Easy Rice & Bean Medley
This healthy and easy side can be very versatile. Different kinds of beans, veggies, and spices can be used to compliment various other dishes. The recipe I am posting is a more "Asian" inspired variation that I like to serve with pork.
This healthy and easy side can be very versatile. Different kinds of beans, veggies, and spices can be used to compliment various other dishes. The recipe I am posting is a more "Asian" inspired variation that I like to serve with pork.
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 cup whole grain brown rice
- 1 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 whole yellow onion diced
- 1/2 can black beans
- 1/3 can corn
- 1/4 whole tomato diced
- 2 tsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
- to taste salt
- to taste black pepper
- 1 dash cinnamon (optional)
- 1 pinch parmesan cheese (optional)
- Carbohydrate 27.9376111683149 g
- Cholesterol 0.088 mg
- Fat 1.53739546286433 g
- Fiber 4.19741274420973 g
- Protein 5.30989511908615 g
- Saturated Fat 0.290144038020008 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (161g)
- Sodium 109.305807255492 mg
- Sugar 23.7401984241051 g
- Trans Fat 0.13152210308718 g
- Calories 144 calories
Step-by-step
- To begin, add rice and water to a small pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, add red pepper flakes and olive oil, and cover to simmer. Cook for 7 minutes and add onion, stir to mix, and re-cover. Cook another 3 minutes, then add the corn and garlic (again stir to mix and re-cover). Cook 5 minutes, then add black beans (stir, re-cover). Allow the mixture to cook for another 5 minutes, until the juices and water have begun to cook down. Add tomato last as it will cook fastest.
- Add soy sauce, salt, black pepper, cumin, cinnamon, and ginger. Stir well and cover to simmer for another few minutes, until soy sauce has cooked into the rice. Turn off heat and let sit to ensure the rice is done to your preference (I like my rice a tiny bit under-cooked).
- Serve and sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top.
Adding the onions, corn, garlic, and beans at staggered intervals prevents the vegetables from turning to mush while allowing the brown rice sufficient moisture to soften. Whole grain brown rice requires precise liquid absorption rates, typically maintaining a ratio of one part grain to two and a half parts water when incorporating cumulative additions of fresh produce that release their own cellular juices. Staggering the additions ensures that aromatics like garlic do not burn and tender elements like diced tomatoes retain structural integrity rather than dissolving entirely into the starch.
Global Roots of Grain and Legume Combinations
Staple pairings of rice and pulses appear across numerous culinary traditions because the amino acids present in grains and legumes complement one another to form complete dietary proteins. Asian preparations frequently incorporate fermented soy derivatives, ginger, and warming spices like cinnamon or cumin to cut through the earthy density of beans. Soy sauce introduces amino-rich umami that mimics slow-simmered stocks, transforming a basic water boil into a deeply savory braising medium without requiring pre-made broths.Adapting Batch Sizes for Different Yields
Scaling this preparation requires careful attention to pot surface area and evaporation rates rather than simple linear multiplication. Doubling the ingredients necessitates a wider saucepan to guarantee the 1.25 cups of base liquid evaporates evenly across the grain bed instead of pooling unevenly beneath dense layers of onions and legumes. Portion adjustments may also demand an extra three to five minutes of total simmering time to achieve the desired tenderness in the brown rice kernel center.
