Rainbow rice and beans

What a whirlwind of a week it’s been—and it’s only Tuesday! This is my last week at work, and my excitement is growing every day. I’m positively tickled by all your well-wishes for my upcoming training at the 105 Degrees Academy. Thank you again! It also sounds like everyone found my Vegan Treats cake downright droolworthy, and trust me, it was. By Sunday night, there was but a single sliver remaining. My waistline may not be terribly happy about it, but I sure am!

Since the creamy broccoli-mushroom bake from Vegan Yum Yum was such a hit, I tried another recipe out of the book shortly thereafter. It originally called for vegan Worcestershire sauce, but I hate the stuff (Worcestershire reminds me far too much of burgers and barbecue and other yucky-to-me foods), so I replaced it with teriyaki sauce. Quite a departure, eh? With that contribution, this beans & rice meal became perplexingly eclectic—Indian rice? Mexican black beans and corn? Asian sauce and preparation method? Indian and Mexican spices? And an all-American dollop of margarine? It’s a head-spinner, for sure, but it made a great meal nonetheless.

1 cup brown basmati rice (dry)
1 Tbsp canola oil
½ small onion, chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
2 carrots, peeled and shredded
½ tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground coriander
½ tsp crushed red pepper
½ tsp oregano
½ tsp mustard seeds
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
¼ cup prepared teriyaki sauce
3 Tbsp soy sauce or Bragg Liquid Aminos
2/3 cup frozen peas
2/3 cup frozen corn
1 Tbsp Earth Balance margarine (optional)
Salt and black pepper to taste
Chopped parsley or cilantro for garnish

Bring rice and 2 cups water to a boil in a large saucepot. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 35-45 minutes, until all liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and let sit, covered, to steam for 10 minutes. After that, you can remove the lid, fluff it, and let it cool.

Meanwhile, in another large pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat, then add the onion. Sauté for 3 minutes, until softened. Add the carrots and cook, stirring, for 2-3 more minutes. Add the garlic and all spices (through mustard seed) and stir to combine.

Cook and stir for about 1 minute to toast the spices (but watch out for popping mustard seeds!). Add the beans, teriyaki sauce, and soy sauce, stir to combine, and turn the heat to medium-low. Add the frozen peas and corn.

Cover the pot to let the peas and corn steam for a couple minutes, then uncover and add the cooked rice. Stir well to combine, adding another squirt or two of teriyaki sauce if it seems dry, and cook until heated through, seasoning to taste with salt and pepper. To be really indulgent (and since this dish is so low-fat on its own), stir in a glop of Earth Balance at the end.

Serve garnished with parsley or cilantro if desired. Somehow, all those crazy international flavors do come together into a unified whole in this savory, salty, satisfying dish. It’s like fried rice, arroz con frijoles, biriyani, and American beans ‘n rice all rolled into one. Puzzling, but delicious!

Yield: 4 servings.
Per serving: 385 calories, 8.4g fat (2g sat), 66.1g carbs, 11g fiber, 13.1g protein.