Meatless Monday: Black Beans and Rice with Fire Roasted Vegetables

Beans and Rice pretty boring, right?  Yup, that's what I thought before I tried Black Beans and Rice with Fire Roasted Vegetables from The Roasted Vegetable.  It's the roasted veggies that really make this dish.  Sweet, tender with a bit of a zip thanks to the chipotles in adobe sauce.  It's well known amongst my friends that I do not have much tolerance when it comes to chilies.  This meal had enough spice to keep my tongue tingling, and still add a little heat and zip for Paul and Kevin.

Make sure you allow yourself enough time to prepare this dish -- it took close to two hours to prepare.  If you're pressed for time the book says you can substitute of a 19 ounce can of black beans for the dried ones, rinse well and drain, and season with ground cumin.

Black Beans and Rice with Fire-Roasted Vegetables
The Roasted Vegetable
Yield:  Serves 4

Beans
1 cup dried black beans, rinsed, picked over, and soaked overnight in water to cover
4 cups water
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt

Vegetables
1 medium size red bell pepper, cut into matchsticks
1 medium size green bell pepper, cut into matchsticks
1 small to medium size zucchini, cut into matchsticks
1 medium size onion, halved and slivered
1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 to 2 tsp minced chipotles in adobo sauce
1 tsp ground cumin
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup homemade or store-bought salsa, or more to taste
Hot cooked white or brown rice (I used brown cooked in vegetable stock)
Sour cream

     Drain the beans.  In a medium size saucepan, combine the beans, water, cumin, and salt.  Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, until the beans are tender, about 1 hour.
     While the beans cook, preheat the oven to 425.  Lightly oil a large shallow roasting pan or half sheet pan.
     To make the vegetables, in a large bowl combine the bell peppers, zucchini, onion, and corn.  In a small bowl combine the oil, chipotles, and cumin.  Pour over the vegetables and toss to coat.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Arrange in a single layer in the pan.
     Roast for about 35 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and lightly browned, stirring or shaking the pan occasionally for even cooking.
     When the beans are tender, drain off the excess water.  Combine the beans and the salsa.  taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more salt, pepper, or salsa as needed.
     To serve, transfer the hot rice to a large serving platter or individual plates.  Spoon the beans over the rice.  Top with the roasted vegetables.  Pass the sour cream at the table.

Ziti with Roasted Onions

I'm very impressed with The Roasted Vegetable.  Two nights, two recipes, two keepers!  Unfortunately I used all of my onions so tomorrow I'll have to go shopping!

This was not a saucy pasta dish.  The pasta was nicely coated from the oil and butter used to roast the onions.  I had saved some of the pasta water in case the dish became too dry, but I didn't have to use any of it.  The cheese added a nice salty, creamy element, and the roasted onions were so tender and sweet -- yummy.  I would make only one change to this recipe:  the fresh rosemary is a little overpowering if it's not cooked (in my opinion) so I think I'll add the rosemary with the white wine and let it cook for a bit.

For the white wine I used Pinot Grigio.  I'm not a white wine drinker so I like to buy those little bottles of wine that come four to a package.  I like the Pinot Grigio from Bella Sera (Cavit Collection) that's imported from Italy.

This morning I found the container that held the leftovers from last night's dinner (my son is a late night snacker).  I have a feeling that tomorrow I'll find the container holding the leftovers from tonight's dinner empty too.


Ziti with Roasted Onions
The Roasted Vegetable
Yield:  Serves 4 to 6

6 cups thinly sliced onions (1 1/2 pounds)
2 tbsp butter, melted
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound ziti, penne, or other tubular pasta
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 425.  Lightly oil a large shallow roasting or half sheet pan.

In a large bowl, combine the onions, butter, and oil.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Toss to mix well. Arrange in a shallow layer in the pan.

Roast for about 30 minutes, until the onions are golden and meltingly tender, stirring occasionally for even cooking.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in plenty of boiling salted water until al dente.  Drain well.

When the onions are tender, stir in the wine and return to the oven for another 5 minutes, until the wine is mostly evaporated.

Transfer the pasta to a large serving bowl.  Add the onions, parsley, rosemary, and cheese and toss well. Taste and adjust the seasonings, being especially generous with the pepper.  Serve hot.

Baked Orzo with Roasted Fennel and Red Peppers

What is not to love about this dish?  Pasta, roasted vegetables, cheese, and olives -- sounds like a delicious combination to me!  Baked Orzo with Roasted Fennel and Red Peppers from The Roasted Vegetable is a really easy dinner to prepare.  It took a little over 30 minutes to prep the veggies, roast them, and cook the pasta, and then another 30 minutes in the oven to finish the dish.

I love orzo, but I have to confess that I find it difficult to cook.  It's so easy to overcook (well at least for me it is).  Luckily for me I timed it just right tonight!  When I tossed all the ingredients together the smell was just amazing!  I was tempted to eat it right then, but I'm glad I waited.  

This dish was delicious and rich.  The feta was salty and creamy, and the olives and capers added a nice bite to the pasta.  I've never had roasted fennel, and it was so tasty -- sweet with just a touch of licorice flavor!  I can't wait to make this dish again, but as good as it was I can't help but think of ways to modify it.  Maybe add roasted artichokes?  Or chicken?  How about I skip the baking part, add some lemon juice, and serve as a pasta salad -- yum!

Baked Orzo with Roasted Fennel and Red Peppers

The Roasted Vegetable

Yield:  4 to 6 servings

1 medium size fennel bulb, cut into matchsticks, stalks discarded, and feather leaves chopped

1 medium size red bell pepper, cut into matchsticks

1 shallot, thinly sliced

1 garlic clove, minced

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 pound orzo

2 medium size ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped

4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (about 1 cup)

1/4 cup chopped brine-cured black olives, such as Kalamata

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves

1 tbsp capers, drained

Preheat the oven to 425

     Combine the fennel bulb, bell pepper, shallot, and garlic in a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.  Add 2 tbsp of the oil and toss to coat.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Arrange in a shallow layer.

     Roast for 15 to 20 minutes, until the vegetables are lightly browned and tender, stirring once or twice for even cooking.  Remove from the oven and reduce the temperature to 350.

     Meanwhile, cook the orzo in boiling salted water until al dente.  Drain well.

     Add the orzo and remaining 1 tbsp oil to the baking dish and toss to coat.  Add the tomatoes, cheese, olives, parsley, capers, and 1 tbsp of the chopped fennel leaves.  Toss together.  Taste and adjust the seasonings.  Cover tightly with aluminum foil.

     Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until cheese is melted.  Serve hot.

Now I know I said I was only going to cook three to four days out of the week from cookbooks, but I couldn't help but notice the recipe on the facing page:  Ziti with Roasted Onions.  Okay, I have to try that, so tomorrow we're having pasta again!

Tomorrow Night:  Ziti with Roasted Onions