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This is based on a recipe I found online a while ago. I tried to search for it again but wasn’t able to find it so I can’t credit the source of the original.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 small onion, coarsely chopped
• ½ cup coarsely chopped celery
• 1 green bell pepper, coarsely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 16-oz can diced tomatoes
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp (gumbo) filé powder
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tsp Tabasco
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ cup water
• 1 ½ cups cooked or canned pinto beans, rinsed if canned
• 4 oz tempeh or shrimp in small pieces
• 8 oz vegetarian / andouille sausage links, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 3 cups cooked brown rice

Directions

Start with the brown rice since it takes up to 40-45 minutes.

In a large pot, heat 1 ½ teaspoons of the oil over medium heat until hot. Add onion, celery, and bell pepper and sauté for 5 minutes, or until the vegetables begin to soften. Add garlic, tomatoes, tomato paste, file powder, parsley, Tabasco sauce, salt, and water. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft. Stir in the pinto beans.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 ½ teaspoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add tempeh or shrimp and sausage and cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Then add it to tomato mixture and simmer about 5 minutes. Adjust seasonings and serve over hot cooked rice.

This is a really great salad. I took it for lunch three days in a row and it was as good on the third day as on the first. Overall, a great and healthy lunch salad.

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups water
• 1 cup long-grain rice
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup French green lentils
• ¼ cup finely chopped green onions
• 3 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 orange
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries
• 1/8 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions

Make the rice. Bring water, rice, and salt to a boil in a heavy saucepan. Boil uncovered until steam holes appear and surface looks dry - about 8 minutes. Reduce heat to low and cook, covered, for another 15 minutes.

Cook the lentils. While the rice cooks, simmer lentils in water to cover by 2 inches 18 to 20 minutes, or until just tender; drain.

Begin the dressing. Stir together the green onions, vinegar, and lemon juice and let stand. Remove the peel and pith of the orange (this is easiest with a knife). Cut sections free from membranes and cut sections in half. Squeeze any extra orange juice into the dressing.

Finish it off. Toss warm rice with lentils, dressing mixture, oranges, cranberries, oil, and parsley and season with salt and pepper.

Notes

This keeps well in the fridge for 4 days. On the third and fourth days, if the salad seems a little dry, add a few drops of lemon juice.

Servings: 4