White Beans in Tomato Sauce

White Beans in Tomato Sauce

From Food & Wine

This lush, stewlike dish is typically made with zolfini beans, a pale yellow Tuscan legume that can be challenging to find in the U.S.; firm, creamy cannellini beans are an excellent substitute.

Serves: 6

Total Time: 2 hr
Cook Time: 30 min

Ingredients
2 cup(s) dried zolfini or cannellini beans, picked over and rinsed
1 sprig(s) sage, plus 1/2 teaspoon, chopped
2 clove(s) garlic, 1 minced
1 small bay leaf
1/4 cup(s) plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt
1 cup(s) canned tomato sauce
Freshly ground pepper

Directions
Cover the beans with 2 inches of water and bring to a boil. Cover and remove from the heat. Let stand for 1 hour, then drain.
Cover the beans with 4 inches of fresh water. Add the sage sprig, whole garlic clove, bay leaf, and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Bring to a boil and cook over moderately low heat for 30 minutes. Season the beans with salt and cook for about 15 minutes longer, until the beans are tender; drain and discard the sage, garlic, and bay leaf.
Meanwhile, in a medium, deep skillet, heat the remaining 1/4 cup oil. Add the chopped sage and minced garlic and cook over moderate heat for 1 minute. Add the tomato sauce and bring to a simmer.
Add the beans to the skillet and cook, stirring, until saucy and thick, 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Bean and Rice Breakfast Bowls

From "The Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen" - http://www.nourishingmeals.com/2009/03/bean-and-rice-breakfast-bowls.html

Beans and rice. (With a Spicy Avocado Sauce recipe.)

The idea isn't a new one. Cultures all over the world consume these two staple foods for most meals of the day.

Here in the United States these foods go almost unknown in most households. So now, I invite you to try them out for breakfast. Notice how you feel for the remainder of the day. I am not really all that hungry during for the remainder of the day when I start out with this meal.

Bean and Rice Breakfast Bowls with a Spicy Avocado Sauce

The avocado sauce is what makes this breakfast so yummy. It is super fast to prepare. It only requires you to toss everything into a blender and blend. Chop up a few green onions for a garnish and you are good to go!

cooked beans (try pink, pinto, adzuki, or black)

cooked Sticky Brown Rice

chopped fresh arugula, Napa cabbage, or romaine lettuce

chopped green onions

Add all ingredients to a bowl and top with the avocado sauce below.

Spicy Avocado Sauce

2 medium, ripe avocados

1 to 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded

large handful of fresh cilantro

juice of 1 small lime

1/4 cup water (or more for a thinner sauce)

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Add more water for a thinner sauce. Taste and add more salt if necessary. Store extra sauce in a small glass container with a squeeze of lime over the top to prevent browning.

Squash, Chickpea, and Red Lentil Stew

Squash, Chickpea, and Red Lentil Stew

From EatingWell.com
Modeled on North African stews, this aromatic vegetarian main course can be served over brown rice or steamed spinach.

Serves: 8
Total Time: 8 hr

Ingredients
3/4 cup(s) dried chickpeas
2 1/2 pound(s) kabocha squash, or butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced
2 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 large onion, chopped
1 cup(s) red lentils
4 cup(s) vegetable broth
2 tablespoon(s) tomato paste
1 tablespoon(s) minced peeled fresh ginger
1 1/2 teaspoon(s) ground cumin
1 teaspoon(s) salt
1/4 teaspoon(s) saffron
1/4 teaspoon(s) freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup(s) lime juice
1/2 cup(s) chopped roasted unsalted peanuts
1/4 cup(s) packed fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

Directions
Soak chickpeas in enough cold water to cover them by 2 inches for 6 hours or overnight. (Alternatively, use the quick-soak method: Place beans in a large pot with enough water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil over high heat. Remove from heat and let stand for 1 hour.) Drain when ready to use.
Combine the soaked chickpeas, squash, carrots, onion, lentils, broth, tomato paste, ginger, cumin, salt, saffron and pepper in a 6-quart slow cooker.
Put on the lid and cook on low until the chickpeas are tender and the lentils have begun to break down, 5 to 6 1/2 hours.
Stir in lime juice. Serve sprinkled with peanuts and cilantro.

Lentil Stew with Butternut Squash

Lentil Stew with Butternut Squash

Lentil Stew with Butternut Squash
From Good Housekeeping
Rich in vitamins A and C, butternut squash adds a subtle sweetness to this hearty, slow-cooker lentil stew.


Serves: 8
Total Time: 8 hr

Ingredients
3 large stalks celery, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
1 large (12-ounce) onion, chopped
1 large (2 1/2-pound) butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 bag(s) (1 pound) brown lentils
4 cup(s) water
1 can(s) (14 to 14 1/2 ounces) vegetable broth
1/2 teaspoon(s) dried rosemary
Salt and pepper
1 ounce(s) Parmesan or Romano cheese, shaved with vegetable peeler
1/4 cup(s) loosely packed fresh parsley leaves, chopped

Directions
In 4 1/2- to 6-quart slow cooker bowl, combine celery, onion, squash, lentils, water, broth, rosemary, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Cover slow cooker with lid, and cook as manufacturer directs on low setting 8 hours.
To serve, spoon lentil stew into serving bowls; top with Parmesan shavings, and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Makes about 11 1/2 cups.

Slow-Cooker Black Bean-Mushroom Chili

Slow-Cooker Black Bean-Mushroom Chili

From EatingWell.com
Black beans, earthy mushrooms, and tangy tomatillos combine with a variety of spices and smoky chipotles to create a fantastic full-flavored chili. It can simmer in the slow cooker all day, which makes it perfect for a healthy supper when the end of your day is rushed.

Yields: Makes 10 servings, generous 1 cup each
Total Time: 6 hr 15 min
Prep Time: 25 min

Ingredients
1 pound(s) (2 1/2 cups) dried black beans, rinsed
1 tablespoon(s) extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup(s) mustard seeds
2 tablespoon(s) chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoon(s) cumin seeds or ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon(s) cardamom seeds or ground cardamom
2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
1 pound(s) mushrooms, sliced
8 ounce(s) tomatillos (see Tips & Techniques), husked, rinsed and coarsely chopped
1/4 cup(s) water
5 1/2 cup(s) mushroom broth or vegetable broth
1 can(s) (6 ounce) tomato paste
1 tablespoon(s) minced canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (see Tips & Techniques)
1 1/4 cup(s) grated Monterey Jack or pepper Jack cheese
1/2 cup(s) reduced-fat sour cream
1/2 cup(s) chopped fresh cilantro
2 limes, cut into wedges

Directions
Soak beans overnight in 2 quarts water. (Alternatively, place beans and 2 quarts water in a large pot. Bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for 1 hour.) Drain the beans, discarding soaking liquid.
Combine oil, mustard seeds, chili powder, cumin, and cardamom in a 5- to 6-quart Dutch oven. Place over high heat and stir until the spices sizzle, about 30 seconds. Add onions, mushrooms, tomatillos, and water. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are juicy, 5 to 7 minutes. Uncover and stir often until the juices evaporate and the vegetables are lightly browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Add broth, tomato paste, and chipotles; mix well.
Place the beans in a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker. Pour the hot vegetable mixture over the beans. Turn heat to high. Put the lid on and cook until the beans are creamy, 5 to 8 hours.
Garnish each serving with cheese, a dollop of sour cream, and a sprinkling of cilantro. Serve with lime wedges. Stovetop variation: Total: 4 1/2 hours In Step 2, increase broth to 81/2 cups. Omit Step 3. Add the beans to the Dutch oven; cover and simmer the chili gently over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the beans are creamy to bite, about 3 hours. Carb Servings: 2 starch, 2 1/2 vegetable, 1 medium-fat protein, 1 fat. Carbohydrate Servings: 2. Nutrition Bonus: Fiber (52% daily value), Folate (47% dv), Iron (22% dv), Potassium (21% dv).

Tips & Techniques
Chipotle peppers are dried, smoked jalapeño peppers. Ground chipotle chile pepper can be found in the specialty spice section of most supermarkets. Chipotle chiles in adobo sauce are smoked jalapeños packed in a flavorful sauce. Look for the small cans with the Mexican foods in large supermarkets. Once opened, they'll keep up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator or 6 months in the freezer. Tomatillos are tart, plum-size green fruits that look like small, husk-covered green tomatoes. Find them in the produce section near the tomatoes. Remove the outer husk and rinse them well before using.

Rice Facts

Off a Rice Dream carton, courtesy of Beth.

Questions:
1. The average Burmese eats 500 pounds of rice a year. How about the average American?
2. What country calls rice grains "little buddhas" to encourage children to eat rice?
3. Who is the largest exporter of rice in the world?

Answers:
1. 25 pounds
2. Japan
3. Thailand

Give us this day our daily bread

Give us this day our daily bread. I've never prayed this prayer and wondered if God was going to provide me with enough to eat today. I doubt any of us have. But across East Africa that prayer often reflects a very real need. While spending time at Amazing Grace Children's Home in Uganda, I heard a very similar prayer offered up by one of the kids. As she prayed in the passionate style that I have only experienced in East Africa, she reminded God of their sparse and simple meals and asked Him to provide them with a balanced diet. Coming from a culture of stocked pantries and rich desserts, the raw reality of her prayer struck a deep chord. That is why I'm excited that this coming March, we all have the chance to respond in a meaningful way to help answer the prayers of these kids. Lahash is inviting everyone (me, you, your family, your friends...) to join us in eating Rice and Beans for a whole month. Our goal with this event is to Simplify our diets and stand in Solidarity with our brothers and sisters, in order to Share more of our resources. At the end of the month, the money that you saved by eating this inexpensive, nutritious diet will be given to the kids living in our East African partnerships to improve their diets!

This is a big challenge to consider, and it is easy to say, "Great idea! You go for it, but I could never do that! I mean seriously... rice and beans? a whole month?" But if we are honest with ourselves, we could do it, we're really just saying we wouldn't do it. For every person, the way you take on this challenge will look a little different. In our family, I'm planning to eat rice and beans for 3 meals every day. Abbe (my wife and a nursing mother), and Asher (my sometimes picky two-year-old son) will eat it for dinner most nights, but not breakfast and lunch. I'm sure Lucy (my new-born daughter) would do it, but she's not eating solid food yet. So we really want to encourage you to join us for the month in whatever way you can. Please don't miss out by saying, "Well, I just couldn't do that." Invite a friend to join you, share recipes, eat rice and beans, and tell us your story! For more information, videos and recipes, go to www.EatRiceAndBeans.com

- Casey Schilperoort

Portland, OR