This easy vegan recipe contains 4 main parts -rice, aubergines , tomato sauce and gherkin tapanade. It might look like a bit of work , but its incredibly easy and it will feed 2 people for 2 days without a fail .It’s a real comfort winter food . It can be also eaten cold as it tastes just as good.
One of the best ways to start cooking vegan food is to pick ingredients, that you truly loved prior to going vegan. I already have a collection of my easy vegan recipes and I am continuously adding and cooking new and inspiring dishes. My focus is to give an easy vegan recipes , that are tasty , healthy and exciting.
For today’s recipe I have chosen one of my most favorite carbohydrates, if not the most favorite and that is rice. If you really want to take full advantage of the health benefits of the rice you are better of going for the brown or wild rice, but in this occasion I am using my favourite white basmati rice. This rice is aromatic and with a very nice texture , when cooked.
To cook basmati rice simply put some water to boil in a large pot. Then add the rice and reduce to medium heat. Remove when the rice has bit of bite and rinse with clean cold water. Then season with some sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Put back into the pot in very low heat and mix well . In needed add a few spoonfuls of water and let the steam of it heat the rice. 
Basmati rice is a great source of energy as it practically has no fat at all-200 grams of cooked basmati rice contains around 205 calories which means that it is very efficient in boosting the energy levels. The same serving contains 44.5 grams of carbohydrates, 1.9 milligrams of iron, 0.44 grams of fat and approximately 4.2 grams of proteins.
It also does not contain any cholesterol or gluten.Rice contains all the amino acids essential for building and maintaining muscle tissue, and make up antibodies, enzymes, and hormones. These amino acids also help maintain healthy skin, hair, eyesight, and nousish the heart, lungs, tendons and ligaments, brain, nervous system and glands.
The star of this recipe are the fried aubergines. I know that frying them might not be the healthiest way to eat them, but in my opinion is the tastiest.There is a bit of preparation to get the most out of your aubergines.
1. Wash the aubergine in cut it into medium size circles
2.Then sprinkle sea salt on the both sides and let it rest for about 2 hours , until you see the brown sweat clearly
3.Your next step is to gently dry it and fry it in medium heat until golden brown.
By doing that you have removed the bitter flavour, that aubergines have naturally. Its a good tip to remember, that even if you done all that aubergines will absorb a lot of oil as they are like a sponge . Its a good idea to let them rest onto a kitchen towel if you are watching your fat intake. I love to indulge sometimes , but your best bet is to do what you want.
So now we’ve cooked the rice and fried the aubergines. Your next step is to make the spicy tomato salsa/sauce.
For the sauce you will need.
2 medium onions (finely chopped)
4 cloves of garlic (very finely chopped)
7 mushrooms (thinly sliced )
1 green pepper (thinly sliced)
1 tin of chopped tomatoes or passsata (whatever you prefer or have)
basil
cayenne pepper
salt and pepper
a little bit of olive oil
You start by heating up some oil and then cooking the onions and the garlic in it until soft and golden. Your next step is to add the mushrooms and the pepper and then season with salt and pepper. Add the basil and let it simmer until all the vegetables are cooked and soft. Then sprinkle the cayenne pepper.Cayenne pepper has an amazing nutrition properties .
CAYENNE PEPPER has been used in treatment for health conditions such as:-Angina – heart pains, Arthritis, Asthma, Atherosclerosis, Bleeding gums, Blood clots, Bowel diseases, bruises, cancer, colds, flu, heart failure, diabetes, diabetic neuropathy, duodenal ulcers, elevated cholesterol, elevated triglycerides, fatigue, food poisoning, free radical activity, frost bite, frozen limbs, headaches, head congestion, heart arrhythmia, heart attack, heart disease, heatstroke, hemorrhaging, herpes zoster, hypertension, impotence, indigestion, influenza, itching, lumbago, motion sickness, mouth sores, multiple sclerosis, nerve inflammation, neuralgia, night blindness, obesity, pain, peptic ulcer, poor appetite, psoriasis, respiration disorders, shingles, stomach ulcers, toothache. Etc.It is the king of all spices and every kitchen should have some.
Cayenne is an and extremely potent spice , so if you haven’t had it before use less than a half f a tea spoon to get yourself familiar with the spice. I use I tea spoon and it gives the tomato sauce a real kick.After you simmer the mix for about 2 minutes its time to add the tomatoes and then leave in a low heat to simmer for another 10 minutes or so.
While you sauce is simmering on a very low heat is a good time to make your gherkin and garlic tapenade. The power of freshly pressed garlic is inevitable so be prepared and don’t make any dates with Vampires 😉
All you need is 4 medium size gherkins, 4 cloves of garlic and some dill. Put everything into the food proccesor and bled for about 1 minute. You should end up with a mix looking like that.
So now you have everything ready and all you have to do is present it. When it comes to presentation the sky is the limit . Use your imagination and place it on the plate in your own unique way.
The most important part is to make sure , that all the flavours compliment each other and go really well together. The sweet and rich taste of the fried aubergine melts in your mouth with the zingy and aromatic gherkins tapenade and rich tomatoes.
If you would like to make money like me :-), blogging about your passion Click the Button or Link below.
Join NOW! 
If you liked this post please comment and share it with your friends , using the share buttons bellow.
Sending Blessings and Love
