1 cup brown basmati rice
2 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon olive oil
salt and pepper

1. Melt butter in pot and add rice.
2. Add vegetable broth to pot and cook covered until rice is tender and liquid is evaporated.
3. Heat oil in skillet and fry celery and onions until translucent.
4. Combine ingredients, season with salt and pepper and garnish with almonds.

Makes 4 servings

19 ounce canned pinto beans
1 small onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 ounce cheddar cheese
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
salt

1. Saute onions and garlic in oil. Remove from heat.
2. Puree pinto beans, sautéed onions and garlic and seasoning in food processor.
3. Let cool and top with grated cheddar cheese. Serve with tortilla chips.

Makes 4 servings

1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon olive oil
28 ounces crushed tomatoes
19 ounces mixed beans
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 cardamom pods
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

1. Add oil, onions and garlic to soup pot.
2. When onions and garlic are softened stir in spices.
3. Pour in canned tomatoes, mix, then add canned beans.
4. Simmer mixture for at least an hour.
5. Garnish with fresh parsley before serving, if available.

Makes 6 servings

The first Saturday of every month is Shannon's girls' night. They do some sort of themed get together (tonight is Mexican night) and prepare a dish involving that theme. Then they eat, drink and catch up on gossip. At least, that's what I assume, because the boyfriend is not involved in girls' night and I can only go by hearsay. I volunteered to prepare Shannon's contribution and she volunteered me to make Bean Dip. If you're wondering why the bean dip recipe is completely out of place that is why. The girls enjoyed it.

Since I was dining alone tonight I figured that I would make something that Shannon dislikes or is allergic to. I'm putting almonds in my Rice Pilaf! I feel like such a deviant. Incidentally, I think this was my second day of being a vegan. I'm already getting paranoid of tapping my repertoire for meat dishes before the year is over.

If you haven't tried brown basmati rice before, I recommend it. It does take longer to cook, but it is much more nutritious than white rice and has a delicious nutty flavor to it. Not surprising, a rice pilaf composed of it and nuts goes together quite nicely. It's not hard to polish off more than one serving of this if you so chose. The Spiced Bean Stew is texturally like a chili, but is only a can of coconut milk away from tasting like an authentic Indian side dish.