Rainbow Food

From left to right: fresh tomatoes, black beans, sweet potatoes, avocado/cucumber/radish salad, and red cabbage with a coconut-lime sauce.


I saw a picture of this meal in a Better Homes and Gardens magazine at my mom's house. The photo was titled "Rainbow on a Plate" or something similar and, of course, was much more beautiful than the photo above. At any rate, it made me want to put together a simple plate of fresh, organic veggies. There was a recipe in the magazine, which I didn't bother to read, but rather just used the picture as a springboard.

The weather has been very hot lately, so not wanting to cook in the heat of the day, I soaked my beans overnight and cooked them first thing in the morning. I cooked the beans until they began to tender, then added some sliced garlic, olive oil, cumin, chili powder, salt/pepper, and a splash of cider vinegar, and let them simmer for ~ 30 minutes. I reheated them in the evening, but they would have been tasty cold or at room temp too.

I would normally roast the potatoes in the oven, but in this heat, I decided to throw them on the barbie instead. I used about two pounds of potatoes and glazed them with a mixture of 1/4 cup agave nectar, 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, and a splash of Bragg's Liquid Aminos.


The sauce is plain coconut milk yogurt with a couple tablespoons of fresh lime juice, a dash or two of coriander, and salt/pepper to taste.

It was a perfect summer meal--light, but satisfying. We usually eat dinner after dusk fall, and as a result, my dinner pics are the worst of a bad lot: eerie pictures of food coming out of the darkness.