Beens!! 'n Greens!!

So I watched "The Wrestler" Monday night. Not a bad movie, if a tad predictably unpredictable, given it had Aronofsky's trademark, "no-ending ending." But there was the staplegun scene and Marisa Tomei's a fox. I give it 4 and-a-half stars out of 5.

Watching an Oscar-nominated film put me in the mood for Beens!! 'n Greens!!, my patent-pending, Academy-Award-Ceremony-accompanying dishes extraordinaire. I made it last year for the little Oscar party I threw for me, Roomie, and Kev. Both dishes are light enough to eat for all 4 hours of the telecast and they both go great with champagne, the latter being a must for any Hollywood-themed party. Of course, my Oscar party wasn't so much "Hollywood-themed" as it was "I made the boys wear ties and dress shirts over their pyjama pants and I threw on some costume jewelry over mine."

Since I make these recipes in tandem, I'll give you the complete recipes for each first, and then the prep for both intertwined. Both recipes are originally from the Veganomicon, a cookbook which, if you do not already own, you should ask Santa for this Christmas.



Dill-Basmati Rice with Chard and Garbanzo Beens!!


2 cups basmati rice
2 small onions, diced fine
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon garam masala **Note: If you, like my mom, have a spice rack with no garam masala, you can use a pinch each (1/16 - scant 1/8 teaspoon) of cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, and coriander seeds. End note**
1 bunch fresh dill, stems removed, chopped fine (about 3/4 cup)
1 pound chard (any color) rinsed, thick stems removed
1 can garbanzo beens!!, drained and rinsed
2 cups vegetable stock
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon lemon
2-3 turns of fresh ground pepper


Bulgur, Babygreens, & Cannellini Salad with Garlic-Paprika Dressing


for the salad:
1 cup bulgur
1 1/3 cup boiling water
2 cups thinly sliced mushrooms
1 can cannellini beens!!, drained and rinsed
1 small red onion, halved or quartered, sliced thin
3 handfulls of mixed baby greens (I use the pre-washed kind that come in a big plastic container)


for the dressing:
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon basalmic vinegar
1 heaping tablespoon cheater garlic
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
3/4 teaspoon salt
a few turns of fresh ground black pepper


Preparation
In a medium-sized bowl, rinse the rice with a few changes of water, then cover with water and let soak for at least 20 minutes.
Place the bulgur in a small pot with a tight-fitting lid. Measure out 1 1/3 cups of boiling water, pour over the bulgur, and cover. Let sit for 30 minutes.
While the grains are soaking/cooking, prepare the salad dressing. Whisk together all the dressing ingredients together in a very large bowl. I like the Tupperware Mega-Bowl. Add the mushrooms, beans, and onions. Stir to coat and let marinate while the bulgur continues to cook.
While the salad is marinating, chop & prep all the ingredients for the dill-rice dish. Steam the chard in a steamer or pot with about 2 inches of water. When the leaves are limp and bright green, transfer to a bowl and squeeze out as much water as you can. Roll into buches and chop well. Drain the rice.
When the bulgur is cooked, pour it and any water left in the pot into the bowl with the veggies & dressing. Stir to coat. Add the handfulls of greens!!, toss to coat, then cover the bowl with a lid or tightly with saran wrap. Put in the fridge (or out on the front porch if it's chilly December/end-of-February Oscar night) and let sit for an hour.
In at least a 4-qt. pot or dutch oven, heat the grapeseed oil over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds (and coriander seeds if you aren't using pre-made garam masala) and fry for 20-30 seconds. Add the onions and stir. Add the other spices (or garam masala) and saute until the onions are soft. Add the rice and stir well so that all the grains get a coating of the oil-spice mix. Add the dill, garbanzo beens!!, veggie stock, salt, lemon juice, and pepper. Increase the heat to bring the rice to a boil. Immediately reduce heat to low and cover tight. Cook for 25-30 minutes or until all the broth is absorbed, stirring often to keep the bottom from sticking/burning.


Serve the salad over a bed of spinach (if you, like me, like a lot of greens!! with your beens!!).
Serve the rice with a lemon wedge and a sprinkle of cayenne (if you want more heat).



And get your acceptance speech ready for when your dinner guests start singing your praises.