Tasty Tuesday: Spicy Rainbow Rice

Happy Tasty Tuesday y’all!

I’m excited to share this recipe with you because it’s one of my new favorites. It requires little prep work & is balanced enough (or nearly enough) not to require a side (but don’t let me hold you back!). It’s also a versatile recipe that could use almost any seasonal vegetables. In addition, it’s got just enough kick to impress the Hubs without sending me into a heated fury to refill the Brita pitcher every five seconds. Plus: this recipe yields about 8 servings so you can eat for days with little effort! Win!

 

A few weeks ago I saw The April Blake‘s pot full of color on Instagram. My admiration led to April generously sharing the original recipe (from Oh She Glows who had adapted it from the Vegan Yum Yum Cookbook) with me. Here’s my spin on it!

Spicy Rainbow Rice and Black Beans

Ingredients:

• 1 cup uncooked basmati rice
• 1 TBSP oil (I prefer EVOO)
• 1 sweet onion, chopped
• 1 cup baby carrots, chopped
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 can black beans, drained & rinsed
• 3 TBSP soy sauce
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 tsp Earth Balance (or butter)

Directions:

1. Begin by cooking the basmati rice according to the package directions.

Secret from my Momma’s kitchen: make sure you cover the rice & do not lift the lid before it’s done. You’ll know it’s done when you see little holes peeking through from the lid.

2. Chop the onion and baby carrots.

Lazy cook tip: chop these bad boys up on Sunday to save time after work.

Another tip: if spices are being added at the same time during the recipe (like in this one), measure them out in a small bowl and set aside until you need them.

3. In a skillet, heat oil over medium. Add the onion and saute. Once the onion begins to turn golden (~3-4 mins.), add carrots and continue to saute for about 2-3 minutes, stirring often. Add spices and garlic. Stir until mixture is evenly coated with spices.

4. Stir soy sauce & black beans into mixture. Heat for about 5 minutes.

Lazy cook tip: invest in a sieve and use it to rinse any canned beans you cook with (this cuts the sodium making canned beans a great time-saving alternative to dried beans).

5. Add the frozen peas and corn to the mix (stir well) and heat for about 5 minutes.

Since your pan is starting to fill up, now’s a good time to utilize your furry helpers in case you have any runaway peas or carrots.

6. Fluff the rice and stir in the teaspoon of Earth Balance (or butter).

I’m pretty sure you could omit the Earth Balance or butter altogether to save some calories, but I was really curious to try out Earth Balance so I’ve been keeping this step in.

7. Grab a large bowl and add the rice then top with the bean mixture & stir until evenly mixed. Serve & enjoy!