Vegetarian Feijoada

Er... that was the least blurry photo I got of this! I'll have to try to remember to take a better one next time... lol

Before I get further into this (and forget), I need to point out that you will want to make the hot pepper-lemon sauce in advance! It needs to sit in the fridge for at least 3 hours to let all the flavours meld together. In case you forget or don't plan ahead (or just don't read my commentary!), you can make it and let it sit at room temperature for 1 hour.

Feijoada (pronounced fay-zwah-dah) is a Brazilian dish. According to the Moosewood book that I got this from, it was created by Brazilian slaves and has become a traditional dish in Brazil. I bet they wouldn't have treated the slaves like crap if they'd have known they'd create this! ;) As usual, I'll spare you any more of my political commentary (as much as I want to comment! lol)

Black beans become feijoada when elements such as Brazilian rice (I'll post that next), greens, oranges, and hot pepper-lemon sauce (see below) are added to it. I read that it's actually not feijoada unless you include that pepper sauce (and it's amazing - I don't know why you wouldn't include it!) Feijoada usually includes smoked meats; those are obviously lacking from this version but feel free to add whatever you like to it. :)

This recipe is vegan and is packed with protein. It's also really low-fat (less than 5g total for the entire meal). I have some of the beans and pepper sauce left over so I'm thinking of adding it to some veggie broth and making a soup for lunch tomorrow! Yum...

2 servings

Ingredients:
1 recipe Brazilian hot pepper and lemon sauce (see below)
Brazilian rice (see next post)
2/3 cup chopped onion (superfood!)
1 garlic clove, minced (superfood!)
1/3 cup celery, finely chopped
1/2 cup bell pepper, chopped (any colour or combination of colours)
1/6 cup water
2/3 cup canned diced tomatoes, undrained (superfood!)
Small amount chopped fresh cilantro (plus additional for garnish)
Pinch of dried thyme (about 1/12 tsp.)
1/8 tsp. ground fennel
1/3 tsp. ground coriander (I know, who the heck has a 1/3 tsp. measuring thingy! Just guess!) :)
2 cups canned black beans, drained and rinsed (superfood!)
Sea salt to taste (believe me, you won't need it with the hot pepper-lemon sauce!)

Collard greens, kale, or spinach (about 2 cups, chopped)
1/3 cup water
1 tbsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 oranges

Method:
1. Place the onions, garlic, celery, bell pepper, and 1/6 cup water in a large saucepan or Dutch oven. Drain the juice from the tomatoes into the pan and squeeze the juice from each tomato into the pan (I just squished them with a spoon to get the juice out!) Set the tomatoes aside (do not add them to the pan yet!)
Place the pan on high heat and boil the vegetables (onion, garlic, celery, bell pepper), stirring often, for about 15 minutes or until the onions are translucent.

2. Lower the heat and stir in the cilantro, thyme, fennel, and coriander. Add the black beans and tomatoes. Cover and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes. Add salt to taste if desired.

3. Boil the greens and 1/3 cup water. Cover and simmer, stirring frequently as the greens wilt (10-15 minutes or until greens are tender).

4. When the black beans and Brazilian rice are ready, drain the greens and toss with the soy sauce. Serve the feijoada by placing the bean mixture on top of the rice with the greens on the side and the oranges adorning the rim of the plate. Sprinkle with additional cilantro if desired.

Brazilian Hot Pepper-Lemon Sauce
Again, you will want to make this 3 hours in advance so the flavours can all mix.

Ingredients:
1 jalapeno (or other hot pepper), seeded and chopped
1/2 cup red onion, chopped
1/2 garlic clove, minced
1/6 cup fresh lemon or lime juice
pinch of sea salt

Method:
Mix onions, hot pepper, salt, and garlic into the lemon juice. Cover and refrigerate 3 hours.

**The sauce can be made ahead and kept covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.**

Reference:
This is from the Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favourites Cookbook.