Black Bean and Rice:
Budget Friendly and Veggie Loaded
Foodie Lit
Delicious, great for the budget, and so healthy! The base recipe is the classic Black Beans and Rice, loaded up with veggies. Have half a carrot or zucchini? Chop it up and throw it in! A corn on the cob! Add that too. This expandable recipe uses up those vegetables in the refrigerator and keeps its delicious taste.
The secret ingredient here is the red wine vinegar. Adds a special flavor that makes this black beans and rice the best I’ve ever made! This is a vegan recipe to which you can add ground meat. Recipe is below.
Gila Green. in No Entry, takes her main character Yael Amar on a path to find courage to speak out and stand up for her beliefs and for truth, not an easy task in a world of power and corruption. Yael gets an education on the Kruger National Park Reserve, and it’s more than about nature. It’s about elephant poaching, greed, intimidation and pain.
Gila writes that Yael feels bitter betrayal “when she discovers her idol, Clara Smith, the prestigious and well-respected program director, profits from blood ivory, while preaching about the sanctity of wildlife. Yael is forced to decide on a new mission: expose this poaching ring to the police or run before she becomes their next victim."
Black Beans and Rice:
Budget Friendly and Veggie Loaded
Serves 6
1 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
8-10 cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tablespoons tomato or spaghetti sauce
1/2 cup broth
3-4 fresh basil leaves, chopped or 1 teaspoon dried basil
3 sprigs oregano or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 cup white wine
1-14 ounce can black beans
2 teaspoon red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
Salt and Pepper to taste.
1 cup brown rice or favorite rice, cooked according to package instructions
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Sauté onions in a large skillet over medium heat until transparent. Add garlic and cherry tomatoes. Stir for a few minutes. If you are adding other vegetables, add here.
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Add tomato or spaghetti sauce, broth, herbs and white wine. Bring mixture to a boil and then turn down to simmer for 4-5 minutes, stirring to keep from sticking to pan.
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Add bean and stir to combine. Add red wine vinegar and sugar. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, and adding more broth or water if needed.
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Taste and adjust seasoning.
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Serve with brown rice.
Expandthetable suggestions
Add other veggies: 1 small zucchini or yellow squash, chopped; 4 ounces mushrooms, rough chopped; kernels from 1 corn cob; 1 bell pepper, chopped; 1/2 cup peas, fresh or frozen; matchstick chopped carrots; 1 cup fresh chopped spinach or 1/2 cup frozen spinach, drained
Other grains: Use farrow or quinoa
Meaty: Add 1 pound ground beef, chicken or turkey, when you are sautéing garlic and cherry tomatoes. Cook until browned and continue with rest of recipe
Homemade Black Beans: Cook your own black beans, following package instructions. Best to soak the day before to save some time. 1/2 cup equals a 14 ounce can of cooked beans. Make extra and freeze for future use.
Tip: Bake leftovers in puff pastry squares or triangles. Brush with egg wash. Bake at 375 F for 20 minutes or until pastry is golden.