Vegan Leftover Rice Bowls:

This is pretty much just a combination of ingredients that I had leftover from making tacos and fajitas the other night, but it's delicious all the same. Feel free to experiment with leftover veggies, beans, or rice that you may have in the fridge as well.

I have intended to post more often, but I've been experiencing technical troubles.  Every time I want to upload pictures to Blogger, I have to restart my computer. It's been a pain, especially considering the fact that, as of late, there are generally 10 Word documents and 12 Firefox tabs open on my computer, all of which are usually things that I'm actually working on at the moment. Oh well. Life goes on. :)

Another reason is that I've been enjoying leftovers a lot more. They're so convenient. I threw this together for lunch, and I loved every bite. Hope you like it as well.

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked rice

1 green bell pepper, sliced

1  yellow bell pepper, sliced

1 red bell pepper, sliced

1 white or red onion, sliced

1 portobello mushroom cap, sliced

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup salsa  

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp. olive oil (divided + more if necessary)

2 tsp. lemon juice

1/2 tsp. smoked paprika

A few dashes of Kosher salt

A few dashes of cayenne pepper

Sriracha (optional, to taste)
A few slices of avocado

Serves 6.

Total Cook Time: About 25 minutes. 

Instructions:

1. While your cooked rice is still in the pot, add 1/2 tbsp. of the olive oil, a dash or two of salt, paprika, and cayenne pepper. Mix well. Stir in the 1/2 cup of salsa and cook on medium heat for 3 minutes, stirring to coat.

2. Next, add the remaining 1/2 tbsp. of the olive oil, to a large skillet. Stir in the peppers, onion, and garlic. Season with another dash of salt, paprika, cayenne, and lemon juice. Cook on medium-high heat until the veggies start to get tender, about 7 minutes.

3. Stir in the mushrooms and add any extra seasonings to taste. Continue cooking on medium-high heat until the veggies are cooked through and a little charred, about another 3 minutes.

4. Serve the rice in bowls topped with the cooked vegetables,chickpeas, and avocado. Drizzle the sriracha over top.

Enjoy :)

Garlic Bread Crostini with Arugula, Asparagus, and Bell Peppers:

Looking for a light yet tasty appetizer? This is perfect. It packs a nice garlic flavor, with hints of lemon, cayenne, basil, and arugula. The asparagus and bell peppers are lovely toppings, and they bring a lot of color to the dish.

Ingredients:

1 cup asparagus, shaved or cut in half
1/4 cup green bell pepper,sliced
1/4 red bell pepper, sliced
1 cup arugula
15 cloves garlic
2 tbsp. olive oil or vegan margarine
2 tsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. + dash of salt, divided
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Pinch of dried basil
Pinch of onion powder
6 slices of your choice of bread

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Wrap the garlic, a dash of salt, and 1 1/2 tablespoons of the olive oil/vegan margarine in aluminum foil.
2. Once the oven has preheated, place the wrapped garlic in the oven, and roast for 15 to 20 minutes. The garlic will be tender when it's ready.
3. While the garlic is roasting, add the asparagus, bell peppers, remaining olive oil/vegan margarine, lemon juice, salt, cayenne, basil, and onion powder to a large skillet. Toss to coat, and cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes.
4. Turn the heat up to medium-high and continue cooking for another 5 minutes or so (until the veggies are a little charred).
5. Once the garlic is ready, pull it out of the oven, and mash it in a small bowl.
6. Toast the bread. Once the bread is ready, spread the mashed garlic mixture over each piece, and top it with the arugula, and then the veggie mixture.