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Home , Rice and beans

ReThinking and

Rice

By Angi Schneider, Carol J. Alexander, Andrea Fabry, Tessa Zundel, Krystyna Thomas, Stephanie Stevens and Rebecca Shirk

All contents copyright ©2014 Angi Schneider All rights reserved. This ebook is a collaborative effort by the authors to help those who are unemployed or underemployed. It is offered as a bonus to those who purchase Hope - Thriving While Unemployed during the first two weeks of its release date. Please do not distribute or copy this ebook without the expressed written consent of Angi Schneider. If in PDF form, it may be stored on your computer. This publication may be printed for personal use only.

Disclaimer The information in this book is based on the authors’ opinion, knowledge and experience. The publisher and author will not be held liable for the use or misuse of the information contained herein.

Introduction This ebooklet is a collaborative effort on the part of SchneiderPeeps, Spring Mountain Living, The Homestead Lady, Everything Home With Carol, It Takes Time, MomPrepares and Letters From Sunnybrook.

Our hope is that this ebooklet will help you spend less money on groceries without compromising nutrition. You do not have to eat cheap processed just to stay within your budget.

All of the contributors have blogs full of fun, frugal and (mostly) nutritious recipes. Please feel free to visit each blog linked above.

Sometimes beans and (or rice and beans) get a bad rap. However, beans and rice can be a great way to stretch your grocery dollars. And, contrary to popular belief, the meals don’t have to be boring.

Please use these recipes as a guide. If you don’t have one of the ingredients, try to find a substitute that you already own. For instance, maybe you don’t have red wine vinegar but you have apple cider vinegar, just use the apple cider vinegar and it will be fine. Yes, the taste will be a little different but you might just discover you like the substitute better.

Some people have a hard time digesting legumes and grains; however, with soaking and proper preparation most people can eat them.

To Soak or Not to Soak? Most people soak their beans in some way before they cook them; even if it’s just a one hour quick soak. How long you soak them will depend on your lifestyle and how well your family digests beans. The longer you soak them, the easier they are to digest. Also, if you put a splash of apple cider vinegar in the soaking water, that will help with digestion.

Make sure that you drain the beans and cook them in fresh water.

Some people also soak their grains. Some of the recipes in this book are for soaked grains; others are not. Do what works for your family.

How to Get Five Meals from One Pot of Pinto Beans by Angi Schneider of SchneiderPeeps

1 big pot – I use a 20 qt. electric Roasting Oven 4 lbs. pinto beans Lots of water garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, salt, black pepper and onion powder (optional)

Rinse beans really well. Put beans in the pot (I use the roasting oven pan) and cover with water. Let sit overnight. In the morning drain the water and cover with fresh water. (You can also do a quick soak – Put beans in pot, cover with water and bring to a boil, turn off heat and let sit for an hour. After an hour drain water and fill pot with fresh water. )

Cook beans (gentle boil) for another 2 hours or so, making sure they stay covered with water. They are ready when they are soft.

You can add your at any time but I do it after the beans are soft (about 4 tbsp. of each garlic powder, cumin, chili powder; about 2 tbsp. salt and 1tbsp. each pepper and onion powder). warning: if you choose to put salsa or any tomato product in your beans do NOT add it until the beans are soft or else you can cook them for 2 days and they still won’t get soft. You can use these beans in a variety of ways, we usually eat them the first night with cornbread. Then I take the leftover beans and put them in containers (usually quart size) and put them in the freezer. Over the week we will make…

Taco Soup 1 lb of 1 quart of cooked beans 1 can of diced tomatos 1 can of corn 1 packet taco seasonings (or just more of what you put in the beans) 1 small can of tomato paste (optional – my family likes it more like chili than a soup)

Mix everything together and heat. If I’m feeling generous I’ll serve it with some grated cheese and maybe even some tortilla chips.

Taco Salad Tortilla Chips Beans Cooked ground lettuce, tomato, onion, avocado, grated cheese, sour cream and salsa

Put chips on a plate and crunch them. Add beans, meat and whatever toppings you want and enjoy.

Chalupas (Taco Bell calls these Tostadas, I’m not sure why) You can either buy chalupa shells already cooked or you can fry your own (they are just corn tortilla that are fried flat). Mash your beans and put them on the shell along with lettuce, tomato, etc. and enjoy.

Bean Burritos (we eat these for 3-4 times a week) Beans Flour or corn tortillas lettuce, tomato, onion, avocado, grated cheese and salsa

Put the beans in a skillet and mash them (or in a food processor). Heat tortillas, put some beans on them along with some lettuce, tomato, onion, avocado and grated cheese. (Sometimes we have all of these things, sometimes we have only beans and tortillas, they’re still yummy.)

Gluten-free Fermented by Andrea Fabry of It Takes Time

While there are several steps to this recipe – it’s much easier than it appears! Soak, ferment, and cook your way to this fun addition to any meal!

First stage Second Stage ½ cup lentils 1-2 teaspoons salt 1½ cups ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional) 1½ cups filtered water Third Stage 2 tablespoons turmeric bug (optional) Ghee, butter, lard, red palm oil or any natural fat of choice

1. Place rice, lentils and filtered water in mason jar. 2. Cap tightly. (An airlock may be used.) 3. Soak for 8-12 hours. 4. Drain – be sure to save the soaking water! 5. Using a food processor, process the rice and lentils in food processor. (you will get a better texture by processing before adding the soaking water.) 6. Add soaking water and process again. 7. Stir in salt and cayenne pepper. (Other suggested spices include cilantro, cumin, ground pepper, turmeric.) 8. Pour mixture back into mason jar. 9. Cap tightly. (Or use airlock.) 10. Ferment 12-24 hours. 11. Heat pan on stove with a thick layer of fat. Heat until very hot. 12. Spoon approximately ¼ cup batter onto pan. 13. Cook for 1-2 minutes until you see bubbles. 14. Turn. (I like to drizzle fat on top before turning.) 15. When you are confident it has cooked, release with spatula and serve!

How to Make by Carol J. Alexander of Everything Home With Carol

First, you need to assemble your ingredients. I’ve always made hummus with garbanzo beans, but this time around I wanted to try black beans. Oooh, I am ever so glad I did. It is absolutely fantastic.

I started the day before with dry beans. After sorting and washing, I put them in a pot, covered with water, and brought to a boil. After boiling for five minutes, I turned them off and let them sit, covered, until evening. Before going to bed, I drained the beans and put them in my crockpot. I added fresh water and set the pot on low. In the morning, they’re done.

If you don’t want to use dried beans, you can use canned or frozen. This is what I normally use. Besides the beans, you will need tahini, lemon juice, salt, and olive oil–at least. A few optional ingredients are garlic, paprika and parsley. Here is the recipe I use:

2 cups of cooked beans 1/3 cup of tahini 1 tsp salt (I use Real Salt) 1 tbsp of olive oil 1/8-1/4 cup of lemon juice 1/8-1/4 cup of water

{What is tahini, you ask? Oh, silly me. That’s another one of those Arabic words. It just means ground sesame seeds. It’s like natural peanut butter. When you get it, the oil might be on top and you’ll have to stir it in. }

After you have everything gathered, just measure and dump into a mixing bowl or other large container. I like to use my 1 quart measuring cup. Then, I use my stick blender and whip it all up. If you don’t have a stick blender, you can use a blender. Personally, I don’t like blenders because I find I have to keep stopping and stirring.

Now, for my secret ingredient. After this was all whipped to the right consistency, I stirred in a half jar of my home-canned sweet red peppers. Oh, the flavor of those peppers is beyond words. And it permeates the beans so that you have the perfect mixture of sweet and tart.

Well, there you have it. Easy peasy. And delicious. Please try making hummus yourself. I like to spread it on toast for or crackers for an afternoon snack. At the cafe where my daughter works, they make a wrap that is spread with hummus and also has lettuce, tomato, cucumber, olives, and feta cheese. Oh, there are so many options, I’m sure your creativity can come up with lots of them.

Bilinski Cajun Andouille & Red Rice by Krystyna Thomas of Spring Mountain Living

You can use any link with this recipe but we like Bilinski chicken sausage. Paired with red rice and minimal seasonings, this is officially my favorite Bilinski Sausage flavor (so far).

Raid your kitchen for the following: 1 c red rice (soaked for one hour prior to cooking) 1 package Bilinski Cajun Andouille Chicken Sausage 1 onion 1 clove garlic 1/2 c lima beans 1 c peas 1 bunch celery 8 oz mushrooms Sea salt & pepper to taste Extra Virgin Olive Oil

While rice is cooking, mince garlic and slice sausage, onion, celery and mushrooms. Heat oil and sauté garlic and onion until onion starts to become clear around the edges. Add remaining ingredients and season with salt & pepper to taste. Serve over red rice

Soaked Chick Pea Salad By Tessa Zundel from The Homestead Lady

I’m always looking for recipes to make with the various seeds, legumes and grains eternally soaking on my kitchen counter – I always seem to have something percolating there! The other night we tried soaked chick pea salsa and I knew I had to share it with you as summer approaches.

1 Cup Soaked Chick Peas cooked in bone broth (you can learn more about bone broths here.) 1/2 Cup Organic Bell Pepper 2 TBS Chopped Cilantro 1 Small Onion, diced - I used a red onion, but any onion would be divine. 1 Green Onion, diced 1 Handful Cherry Tomatoes, diced - save and add juice from cutting board 1/4 Cup Pineapple Juice Juice from one lime 3/4 Tsp Cumin (or to taste) Salt, Pepper, Chipotle all can be added to taste

Soak chick peas in tap water overnight. Drain and rinse. Cook 1/2 cup chick peas in 2 cups bone broth on medium heat for about 6 hours or until soft. They can also be prepared in a slow cooker. Once chick peas, also called garbanzo beans, are soft you can drain off any residual broth and save it to add to soup or sauce in another recipe. Let the beans cool. Mix all the salsa ingredients together in non reactive bowl like glass or ceramic. Serve with chips, pita or spoon over grilled chicken or fish.

Notes: I always seem to have leftover chick peas on hand from homemade hummus making. I now save a few cups especially to make this salsa because its so yummy!

Because of the live veggies and acidic juices at play in this recipe, the salsa will ferment if you wait more than a week to eat it. We usually eat it before then but I thought I'd alert you.

If you want to add some good probiotics to this recipe, add a dash of kefir (milk or water) to it right before you serve it. OR, just let it ferment, as I mentioned above.

Frugal Meal: Cajun for a Crowd by Stephanie Stevens of MomPrepares

When I married a born and bred Louisiana boy, I could cook…homemade bread and Mexican food that is! After a week or so of nonstop Mexican, we knew we had to change something fast! Lucky for me, my husband is a fabulous cook. One of the first things he taught me to cook was Cajun Red Beans and Rice. We made it super spicy with enough cayenne to make your eyes water. Later, after we had kids, we backed off on the spices but even with a touch of heat, it became a favorite with our children. Not only is it a great family meal, it’s perfect for guests. You can make it the day before and it freezes well too.

4 lb dry kidney beans 1 white onion, chopped 3-4 lb link sausage such as Polk or Cavenaugh’s sliced in 1/4” slices Garlic powder or minced garlic to taste Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning, OR salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper to taste Cooked white or

Soak kidney beans in filtered water overnight. (If you forget that’s OK, your beans will just take longer to cook). Drain and cover beans with 1 gallon filtered water. Add onion and sausage. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and cook on medium heat until beans are soft, adding water as needed. Serve over . {Whatever} by Rebecca Shirk of Letters from Sunnybrook

Fried rice is one of those great dishes that can be adapted to work with what you have on hand. I save bits of leftover meat, extra chopped vegetables, and cooked rice in the freezer to use in the fried rice. My husband just loves this dish, and it allows me to sneak in extra veggies into his diet. I will describe the base components I use, and a few add-in options. We usually have or shrimp fried rice. Feel free to substitute or add other ingredients to best suit your family’s tastes.

Fried Rice

Ingredients 2 cups cooked brown rice (or white rice) 4 tablespoons sesame oil (or vegetable, canola or coconut oil) 1/2 cup onion, chopped 1/4 cup green bell pepper, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced or chopped fine 2 stalks celery, chopped 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 1/2 teaspoon salt (optional, I omit when using pork or ham) 2 eggs, beaten 2 tablespoons soy sauce

Directions Heat oil in skillet on medium high. (If making Tofu Fried Rice, cook this first and then set aside). Add onion, bell pepper, garlic and celery to pan and cook until slightly wilted. Add in meat or shrimp and cook, stirring occasionally for 2 minutes. Turn heat down to medium and stir in cooked rice. If needed, add a little water or oil to pan to keep from sticking. Pour in beaten eggs (or simply add eggs to pan), salt and pepper, and mix together thoroughly. After eggs are cooked through, add soy sauce. Serve hot.

For Pork Fried Rice: 1 cup cooked pork, diced or 1 cup smoked ham, diced

For Shrimp Fried Rice: 6 – 10 large (10-15 small) shrimp, cut in pieces

For Tofu Fried Rice: 1 (14 ounce) package firm tofu, cut into 1/2 inch squares

Other Vegetable Options: 1/2 cup frozen peas 1/2 cup fresh sprouts 1/4 cup green onion, chopped 1 carrot, chopped 1/2 cup button or white mushrooms, sliced

Lentils and Rice by Angi Schneider of SchneiderPeeps

One of my new favorite to make is lentils and rice. I made lentils years ago and, well, they were pretty gross. So I never made them again. Then my friend from Kenya brought some to my house one day and they were amazing. So I got her “recipe” and have been making them every week or so to give us something other than our usual bean burritos.

What’s so great about lentils? For starters, they are a nutritional powerhouse. One cup supplies 16 grams of fiber, 17 grams of protein and 90% of the daily recommendation of foliate, among other things. Secondly they are super easy to prepare. No soaking needed and they cook in 30 minutes. Also, they are crazy cheap. I can get a 1 pound bag for 88 cents and I bet they’d be even cheaper in bulk. With one pound there’s enough for two meals for my family. And lastly, they taste really good, not gross at all.

1 pound lentils 3-4 carrots (grated) 1 onion (chopped in very small pieces) 4-5 cloves of garlic (chopped) or garlic powder cumin salt pepper olive oil rice water

In a large pot (about 6 qts), sauté the onions and garlic over medium heat in a little olive oil.

When they are almost translucent add the carrots and sauté them.

While the carrots and onions are sautéing I go ahead and add the spices. This is why I put recipe in quotes because my friend doesn’t measure anything. I would start with about 1 tbsp of cumin, 1 tsp of salt and 1/4 tsp of pepper. If you’re using garlic powder use 2-3 tsp. I add this and let the heat extract the flavors for a couple of minutes.

Rinse the lentils and add them to the pot.

Fill your pot with water (about 6 cups)

Bring to a boil and then turn down the heat and simmer until lentils are soft (about 30 minutes). You can add more seasoning if you want to.

For the rice, I just use the cooking instructions on the back of the bag (except I wash the rice before cooking) and add some salt and cumin to the water.

Pulse by Tessa Zundel of The Homestead Lady

Pulse is an Old Testament super food of legumes and seeds, adapted for modern palettes. You can learn more here.

1 cup lentils 1 cup brown, white or pink rice 1/2 cup large bean like Lima or Great Northern 1/2 cup black beans 1/2 cup quinoa, or millet 1/2 cup barley or Khorizan wheat (Emer or Einkorn are fine - whatever is in your pantry) 8-16 cups of quality stock from grassfed animals Herbs to flavor Salt and pepper to taste

Put all dried beans and seeds into a non reactive bowl and cover with water; soak overnight or at least 8 hours. Drain and rinse.

Place the wet mixture into a slow cooker or into a large stock pot set to low on your stove and add the stock. How much liquid you end up adding depends on whether you decide to eat the pulse pretty dry (as for taco filling) or wet (as a soup). For a drier result, use 1 cup bean mixture to 2 cups stock; for a soup, use 1 cup bean mixture to 4 cups of water. If on your stove, bring to a boil and them reduce to a simmer; if in your crock pot, you can set to low for 6-8 hours or to high for 4-6. Test often for desired texture in your legumes and grains. Add herbs to taste. Notes: This is a highly versatile mix and can be used in a variety of ways. For example, I made a wet version of this recipe on Sunday in my crock pot for our Sabbath of pulse soup and cornbread. The next day, I drained off the excess broth (I saved it and will add it to another dinner this week) and made the leftover pulse into filling.

If turning this recipe into soup, you can also add diced potatoes and carrots to increase the vitamins and minerals.

The drier version of this recipe makes wonderful meatless taco filling (though not vegetarian because of the stock), stuffing for pita bread and casserole filler.

You can use vegetable stock, if you prefer but I always recommend bone broth for health and healing.

You can mix up the types and amounts of the legumes and grains - I encourage you to! Adapt this recipe to your family's tastes.

The presoak on the legumes should reduce or even eliminate the amount of gastric distress, if any, you experience with eating beans. If you're in the process of healing your gut, be careful with how much pulse you eat at one sitting.

The presoak should also take care of any saponin flavor left on the quinoa - make sure you rinse your mixture.

You can soak and rinse each item individually, but there's really no need - there all going to the same place anyway!

Black Beans and Corn Salsa by Angi Schneider of SchneiderPeeps

Normally, salsa is eaten with chips or on eggs or tacos. But this salsa is so good, you’ll eat it all by itself.

2-3 ears cooked corn (about 2 cups – you can use canned corn that is drained) 3-4 tbsp lime juice 2 tbsp olive oil 1 tbsp red wine vinegar (or raw apple cider) 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp black pepper 2 cans black beans – rinsed and drained (you can make your own with dried beans) 2 large tomatoes – chopped 3 jalapenos – chopped (optional) 1 red onion – chopped (you can use white) 1 avocado – chopped (optional) 1/4 cup cilantro - chopped

Mix all ingredients and chill for at least 2 hours before serving.

Kale-icious Rice and Beans by Krystyna Thomas of Spring Mountain Living

I have a love/hate relationship with kale. I love all the health benefits it has to offer; it provides vitamins, is an anti-inflammatory and helps to prevent cancer (to name a few). I hate… the taste. Well, usually. While I do enjoy some baby kale in a mixed salad, or crisped up in the oven with spices as chips, I get bored with those options quick and never end up eating as much as I should. But not to worry! I came up with a tasty (and kid-approved) kale-icious recipe to share.

Before we get started, be sure to round up the following:

1/3 c wild rice 1/3 c brown jasmine rice 3 c cooked black beans 1 small to medium head of cauliflower (leaves to included) 1 bunch kale 1 tbsp + 1/2 tsp sea salt 2 tsp garlic powder 1 1/4 tsp chili powder 2 1/2 tsp chianti wine vinegar (or other vinegar like red wine or apple cider)

Cook wild & brown rice together. When nearly cooked, add black beans, cauliflower, vinegar, spices & salt. Add kale & stir in. It may take a few minutes for the kale to wilt & diminish in size.

Notes: Be sure to use real wild rice in your recipe – it’s not the same thing as the quick-cook rice blends on chain grocery store isles. Not sure how to cook it? Be sure to read our article on wild rice, which includes cooking instructions.

Southwestern Flavored Hummus by Angi Schneider of SchneiderPeeps

Hummus is a wonderful that is eaten with vegetables, pita, pita chips, crackers or bread. We love to spread it on a tortilla, add some raw veggies and roll it up.

1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas (about 3/4 cup dry) — see cooking notes below 2 -3 cloves garlic (minced) 2 teaspoon lemon juice ¼ teaspoon onion powder ¼ teaspoon pepper 2 teaspoon cumin 1 teaspoon chili powder ½ tsp salt heaping tablespoon tahini (optional) olive oil (optional) ¼ - ½ cup water

Soak chickpeas overnight in cold water. The next day, drain the chickpeas, put them in a pan with fresh water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 1 ½ to 2 hours.

Combine all of the ingredients other than the water and oil into a food processor or blender and let it do its thing. Or put them in a bowl and use an immersion blender.

Add some water (or oil) 1/4 cup at a time and continue blending, scraping down the sides occasionally if needed. You can add more or less water than suggested, depending on your desired consistency.

I cook a pound of chickpeas at a time. When they are done, I use some for hummus now and the rest I divide into small plastic containers with all the ingredients except the oil, water and tahini and freeze. The next time we want hummus all I have to do is thaw the mixture out, put it in the blender, add oil, water and tahini and blend.

Everything But the Kitchen Sink Broth – So Easy It Cooks Itself! by Krystyna Thomas of Spring Mountain Living

Tired of spending a small fortune on broth or stock in the store? If you’ve got a crock-pot and a few extra minutes, you can create your own healthy, custom broth for pennies. And the best part about it? You use ingredients destined for the compost or garbage bin. At my local grocery store, a standard size box of chicken broth runs approximately four dollars. If I want organic, or some other specialty version, I can expect to tack on another dollar or two. Considering that I like to use broth in place of water in most of my recipes, that bill quickly adds up.

Making your own broth is not only simple to do, but it’s a great way to save money and gain some nutritional value from those thought to be useless bone, meat and veggie scraps. Next time you bake a chicken or grill up some ribs, hold onto those bones. As for other ingredients? Try adding scraps of veggies. And don’t limit yourself to the “pretty” scraps. Add things like carrot or celery ends that you would normally toss, onion and garlic peels and ends, even leftovers can be dumped in for their flavor. Basically you can add everything but the kitchen sink! I find it satisfying to find uses for these things that would normally go to waste.

And the official method for making your own, delicious broth? All you need to do is pile the ingredients into your slow cooker or crock pot, fill with water and then cook on low for the day, or night. My favorite method for broth making is to toss meat bones and other scraps into my slow cooker after dinner, fill to the brim with water, add the lid and cook on low all night long. When I wake in the morning, I strain the broth, pour into mason jars and either store in the fridge for use within the month, or can for long-term storage.

Once you’ve made your broth, don’t forget to use it! It can be easy to forget about that homemade, nutrient-rich liquid that you’ve got in your pantry. Be sure to remind yourself to use it when cooking. Broth is not only great for making soups or stews, it’s excellent to use in place of water in recipes calling for rice, quinoa and even when making breads or pancakes. A fresh, rich broth is my favorite addition when making a hearty bread or pancake. If you’re looking for a yummy, gluten free bread, try one of the recipes featured here. This homemade buckwheat pankcake-bread recipe is our family’s go-to sandwich bread.

How to Make Fluffy Rice by Angi Schneider of SchneiderPeeps

Everyone has their own opinion of what makes great rice. Our family likes rice that is fluffy and not sticky. Here is how we get fluffy rice.

Rice when it’s cooked. So if you want 2 cups of cooked rice you need to start with 1 cup of uncooked rice and 2 cups of liquid.

Put some oil (1-2 tbsp) in the bottom of a pot (that has a lid) and heat it up over medium heat.

Put your measured out rice in a colander or metal strainer and rinse the rice until the water runs clear. This will take a couple of minutes. This is the most important step in having fluffy rice, so don’t rush it.

Put the washed rice in the pot and stir until the rice is coated with the oil. Sauté the rice until it becomes opaque. You will need to stir it quite often to make sure it cooks evenly.

While the rice is sautéing heat up your liquid. For water, I just use my tea kettle. If you are using broth you can heat it up in the microwave or stovetop. Remember you need 2 cups of liquid for every cup of dry rice.

When rice is done sautéing, add liquid and seasonings to pot. Stir. Turn the heat up. When the liquid starts to boil, turn the heat to low and put the lid on.

For white rice, cook for 15 minutes. For brown rice, cook for 45 minutes.

Uncover and stir.

Find more great recipes by visiting these blogs:

SchneiderPeeps

Spring Mountain Living

The Homestead Lady

Everything Home With Carol

It Takes Time

MomPrepares

Letters From Sunnybrook.