One of my most favorite activities of childhood was immersing
myself in a good book while having something equally good to eat. I loved it so much that I would
actually tell my friends I wasn’t home just so I could stay in and do
this. Yes, I was totally that kid who preferred staying indoors with a book than running outside in the sunshine. I admit my total lack of athletic skill may
have something to do with this as well. And
holing up reading and eating is not, by any stretch of the imagination, an ideal activity for physical
well-being. But there you have it – food
and books, a part of me since forever.
myself in a good book while having something equally good to eat. I loved it so much that I would
actually tell my friends I wasn’t home just so I could stay in and do
this. Yes, I was totally that kid who preferred staying indoors with a book than running outside in the sunshine. I admit my total lack of athletic skill may
have something to do with this as well. And
holing up reading and eating is not, by any stretch of the imagination, an ideal activity for physical
well-being. But there you have it – food
and books, a part of me since forever.
A dish I loved to have during these moments was
beans and rice. It was hearty, delicious,
and, most importantly, it could be mixed in a bowl and eaten with a spoon, thus
only requiring one hand…leaving the other hand free for the book (and one-handed
page flipping…a skill I was most adept at, even if it didn’t make my parent’s
list of approved sports). The beans
could be monggo guisado, lentejas, or, the absolute top of my list, my mother’s
fabada. Warm in a bowl, smushed together
with the rice, and drizzled liberally with olive oil and vinegar. Oh my stars!
Heaven.
beans and rice. It was hearty, delicious,
and, most importantly, it could be mixed in a bowl and eaten with a spoon, thus
only requiring one hand…leaving the other hand free for the book (and one-handed
page flipping…a skill I was most adept at, even if it didn’t make my parent’s
list of approved sports). The beans
could be monggo guisado, lentejas, or, the absolute top of my list, my mother’s
fabada. Warm in a bowl, smushed together
with the rice, and drizzled liberally with olive oil and vinegar. Oh my stars!
Heaven.
So when I came across some interesting new beans and rice
from some of my favorite local purveyors, I knew what I was going to do. This is a lighter version of my childhood
beans and rice, but satisfying all the same.
The tapilan (rice bean – they look like monggo but slightly longer and
thinner) and black eyed peas were from my favorite general store in the universe. The patani (lima beans) were
from my neighborhood market. And the
purple rice is from the Cordilleras, and only harvested once a year.
from some of my favorite local purveyors, I knew what I was going to do. This is a lighter version of my childhood
beans and rice, but satisfying all the same.
The tapilan (rice bean – they look like monggo but slightly longer and
thinner) and black eyed peas were from my favorite general store in the universe. The patani (lima beans) were
from my neighborhood market. And the
purple rice is from the Cordilleras, and only harvested once a year.
Beans and Rice
- Olive oil
- 1 red onion, cut into wedges
- 3 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1/2 cup cooked tapilan (rice bean)
- 1/2 cup cooked black eyed peas
- 1/2 cup cooked patani (lima beans)
- 1/4 teaspoon pimenton de La Vera (or any smoked paprika, or
even chipotle powder) - 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
- 1 cup cooked purple rice (or more, this is flexible)
– Heat a skillet or a wok over medium-high heat. When hot add a couple of swirls of olive
oil. When the oil is hot add the onion
and garlic. Sauté until the onion is
soft and the garlic is golden brown.
oil. When the oil is hot add the onion
and garlic. Sauté until the onion is
soft and the garlic is golden brown.
– Add the beans and toss a couple of times. Season with sea salt, freshly cracked black
pepper, and the pimenton. Toss again.
pepper, and the pimenton. Toss again.
– Add balsamic vinegar and toss until it is mixed through the
beans. Add the parsley, another swirl (or
two) of olive oil, adjust seasoning, toss once more, and take off the heat.
beans. Add the parsley, another swirl (or
two) of olive oil, adjust seasoning, toss once more, and take off the heat.
– Divide your rice between 2 bowls. Top each mound of rice with the beans. Serve with extra olive oil and balsamic
vinegar for drizzling.
vinegar for drizzling.
I know what you’re thinking. What this recipe fails to mention is that you
need to cook 3 different sets of beans separately, plus the rice. Before you get all up in arms, let me
explain. Yes, this requires a bit of
prep and more than your fair share of washing up, but you can make batches of
everything and keep the extra in the fridge — and have the makings of many
delicious salads, wraps, sidings, dips, soups, and even fritters! So let me just put that out there as defense
for all preliminary preparations.
I make all the beans in much the same way except for
their cooking time, which differs for each, thus the need to cook them all
separately. The patani, being fresh,
cooks the fastest, and the black eyed peas take the longest, with the tapilan
somewhere in between. The patani gets
peeled and just very quickly blanched until tender. The tapilan and black eyed peas are simmered
in a lot of water, each in their own pot, until tender. I cook them until soft but not too
mushy. You want them to still maintain
their shape. The good news is that these
are all relatively quick cooking, all taking under an hour. Once soft, I strain the beans and transfer to
a plate to dry a bit before storing in the fridge. The rice, like most of my rice, was made (perfectly
I might add) in my trusty rice cooker (an essential, non-negotiable appliance
in my book).
their cooking time, which differs for each, thus the need to cook them all
separately. The patani, being fresh,
cooks the fastest, and the black eyed peas take the longest, with the tapilan
somewhere in between. The patani gets
peeled and just very quickly blanched until tender. The tapilan and black eyed peas are simmered
in a lot of water, each in their own pot, until tender. I cook them until soft but not too
mushy. You want them to still maintain
their shape. The good news is that these
are all relatively quick cooking, all taking under an hour. Once soft, I strain the beans and transfer to
a plate to dry a bit before storing in the fridge. The rice, like most of my rice, was made (perfectly
I might add) in my trusty rice cooker (an essential, non-negotiable appliance
in my book).
Once you have your beans and rice ready, the rest is quick
as can be. In fact, you want the least
time in the pan as possible. The more
you cook and “handle” the beans the more likely they are to become mush. I prefer to toss the beans rather than stir
as this is much gentler on them. You
should also make sure your pan is really nice and hot. Everything told, this will all take less than
5 minutes.
as can be. In fact, you want the least
time in the pan as possible. The more
you cook and “handle” the beans the more likely they are to become mush. I prefer to toss the beans rather than stir
as this is much gentler on them. You
should also make sure your pan is really nice and hot. Everything told, this will all take less than
5 minutes.
There is just something so wholesome about beans and
rice. It’s good, honest food…the very
type of food I enjoy most. The earthy beans,
the soft bed of rice, the flavorful slick of olive oil, and the sweet bracing vinegar
— piled in a big bowl, spoon in one hand, book in another, and I am transported
back to one of my best loved memories of my childhood…which continues to be a
well loved part of my life now. A bowl
of delicious sustenance and a journey through a good book gives me as much satisfaction and delight now as it did then.
rice. It’s good, honest food…the very
type of food I enjoy most. The earthy beans,
the soft bed of rice, the flavorful slick of olive oil, and the sweet bracing vinegar
— piled in a big bowl, spoon in one hand, book in another, and I am transported
back to one of my best loved memories of my childhood…which continues to be a
well loved part of my life now. A bowl
of delicious sustenance and a journey through a good book gives me as much satisfaction and delight now as it did then.
A mouthwatering combination! This dish is fabulous.
Cheers,
Rosa
Beans and rice my favorite dishes. I love it. I really happy to read your post. Bcuase this is also my favorite dish. It also my best loved memories of my childhood. Thanks for sharing…….
Yum! Perfect for a meatless meal. Can you imagine if you threw in some morcilla or chorizo or thick bacon or…
Jeez! Temptation on a Lenten Friday.
😉 Delightful Joey! I'm pretty much totally cooking my beans from dried anymore, no more cans. I cook them in big batches and freeze in quart z-loc bags. This sounds just the way to do your 3 bean dish.
Gorgeous looking bowl!
Another recipe added to my must-try list! And since I'm a bean-lover myself (patani tops my list) hmmm must cook this really soon! Have a great weekend 🙂
I agree about the prep. Beans are so simple yet so lengthy to prepare. I hope someday I will get to taste Fabada. I have read so much about it, but don't know a place in Manila where it is served well. 🙂 Maybe a fabada recipe someday?:) Good summer recipe this 🙂
Wow…this is a very convenience meal to eat. This is a great meal when you have some good TV shows to catch up. Watch and eat at the same time… 🙂
Beans and rice are so good together, some true comfort food however, it sounds wierd to me to make it for breakfast, my husband doen't think so. . .hmmmm maybe ill have to make this some morning. . .
Thanks Rosa! 🙂
Hi Cupcakes toronto! This is also a well-loved dish for me 🙂
Hi Mieke! So much for meatless! Haha! But I definitely thought about chorizo and bacon with this too!! Next time 😉
Hi Tanna! I should do that more often too! So much better than canned 🙂
Hi Faye! Hope you try and enjoy this! I love patani…discovered it late in life and am making up for lost time 🙂
Hi Shalum! I have a fabada recipe but the quantities are not really written in stone (still a lot by feel)…if you don't mind approximations just let me know and I can email it to you 🙂
Hi love cooking! Definitely convenient 🙂
Hi Kindra! I didn't actually make this for breakfast…despite the title, this blog encompasses all meals 🙂
It reads like a super-fiddly recipe, but it seems that the results are deliciously worth all that effort!
I love the combination of beans and rice! Love this post and enjoyed your story! Gorgeous pic, too! Thanks for sharing this delightful recipe, Joey!
I love this kind of meal, too! Fantastic!
i just smiled at the thought of staying at home than go out…i had the same phase as a young adult. like you, i'd rather read 🙂
that one hand flipping is indeed a skill 🙂 often when i read, i would change positions (of course because i am also eating)just to be comfortable.
thanks for introducing me to these awesome beans…have to tyr them one time 🙂
Wow! I'm so honored! Only if you have time, my e-mail is shalum_u@yahoo.com.Super big thank you!:)And yes, I prefer approximations 🙂 Makes cooking feel like art!:D
yummm I LOVE THESE BEANS as salad but this is perfect as well…
yummm I LOVE THESE BEANS as salad but this is perfect as well…
Hi Midge! It is worth the effort 🙂 And I love having cooked beans and rice in the fridge to throw together for quick meals during the week 🙂
Hi Betty Ann! Beans and rice are so classic right? 🙂 Thanks!
Hi Anh! Thanks! 🙂
Hi Dudut! Hehe, then you can relate! Still love to read so much! Changing positions is also key to the reading+eating skills 😉
Hi Shalum! Will send it along shortly! 🙂
Hi Sha! I’ll try them as a salad next time!
Just by looking at this dish is making me feel healthy already. I like my meal to be colorful. A colorful dish not only looks healthy but does favours to your body as well.
Oh, I am so happy to know you love beans. I'm a bean eater myself and was reminded by this post to cook some. Thanks for the recipe!