Two Day Magazine

Back to Basics...

If you love somebody, show it by cooking a delicious, heart healthy meal for you both to enjoy. Hearty, healthy food, that is also easy to make for you and your loved one is beans and rice.  Beans are naturally low in total fat, contain no saturated fat or cholesterol and provide important nutrients such as fiber, protein, folic acid, potassium,
calcium and iron. 

Fun Fact: Did you know that beans are in the top five of the most antioxidant (cancer-fighting) rich foods?

So, the next time you what to do something special for the special one in your life, start with beans.  The perfect partner to beans is, of course, rice which also has several nutritional components including being gluten free, an excellent source of carbohydrates, a good source of energy, natural sources of thiamine, niacin, iron, riboflavin, vitamin D, calcium and fiber and rice is low in sugar.  This combination of healthy, delicious food (that is also very wallet-friendly) makes beans and rice the perfect meal for you and your loved one’s health.

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ - cups of water

• ½ - cup of rice (there are many varieties to pick from, but brown rice has a nutty, sweet flavor and contains more nutritional value than white rice.)

• 2 - (15 oz cans of black beans or any beans of your choice...kidney beans make a great choice, too.)

• 2 - Chopped green onions

• 2oz – Sliced black olives

• Salt and Pepper to taste

This recipe can be made spicy by adding cumin, jalapeno or chili power to taste.  This is naturally a vegan dish but by adding chicken, sausage, skirt steak or shrimp, this dish becomes a delicious (albeit not-as-heart-healthy) meal for the carnivores, as well. Try it all different ways and see what suits you best! The beans will provide enough protein, so if you are feeling adventurous, try this dish meat-free.

Preparation instructions:

Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan and add the rice.  Stir and reduce the heat to a simmer and cover.  Let the rice cook until the water has evaporated.  This time will vary depending on the type of rice you are using, i.e. Uncle Ben’s, brown rice, bleached white rice, etc.  Place the un-drained beans in a casserole dish and add your desired spices (jalapeno, cumin, chili powder or all three.)   

Bake for 30-minutes in a pre-heated oven set at 350-degrees, occasionally check the beans to ensure that they are not drying out because all ovens cook at various temperatures.

Remove from the oven and add the green onions and black olives.  If you are adding meat, prepare your meat in a separate saucepan.  This is accomplished by sautéing the meat in a mixture of olive oil until the meat is fully cooked.  The meat should be cut into small thin pieces as this will greatly reduce cooking time.
 
Plating Instructions:

If you are adding meat, mix the meat into the rice and cover the rice with the baked beans and voilà! Dinner is served.
 
Pair with a nice Zinfandel or your favorite cordial and you have one tasty dish!

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Steve Bland is a Pittsburgh based chef whose delicious foods you can enjoy at Embury in the Strip District. Stop by and tell him twodaymag sent you!