One Pot Rice & Beans
I reconfigured the Meatless Black Bean Pie posting. I originally made 8 servings, however, the one posted is for 12 servings. As you can see the calories, fat and fiber have changed. It may look like a small serving, but look at all the nutrition you are ingesting, especially if served over salad greens.
The following recipe is really delicious. Since I love rice and beans seperately, why not make them together!!! Having a pressure cooker really helps here. One more thing, if you don’t have a pressure cooker, put it on your Christmas List. It is fabulous for quick cooking foods and will make it much easier for you to prepare great menus. You can still make this dish without a pressure cooker. It just takes longer.
Serves about 4
6 cups ham hock stock (see below)
1 cup dried pinto beans, cleaned and rinsed (soak at least 2 hours)
1 cup raw brown rice
2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
one 16 ounce bunch of collard greens, finely sliced
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cumin seed
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 whole cloves
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
HAM HOCK STOCK: In pressure cooker, put 1 pound ham hocks with 2 quarts of cold water, bring to a boil, remove from the heat and drain, discarding the water. Put the ham hock back in, add 1 bay leaf and 3 whole cloves, pour in 2 quarts of water, put the lid on and cook over high heat until it comes to pressure. Turn heat to medium low and simmer 30 minutes. Strain. Set hocks aside (be sure and save stock)
Pour 5 cups of ham hock stock into a pressure cooker and bring to a boil.
ADD the beans, fasten the lid, and when the “hissing” starts, set your timer for 10 minutes.
Remove from heat, release the steam. Unfasten the lid, ADD THE RICE. Bring to boil, turn the heat down to a medium low and simmer 15 minutes more.
Remove from heat.
Release steam and spoon the cooked beans and rice into a large serving dish.
PUT the remaining 1 cup of ham hock stock into the pressure cooker, adding the lemon juice. BRING to a boil.
ADD the ham hock meat and reduce the liquid by half (should take about 2 minutes).
DROP in the collard greens. Season with salt and pepper and simmer 2 minutes.
PLACE the cumin seed, cayenne, cloves and thyme into a small coffee mill and puree to a fine powder. SPRINKLE 1 teaspoon of this mixture over the finished beans and rice. If you want a soupier dish, add more stock.
Per serving (including hocks) 403 calories; 11g fat; 4g sat fat; 1351mg sodium; 7g fiber. Don’t eat the hocks and you will save on sodium.
One Pot Rice & Beans
Wednesday, November 8, 2006
