Mixed Rices with Beet Juice and Brussels Sprouts, Vegan 'Cream Cheese' and Pesto on Lemon Sourdough

I had beet juice leftover from the beet appetizer that I had made last week. I set some mixed brown and wild rice to cook with a vegan bouillon cube and also made a simple saute of about a dozen Brussels sprouts; half of a red onion, diced into approximately 1/2" x 1/4" pieces; and, when it was almost done, a small, finely diced shallot as well as a third of a jalapeno pepper cut into thin 1/2" slices. I mixed in a little salt and pepper.

When the rice was done, I mixed in the 1/2 cup or so of beet juice that I had, along with the vegetables and 2 teaspoons or so of purchased prepared horesradish. I served the colorful rice with two lightly toasted pieces of lemon sourdough bread. I put some chive vegan "cream cheese" (from Isle of Bute foods in Scotland) on (skipping on my wife's plate, as she doesn't tolerate fractionated soy very well) the toasts, then ran a line of pesto down the center.

The rice was good and striking! I loved the toast.

---

On Saturday, we went to the 12th annual NC Gay and Lesbian Film Festival to see an interesting film, Nina's Heavenly Delights, about an Indo-Scottish family who run an award-winning Indian restaurant. We decided after that to take it easy and eat out; we had an uninspiring dinner (salad, roasted vegetables with hummus (?!), potatoes and asparagus, vegan pesto, and a good lemon sorbet) at Tosca Ristorante nearby in downtown Durham.

Yesterday, we went to a nice jazz concert featuring Boney James, Joe Sample, Michael Franks, and several other groups. We left around 9p and again decided to eat out, getting to Tower South Indian retaurant just in time to eat before they closed; we shared some lemon rice, uttapam, and plantain bhaji.

So much eating out! And tomorrow it is likely South Indian food again after my photography class, the last of six in Cary, NC.