Recipes

Have you tried one of our recipes? If so we'd love to hear your comments, suggestions, adjustments, etc. Feel free to comment on the recipes and let us know.

If you have any other recipes to share please send them to us at recipes@eatriceandbeans.com

Solidarity

SOLIDARITY: We are standing with our brothers and sisters in East Africa who live on limited incomes and who can only afford simple meals like Rice & Beans.

Solidarity is an immensely powerful aspect of Rice and Beans Month. It's a tangible way to unite and create community across the expanse of miles, cultures and time zones. It allows me a small way from my kitchen in Portland to connect with other participants such as the Main's in Illinois as well as the Lahash partners in East Africa.

I used to volunteer at the Ronald McDonald House here in Portland. Once a month for several years I would grab a group and go cook at the house for the families staying there while their children were treated for serious illnesses and injuries. We spent the time filling the house with laughter, conversation and sometimes tears in addition to food. I was always amazed at the connections that occurred over meals with people I usually had very little in common with. It was always a privilege to be allowed to glimpse into their lives and come alongside their struggles for even a moment.

It's this reason that I was particularly drawn to Rice and Beans Month. It's not just a campaign, but is a way for each of us to tangibly connect with a larger community. To connect and participate in something we say we care about. At the end of the month, what I've given up will go to providing much needed nutritional food to kids on the other side of the world.

This is why I'm involved in Rice and Beans Month.

We've created a map of the pictures we've received from participants. Take a look and make sure to send your pictures to us at info@eatriceandbeans.com, we'd love to include them!

Marinated Giant White Beans and Beets

This is what Annette and Jim brought to the kick off!

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/24/health/nutrition/24recipehealth.html

Many Greeks love giant white lima beans. This recipe is an adaptation of a dish prepared by the Greek chef Jim Botsacos for a Clean Monday celebration to benefit the Gennadius Library in Athens. Don’t soak the beans or they’ll fall while they cook. Mr. Botsacos serves this with skordalia.

For the beans:

1 pound dried large lima beans

1 large white onion, cut in half

4 garlic cloves, crushed

1 bay leaf

Salt to taste

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup finely chopped celery

1/2 cup finely chopped yellow or red bell pepper

1/2 cup finely chopped red onion, soaked for five minutes in cold water, drained and rinsed (optional)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

For the beets:

8 small beets, greens cut away, scrubbed

1/3 cup red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar

Salt to taste

2 garlic cloves, cut in half

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1. Place the beans in a large pot. Cover by 2 inches with water, and bring to a gentle boil. Skim off any foam, and add the onion, garlic and bay leaf. Turn the heat to low, cover and simmer 30 minutes. Add salt to taste, and simmer an additional 20 minutes until just tender. Remove from the heat. Remove and discard the onion, garlic cloves and the bay leaf. Allow the beans to cool in the liquid, then drain through a strainer set over a bowl. Gently toss the beans in a bowl with the lemon juice, olive oil, celery, peppers, onion and herbs. If desired, add 2 to 4 tablespoons of the bean broth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.

2. Cook the beets while the beans are cooking. Place in a saucepan, cover with water, add 1/4 cup of the vinegar and salt to taste. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until tender, 30 to 45 minutes, depending on the size of the beets. Remove from the heat, add the garlic to the pot and set aside to cool. Remove the beets from the pot (do not drain), slip off the skins and cut in wedges.

3. Combine the remaining vinegar, the sugar and 1/4 cup of the beet broth (discard the garlic). Toss with the beets. Arrange the beans on a plate or in a bowl and surround with the beets. If you wish, serve this dish with skordalia.

Yield: Serves six to eight.

Advance preparation: The beans and the beets can both be prepared up to three days before serving.

Turmeric Rice

Madhur Jaffrey’s Quick and Easy Indian Cooking

2 cups basmati rice

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

3 whole cloves

1 bay leaf 4 cardamom pods

1-inch stick cinnamon

2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped

¼ teaspoons ground turmeric

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons finely sliced chives or the green part of green onions

Put the rice in a bowl and rinse well in several changes of water, then drain.

Put the oil in a heavy saucepan and set over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, put in the cloves, bay leaf, cardamom pods, and cinnamon. Stir once or twice and put in the garlic. As soon as the garlic turns medium brown, put in the rice, turmeric, and salt. Stir gently for a minute. Now put in 2 ¾ cups water and bring to a boil. Cover tightly, turn the heat down very, very low, and cook for 25 minutes. Sprinkle with chives before serving.

Serves 4-6

Florida Butter Beans with Caramelized Onions and Bacon

Zack and Cherish brought this to the kickoff Monday, thanks for sharing!!



from the Rancho Gordo cookbook, Heirloom Beans
Picture courtesy of: See http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/recipe-florida-butter-beans-with-caramelized-onions-and-bacon-074657

Florida Butter Beans with Caramelized Onions and Bacon

Florida butter beans, sometimes known as calico pole beans, are baby lima beans. I grew up hating all lima beans because my mother, like many mothers in the 1960s, didn’t quite know how to cook them to perfection. If you felt the same way, I urge you to give the heirloom varieties like this one another try.

Serves 4
1/2 pound Florida butter beans, soaked
4 slices high-quality bacon, diced
2 1/2 medium yellow onions
2 celery stalks, diced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
Salt
3/4 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
Freshly ground pepper

Put the beans and their soaking water in a stockpot and add more cold water if needed to cover the beans by 1 inch. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, partially covered, until the beans are beginning to soften, about 1 hour.
In a medium, heavy skillet over medium heat, sauté the bacon until the fat is rendered and the bacon is beginning to brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat from the pan and reserve. Chop half of an onion and add to the pan over medium heat. Add the celery and garlic and sauté until the vegetables are soft and fragrant, about 10 minutes. Add to the beans, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the beans are tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. When the beans are nearly soft, season them with salt.

Meanwhile, cut the remaining 2 whole onions in half, then cut into thin slices. Wipe out the skillet with a paper towel, pour in 2 tablespoons of the reserved bacon fat, and set over medium-low heat. Add the sliced onions and a few pinches of salt. Cook, stirring, until the onions wilt. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are medium brown, soft, and caramelized, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Add 2 tablespoons water and stir to loosen any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Add the thyme and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the bacon to the caramelized onions and heat gently.
Top each serving of beans with some of the caramelized onions.

Substitution Note: Use Christmas lima beans.

Slow Cooker Vegetarian Feijoada

"I am sending the recipe because it was pretty unique and that should be really nice as the month wears on!" -from Laura & Anthony

Thanks for sharing your recipe!!

Slow Cooker Vegetarian Feijoada (from Epicurious.com)
Serves 6

1 tbsp olive oil
1 large spanish (sweet) onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 19-oz cans of black beans (I used 1 pound of dried black beans that I cooked ahead of time.)
2 cups water
2 cups sweet potato
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder
2 cups collard greens or kale
1/2 cup orange juice

1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat.

2. Fry the onion for a few minutes until translucent. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for a minute. Transfer to slow cooker.

3. Drain and rinse the canned beans and add to the slow cooker with 2 cups water. Mix with onion mixture. Roll up the kale or collard greens so that they resemble cigars, then slice crosswise with a sharp knife. Put the greens and chunks of sweet potato on top of the slow cooker mixture. Sprinkle with the salt and chili powder. Cover and cook on high for 5 to 6 hours, or on low for 8 to 10 hours.

4. Just before serving, stir in the orange juice. Serve on top of white rice with a salad.

Rice & Beans Month - March 2nd!

Greetings from Portland, Oregon! I'm at my desk here at the Lahash offices enjoying a nice bowl of Rice and Beans. It's been a good beginning to this month - and we are so grateful for all of the tips, recipes, photos, and encouragements that have been coming in from around the world.
Last night a variety of Portlanders turned up to enjoy a kick-off dinner for the month. We brought a large variety of Rice & Bean dishes from a variety of cultures. Thanks to everyone who showed up and brought the delicious dishes!

We spent some time talking about the background of the event, and reading through some scriptures that speak to our need to have compassion on our global family and some teachings from Jesus on using our resources wisesly.

We still would love photos of you and your community holding a sign or enjoying your dishes - wherever that may be! The photo below is of a couple families in Portland, Oregon that are enjoying Rice & Beans for the month.

And the photo below is of Jeff Angote. Jeff is a media specialist from Kenya that has been assisting our partners in Tanzania with their blog and other communication. He's enjoying Rice and Beans from East Africa!

And Lahash traveler Katie Gresham is living in Tanzania as well. She is volunteering for a month helping out with the AIDS care and child sponsorship programs. Katie displays her yummy dish in the photo below!

What's your story? We'd love to hear it! Send photos or emails or updates to info@eatriceandbeans.com. We'll get it posted and share it with others. Bon Appetit!