Beans & Rice - Tricked out and Amped Up

There were several recipes that I would like to make, amping them up in my own style of course. One of the dishes Ms. Krieger made was beans and rice which caught my attention. Who doesn't have beans and rice on hand? It's the perfect protein meal, and you can use just about any kind of bean and a healthy mix of the holy mire poix trinity to make it pretty and veggie packed. Plus its a great side dish, hot or cold. My recipe version was as a hot side dish. To serve it as a salad or cold dish, you have to "amp up the flavors" more and/or make a lime juice vinaigrette to increase the taste and keep the rice grains moist.
Ingredients:
1 Cup Uncooked Brown Rice - Cook according to package instructions.
3 Tablespoons - (Divided) Mexican or Taco Seasoning (salt & sugar free)
2 Tablespoons Olive or Canola Oil - divided
1 Small Onion - small dice (about 3/4 cup)
1 Medium Carrot - small dice (about 1/3 cup)
1 Medium Celery Stalk - small dice (about 1/3 cup)
3 Garlic Cloves - minced (about 1 1/2 tablespoons)
1 Small Bell Pepper (red or green or a combo) - small dice (about 1/2 cup)
2 Large Scallions/Green Onions- Whites only, small dice (about 2 tablespoons)
1 14-16 ounce can Black Beans - drained and rinsed
Zest and Juice of 1 Lime
Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper - to taste
Directions:
- Cooking the Brown Rice: Rinse the rice in a fine mesh strainer under cold running water until the water runs clear. This will flush away anything you don't want in the final dish, and helps the rice cook faster, since its started to absorb water. The ratio of rice to water is 2 1/4 cups of water for each cup of brown rice. Use a 3 or 4 quart sauce pot with a tight fitting lid. Put the rinsed rice into the pot, along with a pinch of salt (about 1/8 teaspoon), a tablespoon of Mexican or Taco Seasoning, and the water. Bring the water to a boil and then immediately reduce the heat to a the lowest setting; simmer, keeping the pot covered and cook the rice, undisturbed for 1/2 hour. Check after 20 minutes to see if the water is absorbed and that it isn't scorched. Remove pot from heat but keep covered and let the rice sit for another 10 to 30 minutes, depending on how quickly you plan to use the rice. Set aside until ready to use or cool completely for later usage.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a non-stick saute pan over medium high heat until the oil begins to shimmer.
- Add in the onions, carrots and celery and sweat the vegetables until the carrots are knife tender and the onions and celery are beginning to take on a bit of golden color - about 8-10 minutes. Reduce heat to low if necessary to keep the vegetables from burning.
- Add in the garlic and the bell pepper and saute until the peppers soften, another 3-5 minutes.
- Pour into the pan, the remaining tablespoon of oil and then add in the 2 tablespoons of Mexican/Taco seasoning, stirring to incorporate and toasting the seasonings.
- Put the drained and rinsed black beans into the pan and toss gently to combine and warm through.
- Add in the scallions and remove the pan from the heat.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked rice and the vegetable mixture, folding to incorporate.
- Season with the lime zest and juice. Taste and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper.
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