Broccoli and Rice Casserole

The next dish I made for Christmas Eve was a Broccoli and Rice Casserole.

This recipe was adapted from FatFree Vegan Kitchen:

Ingredients:

For the sauce:

• 1 1/4 cup almond milk
• 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
• 4 tsp cornstarch
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp dry mustard
• 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
• pinch of cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
• black pepper, to taste
• 1/2 tbsp sherry
• 1 tbsp tahini or cashew butter (optional)

• 3 cups cooked brown rice
• 5 cups broccoli
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 cup celery, chopped
• 1 15oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained*
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 2 tbsp slivered almonds

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375F.  Lightly spray a medium casserole dish (about 2 1/2 quart size).
2. Place the sauce ingredients into a blender and process until smooth.  Set aside.
3. Place the broccoli in a steamer basket set over warm water and steam, covered.  Cook for about 3 to 4 minutes or until just barely tender, then remove from heat.
4. In a large, deep saute pan, add the onion, bell pepper, and celery and cook for about 4-5 minutes, stirring constantly.
5. Stir in the chickpeas, thyme, rice, and steamed broccoli.
6. Give the sauce a quick stir to make sure it is well-blended, then add it to the skillet.
7. Stir gently and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes.
8. Check seasonings and adjust to taste.  Smooth into the prepared casserole dish and sprinkle with almonds.
9. Bake about 20 minutes, until the top begins to brown.

*You can sub chickpeas for baked and cubed tofu or tempeh.

For this dish, I used the chickpeas and left out the tahini.  I am curious at using tofu and tempeh as the protein source and will probably try those variations out in the future.

Everybody really enjoyed this dish.  I forgot to add the almonds, which is why my almonds are so white in the picture above.  They were still good, but I think they would have been even better if I remembered to add them in before I started baking this dish.  Oh well, next time!



Christmas Eve 2012 Dishes:
Rosemary Citrus Maple Tofu
Broccoli and Rice Casserole
Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes with Sage Gravy
Sweet Potato Casserole
Apple Crisp



This recipe makes 12 side-dish sized servings.
Based on using chickpeas and no tahini or cashew butter, 1 serving yields approximately 173 calories and 10g protein.