Beans and Rice with Veggies

Autumn invites cozy meals that use up pantry items, when the cold makes you want to stay inside. Beans and Rice are traditional combinations in many cultures, this one has added vegetables. I added greens at the end and red wine in the middle to make the dish richer. The secret ingredient from a chef friend is cocoa powder, adding a depth that tasters can’t always identify but that makes it taste better! I had been away a month in Israel and didn’t have a full pantry—so I used what veggies I had picked up without a list and what beans I had on hand. That’s what I love about this dish—so expandable and tasty with basic ingredients and spices. It lasts several days in the refrigerator and freezes well. And in the autumn, a bit of maple syrup for sweetening just perfect.

Beans and Rice with Veggies

Serves 6-8

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 stalk celery

2 bell peppers, seeded and diced, color of choice

1 zucchini, chunked

1 carrot, cut into 1/2” slices, halved first if large

4 garlic cloves, minced

3 tablespoons tomato paste

1/4 teaspoon coriander

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano or 2 teaspoons of fresh oregano leaves

1 teaspoon cocoa powder (not cocoa mix!)

2 15.5-ounce cans beans with liquid: pinto, red, black or cannellini

1 cup basmati or favorite rice

1 teaspoon maple syrup, more to taste

Warm oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until onions are transparent. Add celery, bell peppers, zucchini and carrot. Sauté for 2-3 minutes then add garlic and stir for 1 minute, being careful not to let garlic burn.
Add tomato paste, cumin, oregano, coriander and cocoa. Stir. Add bell peppers and stir to coat.
Drain beans, reserving liquid in a measuring cup. Add enough water to measure 3 cups.
Add liquid to skillet and stir.
Add beans, rice and sugar. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer and cover. Cook for about 40 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice and carrots are tender. The cooking time will depend also on the kind of rice you are using. Brown rice will take longer to become soft.
Remove from heat and let sit, covered, for 5 additional minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning. Stir to combine.
How to serve:
1. Serve in a bowl. Garnish with a lime wedge, sliced green onion tops and several briny olives for each serving.
2. Place 2 heaping tablespoons in a soft tortilla and roll, keeping in place with a toothpick.
3. Add salsa, spicy according to taste.

Expandthetable suggestions

Meaty: Add 1 pound ground meat after step 2.

Cheesy: Add 1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese before serving.

Spicy: Add 1 tablespoon Sriracha or hot chili peppers for spicy, hot flavor

Add greens: Add 1 cup frozen or fresh spinach when skillet is removed from heat and sitting for 5 minutes.

Red wine: Add 1/2 cup red wine, added after step 2. Stir 1-2 minutes until the mixture bubbles. Then continue with step 3.

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Each of the ten stories incorporated into Jeanne Boulay’s What Keeps Us features women fighting family problems, for her place in society and the larger impersonal forces, such as the Great Depression, the Blizzard of 1888 or the Civil War. The women, no matter how the stories resolves, are strong despite their encounters and the darkness evident in each life. The central place of the Green-Wood cemetery in Brooklyn, from the years 1860-2020, firmly anchor the plots.

The thread tying together the stories, all connected to Green-Wood Cemetery, reveal women’s struggles and life battles that we all fight, no matter the era, status or circumstances. The connections in these beautifully written stories are across time and place.

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