Friday Foodie - Brown Rice with Beans

My wonderful blog friend Linda grows the beans I used in this recipe on her family farm in western Colorado. She scoured her neighborhood of bean farmers for beans of every variety for me. There is nothing so great as coming home to a package on the doorstep but to have it include 5 or 6 varieties of beans is a bonus. She is totally enabling my bean obsession.



Linda's husband Terry has to eat gluten free. So anytime I can find a recipe that she can make for him I send it off. I think this one fits the bill. Oh and it's pretty tasty to boot.

I'm pretty lame. I didn't take any pictures so I had to cruise the interwebs for anything that looked close to what I made.

Brown Rice with Beans

1 1/2 cup cooked brown rice
1 cup soaked and cooked beans
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 onion, chopped
1/4 cup Pepper Jack cheese, shredded
3/4 Low-fat or fat-free ricotta cheese
4 slices or 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat with cooking spray a small Pyrex baking dish. About 6 X 6. Mix together rice, beans, garlic, and onion in a small dish. In another small dish mix pepper jack cheese and ricotta cheese. Layer 1/2 of the rice-bean mixture in the bottom of the baking dish. Spread all of the cheese mixture over the first mixture. Cover with the second half of the rice-bean mixture.

Bake for 15 minutes. Sprinkle or layer the cheddar cheese over the top and bake 5 minutes more.

Serves 4

*I long soaked the beans. Do you want me to send instructions on how to do this? You could also use canned.
* Like your food a little spicier? Add a little crushed red pepper flakes, a pinch of cayenne, or a drop or two of hot sauce to the bean mixture.
*You could even throw some cooked broccoli in this. That would be oh so yummy.

This recipe is packed with protein and fiber, the two things that make it worth it's weight at the dinner table. It also would make a terrific meatless Monday meal.


Quick question for you all. If I start another blog of just recipes would anyone of you want to contribute recipes? We could make it a collaborative effort. What do you think? Anyone game?

Love,
M