).
Turn the rice into a main by adding some beans or plant based sausage.
Add herbs and/or spices as desired.
I like to make extra for left-unders too. This recipe sounds great, I’ll give it a try…thanks. Interesting you mentioned that you are more aware of using all your food and not tossing it out…I feel that way too and surely has something to do with being more aware of not wasting the bounty of our Mother Earth…respect. With Veganism comes many other unexpected insights. My mother always said “waste not, want not”….so true. Mothers always have it right. Cheers.
Hi Murray,
So nice to connect on my website with a valued Facebook Friend. Thanks for visiting my website and for commenting.
Gotta love “leftunders”. Many of these leftover dishes, particularly those made with tomato , are just that much better the next day.
I am amazed and grateful for the changes in my own personal perspectives since becoming vegan. I am more patient, tolerant, circumspect in my language and peaceful, despite knowing what I now know.
Will Tuttle gives a great analogy in his book, The World Peace Diet. Enlightenment is possible in life but not guaranteed. He talks about a boat, a rope and two shores. We are in a boat tethered by a rope to said shore. We are wishing to ride to the other shore. We start out and everything is smooth sailing until the we reach the end of the tether. We create a lot of waves, noise, smoke but cannot get to the other side. So we are the boat, the closet shore is where we our present perspective, the far shore is enlightenment, the rope is consuming other species and the waves etc are the resulting ills in the world-poverty, water, discrimination, war etc. Until we remove the tether, we continue to set in motion and participate in the ugliness that has become an inherent part of living on this earth. When we remove the rope, the possibility of enlightenment is there and may unfold as we continue to strive to live without intentionally harming all life on this earth.
Take care,
Anne