As I sat down to dinner with my parents the other day, I looked down at my plate of rice and beans, tostones and a pork chop and thought, "hmm, this would make a delicious vegan meal... without the pork chop, of course".
Now traditionally, Puerto Rican beans are decidedly not vegan, as they are made with lard. However, just substitute the lard for some veggie oil and you're good to go. Not to mention it's way healthier for ya. I deviated from the norm even further by adding extra veggies, like carrots, spinach, or even peas, if you feel like it. Like all my recipes, feel free to make it your own. Let me know what you did different!
About the rice. Any rice you prefer will do. My favorite is Jasmine rice. Again, not the traditional Puerto Rican choice, but its aromatic long grains just make me so happy... Either way, rice is very easy to make, just follow the directions on the package. And the beans:
