Classic Rice and Beans

Happy Monday! After an exciting weekend seeing old friends at the Head of the Charles, things are winding down and hopefully soon returning to a normal pace. Besides the Charles, lots of other exciting things happened, including my very first cyclocross ride and my first recipe featured on findingvegan.com!

To help slow things down, today I'm sharing a vegetarian classic: rice and beans. Kidney beans are a complete source of protein, and rice is deficient in lysine but that deficiency is made up by the addition of corn. Rice and beans are a weekday go-to for me, but this is the version I make when someone's coming over or I just want something a little bit more flavorful. I hope you enjoy this classic as much as I do!

Remember the old saying, "variety is the spice of live"? Well, there was something to that! Unlike meat, most vegetarian proteins don't contain all of the essential amino acids (explained here) in one source, so several protein sources should be eaten together (or throughout the day or week) to make sure you're getting enough of all of the amino acids. Often, vegan sources of protein are low in lysine which is critical in building and repairing muscles.

Classic Rice and Beans

1/2 green pepper, diced
3 scallions, diced
1 vegetable bullion cube
pinch garlic (and chili pepper if you like it spicy!)
2T taco seasoning
1 cup brown rice
2 1/2c water (or whatever you particular package suggests)

1 can red kidney beans

1 cup corn

Sautee scallions, green peppers, and garlic in a little bit of vegetable broth. Add rice to the pan and toast it for one minute, then add the water and bullion. Cook the rice as usual, letting the spices and flavors be absorbed. Once the rice is cooked, turn down the heat and add the corn and beans. Stir until everything is is warm and it looks delicious. Enjoy!