Beans are great because they are a cheap, healthy and delicious protein source. They’re full of fiber and nutrients. Considering the economy, beans are a fantastic way to get protein in your diet on the cheap. I always buy them from the bag and cook them myself, but you can go with canned or pre-cooked beans too. Cooking beans can be a timely process. I usually set aside at least an hour for beans. If you don’t have the time, do what I do sometimes and set aside one night to make a big batch of beans. I then stash them in my fridge and consume them later. They’re still tasty reheated, trust me.
If you get them uncooked like I do, make sure you soak them overnight and then thoroughly rinse and dry them before cooking the beans. This shortens the cooking time and removes a lot of excess fiber. You don’t have to soak them, but they might wreck havoc on your digestive tract and cause lots of excess gas if you skip the soak.
This is one of my favorite recipes with beans. Give this Caribbean Rice and Beans recipe a try tonight.
Low-Fat Caribbean Rice and Beans
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 2 teaspoon garlic, minced
- 1 cup onions, coarsely chopped
- 1 red chili pepper, seeded and chopped, or crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 cup red bell pepper, diced
- 1 cup plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped
- 2 cups boiling water (use higher amount in jiggle-top pressure cookers)
- 1 1/2 cup long-grain brown rice
- 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme or oregano leaves
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup cooked pigeon or black-eyed peas
- 1/4 cup cilantro, finely minced
- 2 ripe plantains, peeled and cut on diagonal into thin slices and fried
Instructions
1. Heat oil in pressure cooker. Add garlic, onions and chili pepper; cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, 1 minute. Add bell pepper, tomatoes, water, rice, coconut, thyme and salt. Lock lid in place. If using a jiggle-top cooker, set on a flame tamer.
2. Over high heat, bring to high pressure. Lower heat just enough to maintain high pressure; cook 25 minutes. Allow pressure to come down naturally 10 minutes (if after 10 minutes pressure is not released, use a quick-release method to release lid). Remove lid.
3. Add cooked peas and cilantro. Stir well to distribute coconut. Serve topped with plantains.
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