PP: Beans and Rice Recipe

Chef: Jean Hayes 
Makes: 4-6 servings 
Prep Time: 10 minutes 
Cook Time: 20 minutes 
Total time: 30 minutes 

 

Ingredients

• Rice, 2 cups, variety of your choosing. My favorite is Jasmine brown rice. It is a whole grain rice, but only takes 20 min to cook and is light and fluffy. 
• Red, green, yellow, or green bell pepper, diced, pick your favorite or whatever is in your fridge! 
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped 
• Garlic, 2-3 large cloves, chopped, or more or less depending on your taste buds 
• 1 Jalapeno pepper, chopped, with seeds for extra heat, or without for a milder dish 
• 1-2 chopped tomatoes or a 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes 
• 2 cans of your favorite beans. We like black beans, but kidney and pinto beans are also delicious 
• Salsa, low sodium 
• Tabasco, Chipotle flavor or your favorite variety 
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin 
• 1 teaspoon chili powder 
• 1 tsp turmeric  
• 1-2 tablespoons of oregano 
• Optional: Southwest seasoning and/or crushed red pepper 
• Cilantro, chopped onions and tomatoes for the table if desired 
• Greens for serving 

Directions 

1. Get your rice cooking on the stove, or in your rice cooker or pressure cooker. I use 2 cups of jasmine brown rice on the stove to 3 cups of water and cook for 20 minutes.  
2. Heat a nonstick pan and add a tablespoon or two of water or veggie broth, add the onions, bell pepper and jalapeno and sauté until soft. 
3. Add the garlic and sauté 1-2 minutes. 
4. Add the spices and herbs and stir to incorporate. 
5. Add the tomatoes and heat through. You can also add ½ a cup of salsa here if you really love tomato flavor. 
6. Add the beans, cover and turn the heat down low and keep warm until your rice is finished.  
7. I get a big beautiful bowl from my cupboard, add the rice, top it with the beans and then mix them together.  
8. *Alternately, if you like to have everything in one pot, you can use my husband’s method and sauté all the veggies, add the rice to the pan, toast it and then add the tomatoes. He likes to use Rotel tomatoes with green chiles, and drain the liquid off and use it as part of the water for the rice, but these tend to be high in sodium so you can use no salt added diced tomatoes and a small can of green chiles instead. After he adds the water, he cooks the rice with the veggies and then adds the beans near the end.  

Tips 

1. Don’t be afraid to experiment with this dish. You really cannot mess it up! Adjust the spices to taste. I usually don’t measure. I just add them in and taste.  
2. Rice and beans is very versatile. You can serve it over greens, in a whole grain tortilla, or just enjoy a bowl or two! You can also use a romaine leaf for a crisp, delicious, low calorie density wrap!  
3. We love to make a huge pot so we have leftovers for busy days and lunches.  
4. We like to serve our rice and beans with Chef Del Sroufe’s tofu sour cream from Forks over Knives and Alton Brown’s guacamole which has a nice kick, but you can leave them out for a lower fat dish.  

Remember to have fun with your food and enjoy! 
Check out my blog at The Plant Based Nurse