Vegan Rice & Bean Tabouli

3/4c *small red or black beans

1 lemon - zest and juice

1/3c rosemary extra virgin olive oil

2t Rosemary Seasoning recipe

1-1/2c chopped celery and center tops

1 med.-lg. onion - sliced or chopped

1 lg. carrot - scrub and chop fine

2 mini English cucumbers - julienned

1c cooked brown rice

6 1-1/2" diameter tomatoes - 1/4's or 1/8's

Many, many years ago, I discovered Molly Katzen's "Moosewood Cookbook" *  To this day, it remains a treasured, go-to resource, when a new recipe is nudging my mind, for a little direction or inspiration.  I've probably concocted 100 variations of her Tabouli recipe, over the years, since the '70's!  Although each has been unique, I've loved most all of them.  This one turned out exceptionally well.  It's healthy, fresh and flavorful.  Also excellent for a vegan diet, since the combination of beans and rice create a complete protein.

Put the beans in a heavy-bottom 2qt. pot.  Sort through them, removing any bad ones or little stones.  Cover with a couple inches of cold water, bring this to a solid simmer, and cook for 20-30 minutes.  Drain. (Save the liquid to mix with your dog's food, or for a future soup)  Rinse in cold water.  Do this process again, stirring in about 1/2t of baking soda this time.  This helps to neutralize the gas-producing qualities in the beans, making them more digestible.  Simmer an additional 15 minutes or so, until the beans are tender and done, but not mushy.  If the beans are still hard, repeat the process once more, with plain cold water.  *If this is all too labor-intensive, you can just use canned beans that you drain and rinse 😊

In a medium-large glass bowl, combine the 3 dressing ingredients, whisking together, making sure the seasonings dissolve well.  Add the prepared vegetables, toss, then continue with the rice preparation, according to package directions.  I added a little of the Rosemary Seasoning and flavored olive oil at the beginning, to infuse more flavor into the rice while cooking.

When the beans are cooked and drained, let them and the rice cool for 10 minutes, then toss with the rest of the vegetables, adding tomatoes now.  Let stand an additional 10 minutes to blend the flavors, tossing gently a couple times before serving.  Sprinkle with feta cheese crumbles if you'd like. . .Lin