Okay, so I know what you're thinking...beans?! Really?! Like, could you possibly think of anything less sexy than a pot of beans?! haha Plus, it's the middle of summer, it's a thousand degrees outside...a pot of beans is not exactly calling my name right now.
But I promise you, this is not your average pot o' beans. The recipe is light, perfect for this time of year, yet filling. Plus, beans and rice make a complete protein and when paired together have a lot of other nutrients. This particular recipe is GLUTEN-FREE and does not call for meat...so if you're VEGAN, or on a PLANT BASED diet, dig in! And perhaps, most importantly, after doing some reading, I found a trick to help make sure your pot o'beans doesn't leave you feeling like a gassy hot air balloon...because of course, that's never sexy.
Ingredients:
1 pound kidney beans
1 handful of organic greens
1 small onion or half of a large one
1 habanero pepper (hubs is Liberian so spicy is a must in our house, but if you don't do HOT, use bell pepper or jalapeno instead)
1 handful of organic baby carrots
8 cups water
salt
cayenne pepper
black pepper
oregano
Okay, start with the big GAS-MINIMIZING trick:
1. Soak the beans in big bowl of water over night, when you are ready to prepare the dish, drain the water and rinse the beans with fresh water, then drain again.
2. Throw chopped onions, pepper, carrots in a large pot over medium heat and saute them in a little oil (of your choice) until onions are golden. Then toss in fresh greens and the rinsed/drained beans.
3. Add seasoning -- black pepper, oregano & cayenne (NO SALT YET) and continue to saute for a few more minutes.
4. Add 8 cups of water to pot, bring to boil and let boil for about an hour and a half...stirring occasionally.
5. After about an hour and a half, pot o' beans should be a lot less watery -- Now, take about 1 cup of the beans out of the pot and throw them in your food processor, or in a bowl and mash them with a fork. Then, put the mashed beans back in to the large pot and stir.
6. Add your salt...let cook down a little and then serve over brown rice.
Happy eating!
Love Always.
Jas
Here's a link to the original recipe that inspired me to make this dish my own: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/guy-fieri/spicy-vegetarian-red-beans-and-rice-recipe-2037315