Your favorite Beans and Rice dish?

[mamakah]

DH just got a commission based job with a looooow starting salary. We have no idea if and when he will start making more. It is decided that we will likely be living off of beans and rice for some time now. Can you share your favorite variations of rice and beans meals please?

[Magelet]

We like to cook soaked navy beans in some stock and water, with a chopped up jalapeno, garlic, cumin. when the beans are close to done or done, we add the rice and cook it in with the beans. when it's done we add salt and red wine vinegar.

(If you can swing it financially, adding stock, eggs or cheese or other animal protein to your diet, even a little bit (a half in of liver grated into the beans and rice doesn't change the taste, but adds lots of extra nutrition) means you will absorb a lot more protein from the beans and brown rice.)

[caiesmommy]

We're vegan and I love rice and beans! LOVE!! LOVE!!!

Make stock w your veggie peels it really increases the flavour of rice and beans

-Black beans w diced tomatoes, onions, garlic, celery, dried lime leaves, basil, cumin
-Navy beans with lemon jiuce/zest, garlic, onions, red peppers
-Polenta casserole, make a dish of polenta and top with black beans, salsa, onions,garlic and you can top with cheese if you like
-Tortilla casserole-Tortillas layered with refried beans, tomato sauce, frozen corn, onion, garlic
-Veggie chili-w kidney beans and tvp, super cheap!
-Chickpea and potato curry

[mamadelbosque]

My favorite beans & rice dish is just black beans & brown rice w/ taco fixings.

Another of my favorites is potatoes & lentils w/ curry & brown basmati rice & yogurt (cut potatoes up into 1-2" chunks, cook in 4 cups of coconut milk or water (often do half & half), untill they just start to get tender, then add 1 cup of lentils of your choice and cook till they burst/are tender, with 1 tbsp curry powder some salt & pepper. Add butter at the very end if you want them a bit more creamy).

And of course, my favorite beans dish is just pinto beans with red or green chili (thought hat does have a little pork in it, it really stretches the pork out) and home-made tortillas.

[DirtRoadMama]

I love beans and rice!!! I just made some for dinner on Sunday!

BEANS
1 lb. bag of red beans
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon salt
3-4 tablespoons Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning (I think that is how much I use... see below

RICE
2 cups water
1 cup rice
2 tablespoons butter

MEAT
1 Hillshire Farms Smoked Sausage

Red beans, soaked overnight, then refill the crock pot with fresh water until the beans have about 1.5 inches of water covering them. Add two bay leaves and a teaspoon of salt. Cook until done, then take of the lid and let some of the excess water evaporate. Remove the bay leaves. Add a lot of Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning (I think I go with about 4 tablespoons, but I'm not sure because I've been making it for so long that I don't measure any more).

Serve over white sticky rice (I make it by boiling 2 cups water, adding one cup rice, and 2 tbs real butter, cook until done), spooning more of the bean juice over the rice.

This is served with a Hillshire Farms beef smoked sausage, baked in the oven at 400F while the rice is cooking.

At my house, this amount will serve 2 adults and a toddler, with enough left over for one person's lunch the next day. Total cost is around $5.

Edited to add: This uses the small red beans, NOT kidney beans. Also, the two adults, one toddler, one lunch amount is just using up that amount of rice and sausage. You are still going to have a good four+ portions of beans left. So, one would actually double the rice and sausage amount to use all of the beans that will make.

[mamakah]

mmmmm. my mouth is watering!!! Maybe this won't be so bad after all! Keep them coming!!!!

[MAMom]

I make several variations of a rice and bean salad that are very flexible recipes, based on what I have on hand, served at room temperature.

- Brown rice with chick peas, red/white onions or scallions or chives, red peppers, fresh parsley, chopped spinach, salt and pepper, and an oil and vinegar dressing (simple with just oil, white/herbal/red vinegar a little dijon mustard and maybe a squeeze of lemon juice whisked together).

- Brown rice with black beans, red/white onions or scallions or chives, green or red peppers, fresh cilantro, frozen corn, and again, a simple vingarette.

Really you can throw just about anything you like in there! Give the vingarette a a good hour to mix with the other ingredients before eating.

Can you grow a veggie/herb garden or some things in pots to keep costs down?

[Baby_Cakes]

Creole Red Beans!

3.5 cups red beans (small, not kidney; equiv. 2 x 16 oz cans)
1.25 c. water
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 tsp. black pepper
2 tsp. liquid smoke salt to taste

1.Combine beans, water, and liquid smoke. Simmer for one hour.
2.Mix in remaining ingredients, simmer another 5 minutes. Add salt if needed.
3.Serve over rice.

To save even more money, buy dry beans, soak and then cook. Saves TONS of $$ in the long run.

We usually double this recipe for 2 adults and one very hungry toddler. It is spicy as is, so if you don't like heat, double the recipe and not the cayenne.

[babycarrier]

Saute garlic and onion in a little oil - i like coconut - grated ginger. Add cooked brown rice, cooked black beans and a little tamari. Delicious hot or cold. If I have any leftovers fish, tofu, chicken I'll throw them in diced to stretch it out.