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Friday, July 10, 2009

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

14 comments:

  1. I could live on beans. I have yet to meet a bean I didn't like. Well, except for garbonzos or chick pea things. Are those two the same thing? Either way, I don't like them. Wasn't this a fascinating comment? Thank You and Cheers!!

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  2. Sounds right up my alley....beans, rice, cheese, garlic....could live on that. BTW I'd contribute to your recipe blog....you know I would.

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  3. I think you should call it "Cheesy rice and beans" after reading the ingredients. Sounds good!

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  4. Ooh, John would love this recipe! I still need to post the pictures of the pumpkin ravioli I made from your site. So good and John wants me to make them again.

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  5. I absolutely love beans too! This is a fantastic recipe which I am definitely making. I'm also pretty crazy about pepper jack cheese!

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  6. YUMMMY, boy I think we do channel each other and our recipes! :_) Maybe we'll related and don't know it :)
    Cindy

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  7. Yup, I'll eat that! I've probably made something like that and just don't remember.

    Need a fix for exotic dried bean cravings? Try the good folks at Native Seeds Search in Tucson (click on 'seeds' on their web page). Your gracious web blogress and I scored some Christmas limas, fabuous scarlet runners and beatiful anasazi beans there a while back. They also have some black and white beans that look like teeny tiny orcas. Good stuff!

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  8. You are so kind! Thank you so much!

    I now have three new types that I want to send to you. Zuni Gold, Colorado River Beans, and Pinkeye bean. You should be getting them soon!

    Linda
    http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com

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  9. You know I love you, but I would love it more if there was the tiniest bit of hamburger in there!

    I got your email on the blog. I'll get back to ya ASAP!

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  10. Uhm, long soaked? That sounds a bit extreme for my limited cooking experience. Seriously though, both kids are going to start school MWF in the fall (only 9-12) so I plan on using the time to learn how to cook. Not blog. Ha.

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  11. This sounds so delicious and now that I have an oven again I can actually fix this! Yippee - Guess what we're having for dinner Sunday evening? Brown Rice and Beans. Yum. Did I tell u I picked up a couple of Mediterranean cookbooks? Oh my poor bookcases are just so full... LOL

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  12. Sounds like a super recipe, Michele. Anything with cheese and garlic is going to be good!

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  13. I fixed this recipe over the weekend and IT IS GOOD!

    Thanks, Michele!

    Linda
    http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com

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  14. Can I come over for dinner?

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