VeganMoFo: Favorite Dinner part 2

Rice and Beans w. Zucchini and Tomatoes
V'Con Skillet Cornbread

Another favorite dinner so soon? You bet! I'm glad I did it so soon too because this was the best Rice and Beans dinner I've ever made and I've made many. I use to make kick ass Rice and Beans all the time. Then I noticed that they started lacking in flavor and I didn't know why. I though I was making them the same way I always make them but apparently I wasn't. Then one day not too long ago I taught my Mother-in-law how to make them and she now makes them all the time and they are good! Really good! I'm wondering how I can teach her to make them and she can make them better than mine have been even though we are making them the same way. So last week I decided to take my time making them. The flavor I was missing was all of a sudden back. I figured out my problem very easily. I was quick cooking them. I wasn't allowing for the flavors to develop enough. Understandably with a baby who is now 13 months, quick was what I was looking for but quick doesn't work for delicious Rice and Beans.

Now to last night. I made them again but even better with the addition of small diced zucchini and tomatoes. I cooked the onions and garlic in olive oil until soft and delicious then added a nice helping of cumin and let that cook as well. (It's very important to cook your dry spices. It helps get the rawness out of them and it also then flavors the oil you are cooking everything in then creating a flavored oil. Does that make sense? It does to me and that is what I was taught by some talented chefs that I've worked for.) Then goes in the cans of black beans, not drained, and some salt and is slowly simmered on medium-low heat. Towards the end I added small diced zucchini and tomatoes. I like my zucchini al dente that's why I add it to the end. Cook for a few more minutes, taste for salt and voila awesome Rice and Beans with yummy veggies that will trick any Rice and Bean loving 13 month old who is refusing to eat green veggies all of a sudden. I think you know who I'm talking about.

The beans were topped off with fresh sliced scallions and 1/2 and avocado for each of us on top. On the side was the Skillet Cornbread from V'con. Pretty good cornbread but I've had and made better.

So the moral of this story is to take your time cooking. Rushing things is not alway's good for you.

(That 13 months old was now eating unhidden sauteed zucchini tonight with her seitan! Such a good kid. Next Monday she will surely hate it again.)