More Beans and Rice
When I asked local chefs for recipes with beans and rice for my Feb. 11 story, they gave me lots of ideas.
Here a couple of extra recipes.
Italian Grilled Vegetables over Great Northern Beans
Recipe from Christopher Fulk, the head chef and owner of Christopher’s.
1 cup Great Northern white beans
1 large zucchini
1 large yellow squash
1 cup Italian salad dressing
1 cup white rice
1 cup fresh spinach
1 cup diced tomatoes, drained if you use canned
Parmesan or Asiago Cheese, grated
1. Simmer the white beans covered in water over medium heat until beans are soft, at least an hour.
2. Meanwhile, slice zucchini and squash into thick strips and place in bowl, cover with Italian dressing and let marinate about 30 minutes.
3. Also while beans are cooking, bring 2½ cups of water to a boil, add rice, and salt and pepper and butter or olive oil to taste if desired. Cover and reduce heat to low; cook until rice is tender , about 15 minutes.
4. Just before before rice is finished, stir in diced tomatoes and fresh spinach. (You also could add some fresh herbs, such as basil or oregano.)
5. Grill vegetables to desired doneness.
6. When beans and rice are finished, mix together in bowl, place grilled vegetables on top and sprinkle with cheese.
Risotto with Tuna and Beans
From Trevor Dye of Meridian restaurant. Though risotto is technically a dish made with stock, you need to make it with water to keep it under $10—unless you happen to have some cheaply made homemade stock on hand.
1 cup arborio rice
6 cups water or broth
1 splash of white wine
1 teaspoon chopped onion
1 teaspoon butter or olive oil
2 large tomatoes (or several romas)
1 6-ounce can tuna
1 bag frozen lima beans, thawed and cooked
1 large handful grated Parmesan, Romano or other similar cheese
1. Chop the tomatoes into cubes, season with salt, pepper and herbs then roast in the oven in a shallow pan at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.
2. In a large pan, saute the onion in butter or oil until translucent. Add the rice to the pan and stir over low heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the wine to the pan, turn heat up to medium and cook until wine has evaporated. Add the water/stock in 4 stages. Stir well each time as you add liquid, and let cook 2 to 3 minutes between each addition.
4. After most of the moisture has been absorbed by the rice, fold in half of the lima beans, half of the tomatoes, all of the tuna, and half of the cheese, reserving the other halves for garnish.
