Beans and Rice
Beans and Rice
I don’t remember
if I first found you while seeking “low fat”
or because my vegetarian friend told me
you were complete.
Either way, we would’ve met
when grad school rolled around
and for a few dollars, the crockpot put out nourishment.
Done by dinnertime and always filling.
And now, it is not so much the cost
or the ease of the slow cooker
rather, it is that you grow here
in my town
and that I know
the farmer.
I do recall that beans and rice became a regular meal after reading a Nathan Pritikin book. It was so easy, could be done in large quantities and frozen when there was excess. I always had a pot of each going during grad school. Brown rice with raisins and cinnamon for breakfast. Rice and beans spiced up for dinner. Now the meal has transcended a generation and my family will gobble up not only the beans and rice but the vegetables that I place within.
Beans and Rice
- 3 cups of brown rice cooked
- 1.5 cups of cooked beans (I prefer pinto, black, red, or tepary)
- 3 Tbs. olive oil
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 Tbs of garlic minced
- Whole big bunch of shredded greens (in the photo I used bok choy)
- Other diced vegetables such as carrots
- Spices
Agrigirl's Blog 
judilyn
/ April 7, 2013Love bok choy! It is very underrated and under utilized. I always end up snacking on some of the stalks while cutting it up for a dish. So juicy and satisfying!
Tammy
/ April 9, 2013Great cooked. Great raw. Grows well here. I agree with you.
On the Lettuce Edge
/ April 7, 2013yay for rice, beans and words!
Tammy
/ April 9, 2013Yep! Yum.
nats1mom
/ April 7, 2013I love, love beans! Will try this with native tepary beans I recently purchased. thanks!
Tammy
/ April 7, 2013I have them in my slow cooker right now and they are slllooowww. Wonderful but you must be patient.
nats1mom
/ April 7, 2013Thank you for the info! I’ll ‘try’ to be patient 🙂
Lisa H
/ April 7, 2013Love the crockpot! Thanks for the easy and delicious looking recipe. I just picked up some dried beans, so this will be perfect to make this week.
Tammy
/ April 10, 2013It is such a great thing to be able to smell it cooking while exerting no effort!
Estrella Azul
/ April 7, 2013That is so great!
Rice is something I rarely eat, I like it steamed and that’s about it. Herbs and paired with something is best, but never if it’s not “dry” 😉
Tammy
/ April 10, 2013So you might have to leave the rice out of this one.
nrhatch
/ April 7, 2013YUMMY! I love beans and rice ~ black beans and rice . . . red beans and rice . . . refried beans and rice . . . creole rice and beans . . . spinach rice with red beans . . .
And yours looks FAB with that Bok Choy!
Tammy
/ April 10, 2013Me too Nancy! That’s our meal after our pedicure!
corspringsgarden
/ April 7, 2013Love the poem!
Tammy
/ April 10, 2013Thank you! Nice to see you.
Melissa
/ April 7, 2013I could happily live on rice and beans along with fruit and veggies. Your dish will be perfect to make as the spring greens start coming in.
Tammy
/ April 9, 2013You can squeeze a lot of greens into this meal and the spices and rice will cause kids to overlook them.
Melissa
/ April 10, 2013We get such an abundance of greens from the CSA in the earlier part of the season that I am always on the lookout for more ways to enjoy them!
shrinkingthecamel
/ April 7, 2013I’m hungry and you’re inspiring me right now! 🙂
Tammy
/ April 11, 2013So glad you stopped by for a meal.
naimavanswol
/ April 7, 2013Love this poem, Tammy. And the recipe looks killer. I just some cuban black beans last week, they so delicious.
Tammy
/ April 9, 2013I love Cuban black beans! My sis in law does them in a pressure cooker.
athursdayschild has a long way to go and much to be thankful for.
/ April 7, 2013We had beans and rice earlier
Tammy
/ April 11, 2013And did you love it?
elizabeth salper
/ April 7, 2013yummy and nourishing! gracias ~
elizabeth
Tammy
/ April 11, 2013De nada Amiga!
CMG
/ April 7, 2013My family lazy dinner staple is rice and a fried egg which you can also mix just about anything into- even beans 🙂
Tammy
/ April 9, 2013Yes, I have actually slipped an egg into this also.
hotlyspiced
/ April 7, 2013This is such great, inexpensive cooking that ‘s so good for you and yes, the whole family eats it. As our weather cools down I’m looking more and more to cook like this xx
Tammy
/ April 12, 2013Yes, it’s definitely comfort food. Charlie, how can I get email notifications of your blog? I’m having trouble getting to it since google reader shut down.
yummychunklet
/ April 7, 2013What a great bean dish! Looks delicious!
Tammy
/ April 12, 2013Hope you enjoy it!
Lauren
/ April 7, 2013Love it! I often do something similar with beans, rice, and veggies, but I cook them all separately. I never thought o use the slow cooker — brilliant!
Tammy
/ April 9, 2013Make it easy on yourself. Toss them together.
Lynn
/ April 7, 2013This looks delicious! My two year old loves rice and beans and I’ve been looking for some “new recipes”. I haven’t tried your combo of seasonings yet – thanks for the recipe!
Tammy
/ April 9, 2013Lynn, I love hot spicy dishes and so I lean that direction but there are infinite variations that you can create.
souldipper
/ April 7, 2013Okay, it’s time! I truly enjoy this type of dish a great deal and it’s time I began cooking one or two! Many thank, Tammie. Meanwhile I’m off to make some roast veggies into soup.
Tammy
/ April 12, 2013As a solo diner, it’s so easy to graze off a pot of beans and rice. Roast veggies sound terrific also!
Tandy
/ April 7, 2013What an easy dish to prepare!
Tammy
/ April 12, 2013Yes!
Debbie
/ April 7, 2013You are a wonder, Tammy! Loved the poem, the post and the recipe! Alas, I have no food poem to share!
Tammy
/ April 12, 2013I bet you do Deb. Give it a go.
nancy at good food matters
/ April 8, 2013Hi Tammy, with its high nutrition and low-low cost, your recipe fits right in with The Giving Table’s 4-8-13 Food Bloggers Against Hunger day. Have you seen the documentary, A Place at the Table, yet?
Tammy
/ April 10, 2013I haven’t but I need to! I kind of missed the day, didn’t I?
Kirsten@FarmFreshFeasts
/ April 8, 2013Tammy, this looks so yummy! My last batch of black beans was cooked in the slow cooker, but without seasonings because I wasn’t sure which direction to take them. Some got mashed with maple syrup and pumpkin and spread on a pizza, others went into a pureed soup with broccoli stems, onion, sherry, and soy sauce. The last bit of beans is destined for this–can’t wait to get Bok choy in the farm share!
Thanks!
Tammy
/ April 11, 2013Yum! I also like to make bean hummus. It’s fast and easy and is a great snacking food.
cindyricksgers
/ April 8, 2013Nice recipe to go with a good poem…thanks!
Tammy
/ April 12, 2013You are welcome. What’s your food poem Cindy?
Inger Wilkerson
/ April 8, 2013My oldest is going to law school next year–will have to forward this to her!
Tammy
/ April 9, 2013It is a grad school must!
isathreadsoflife
/ April 9, 2013Lovely poem Tammy, one that tastes as good as your picture. Thanks for the recipe.
My poem for today ? Not sure yet but it could well have to do with a polenta gratiné with cheese, a mix of season veges Indian way. I am pretty sure the Spring sun will finally shine after this 😉
Tammy
/ April 9, 2013That sounds terrific Isa!
dayphoto
/ April 9, 2013I love beans and rice…the perfect supper!
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
Tammy
/ April 12, 2013Me too!
kateshrewsday
/ April 10, 2013Rice and beans: something we associate with the Costa Rican arm of our family, Tammy. It sounds a great recipe – which spices are we looking at?
Tammy
/ April 11, 2013I love cumin and chili powder Kate but you can do anything. Curry works. I also love sriracha.
inherchucks
/ April 11, 2013Looks absolutely delish 🙂
Thanks for sharing and linking up!
Tammy
/ April 12, 2013You’re welcome. Great to see you Heather and thanks for doing the link up parties.
Sophie33
/ April 11, 2013A lovely poem for the noble bean! I love beans too! This is a lovely combo that I eat often, sometimes spiced up & sometimes not!
Tammy
/ April 12, 2013Same but either way, it’s always so comforting. What’s your favorite bean Sophie?
Sophie33
/ April 12, 2013My favourite bean is the red kidney bean because they do well in home-made veggie burgers & I love their meaty consistency a lot! Yummy too! 🙂 x
Laura
/ April 12, 2013Tepary beans – I don’t think I’ve ever tried those! Thanks for the recipe, and the reminder – how could I *forget* about rice and beans? They are so simple and good, and nourishing. Now after your poem, the danger of forgetting is minimal. 😉
Tammy
/ April 13, 2013Tepary beans are native to the Southwest and grow in our heat without a lot of water. I really like them but they take longer to cook.
Know Thank You
/ April 12, 2013Beans and rice are a classic! I like to do my beans in the pressure cooker now – the whole process is 45 minutes, rather than overnight soak plus 4-6 hours in the slow cooker.
Have you tried using coconut oil rather than olive oil? It’s really good, especially if you use cumin as one of your spices. It gives the dish a wonderfully smooth warmth.
I like to add arugula as the green in ours; its robust, almost meaty flavor really compliments the dish well.
Tammy
/ April 13, 2013I own a pressure cooker and kind of go in spurts. I remember it and use it consistently and then I forget and it goes unused for a while. It’s a perfect instrument for beans. I have plenty of coconut oil on hand so will try you idea tomorrow.
Lori Lipsky
/ April 15, 2013Dinner and a Poem. I love it. Well done on both accounts, Tammy.
Tammy
/ April 16, 2013Coming from you, that’s a high compliment. Thank you so much.
Biocadence
/ April 16, 2013Oh my, your poem made me smile. I often talk to my food… whisper sweet “nothings” to it. Or, as a 4.5 month pregnant lady who loves real food, I’ll connect my baby with the magical quality of food, by telling it (boy/girl???… we shall see in a week;) what I’m making, and how I’m working with the ingredients… where I sourced them etc. So glad to know another magic-of-food worshipper out there:)! And, a hearty thank you for this recipe!
Annie at Biocadence
Tammy
/ April 16, 2013A baby! Yeah! My three pregnancies were amongst my favorite experiences in life. Enjoy every minute of it!
Biocadence
/ April 16, 2013Ooooo weeeee, I love hearing that from a mom:). It’s going so fast! Thank you Miss Tammy!
Island Traveler
/ April 16, 2013Delicious! Healthy and yummy!
Tammy
/ April 19, 2013Easy too!
Tiffany
/ April 17, 2013Is it irony if I’ve just finished rice and beans for lunch before I even saw this post? I just LOVE them thanks to my half cuban/panamanian girlfriend (although she’d add a banana to it). I will definitely try your recipe and reread that beautiful song of a poem. Readin it with some flamenco in the background while cooking really makes it come alive 🙂 Miss you friend.
Tammy
/ April 19, 2013Yes! We are newly into flamenco Tiff. Just love the music and to watch the dance. Hope you are well.
Rukmini Roy
/ April 24, 2013Awesome~words, beans and rice.
You are my new poem hero.
Tammy
/ May 11, 2013Love being a poem hero!