RICE AND BEANS! RICE AND BEANS! RICE AND BEANS!
This is my new chant. I’ve recently learned how much I**LOVE**RICE**AND**BEANS!!! There are important nutritional details about how the combination of rice and beans provide “whole proteins”…which I don’t really understand…so I’ll just plant a flag that says they are healthy, ridiculously inexpensive, and yum-a-rama!
My conversions began months ago when dearest Kris invited our family to her home for dinner and served us a delightful meal of rice and beans. Ever since then we’ve been faithful followers and continue to enjoy this vegetarian delight on a regular basis.
All you need to do is cook some rice and beans from your long-term storage. I like to prepare both of these in large quantities so that I have them ready and waiting in the refrigerator or freezer.
I’m all about mass-production in order to save time. You could use white rice, or brown rice, or either rice mixed with wheat berries. We prefer black beans but pinto beans would also be great.
From a three-month supply I use a can of sliced black olives and bottled salsa, in a pinch.
The fresh ingredients are just the basic toppings you would normally use for a taco salad. We like grated cheese, diced green peppers, sour cream, fresh avocado, and
Kris’s Famous Pico De Gallo:
8-10 Roma tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup yellow onion, diced
1/2 cup green onion, sliced
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
2 limes, juiced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon vinegar
1 tablespoon salt
Mix all the ingredients and chill for an hour or two. Good luck with that.
After the fresh salsa has been made, we spoon a bed of hot rice onto each plate, add a scoop of warm black beans, and then all the other toppings as desired. This is a wonderful, healthy, lite and easy meal that everyone enjoys! No one on our team has missed the meat. Of course you could add a little grilled chicken or beef but you really don’t need to. The rice and beans combined with all the other flavors are completely satisfying and filling without being too heavy. Promise me you’ll try this!
Tags: fresh food storage meal, rice and beans, vegetarian for everyone
April 15th, 2009 at 4:43 pm
Remind me to send you my curried kidney bean and rice recipe sometime.
If a meal has beans AND rice in it, which page of your binder does it go on??
April 15th, 2009 at 7:21 pm
This is a very good question. What to do? What to do? I was thinking to post this one under rice, because. Very scientific, I know. I’m just planning to file some as one and some more as the other. Love to see your recipe, Elizabeth!
April 15th, 2009 at 9:31 pm
Thanks Liesa, I’m so glad that you love this yummy recipe!! (I know Lizzie sure does). It’s my favorite and I make it every chance I get. One thing that I really like on it is some squeezed lime!! Just one little sliver will do but it adds another wonderful flavor that you wouldn’t expect to use. I hope that other readers will give it a try and let you know what they think about it!! And as for the pico do gallo, I like to use the “tosito scoops” for the left over, that way you can really scoop it in your mouth!! (my oldest daughter use to suck it up with a straw and my youngest son fills the ’scoop’ with just the liquid) Strange.
April 16th, 2009 at 10:13 am
No kidding, Kris. I’m finding myself serving this almost once a week and I love how easy it is to throw together the leftovers for a quick lunch. My friend, Stephanie, had some at my house and then taught her vegetarian daughter how easy it is to prepare.
All thanks to you, Kris!
April 16th, 2009 at 8:15 pm
This looks wonderful!!
Is there anything special you do to flavor the rice or beans when you’re cooking them?
Or do you just do a generic soak/simmer in water?
April 16th, 2009 at 9:08 pm
I LOVE Pico De Gallo! This is the best salsa EVER! (And I am not just saying that because it’s my Moms) It’s so light and refreshing, and just delicious! AND rice and beans are like my favorite snack
An odd snack, but it’s healthy so you can’t complain!
April 16th, 2009 at 10:12 pm
Hey Michelle! Kris doesn’t do anything to flavor the rice or beans and her version tastes great. Mostly out of some sort of weird insecurity, I saute a little onion in olive oil and add it to the brown rice with chicken bouillon cubes in the water. I also add some minced garlic and salt to the black beans as they cook. Try it both ways and see which you like better.
April 16th, 2009 at 10:15 pm
Chelsea girl! I couldn’t agree more. Just like you said, this meal is light and refreshing, and just delicious. Today, I was warming some up for Lizzie’s lunch and asked her if she wanted any tortilla chips on the side. SHE SAID NO! I think that’s huuuge! A “taco salad” that tastes so good it doesn’t even need chips. Go figure.
April 17th, 2009 at 1:58 pm
I love making rice and beans, but haven’t served it with the taco salad toppings. That looks delicious! I’ll be sure to do it that way next time we do rice and beans.
April 17th, 2009 at 9:29 pm
This sound delicious and I will try it for sure.
One thing I am LOVING about your book–you give comments after every recipe, where it came from, why you like it. I always read those first and then read the recipe. I am enjoying the book very much.
April 20th, 2009 at 9:40 am
Thank you Lynne! The recipe section of the book was by far the most difficult for me to write. I’m thrilled that it’s working for YOU!