While I am aware of her enjoyment of beans, it does strike me as funny sometimes. Last week, my husband was going to be traveling for two nights. He is not a fan of legumes, which our daughter is quite aware of. Once she knew he would be away, she asked if she could choose a dinner. Not having to think of a menu works for me, so I asked what she’d want. Her reply, “Rice and beans.”
What is important to note is that I’ve never made rice and beans before. Also, I don’t think she realized that most rice and beans recipes have meat included. What she really wanted was kidney beans, rice, and a little bit of seasoning. It seemed simple enough to create, I just hoped it would taste as good as planned.
The dinner ended up being a hit with three of us who were dining. Even her 15 year old brother enjoyed the meal (with a side of leftover meatballs to fill his carnivorous cravings). For a quick and healthy meal, this is worth a try.
- 1 15 oz. can kidney beans
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 2 Tb. tomato paste
- 1 tsp. garlic salt
- cooked rice
- Place kidney beans in a strainer, rinse and drain well.
- Place kidney beans in a small crockpot or in a small saucepot. Add broth, tomate paste, and garlic salt.
- Stir to combine. Turn crockpot onto low or place saucepot over low heat.
- Simmer for 1-2 hours. (Do not simmer longer or beans will become too soft.)
- To serve, place a scoop of cooked rice in a bowl and top with a scoop of beans and their liquid.
