Styling and photography by Hudi Greenberger

Baked Beans and Rice

This is a classic, nutritious dish that’s full of flavor, making it the perfect comfort food. It also qualifies as an inexpensive and filling main dish. Rice and beans combined make a complete protein, supplying all the essential amino acids found in dairy, meat, chicken, and fish.

Serves 5–6 as a main dish, 7–8 as a side

• 1½ cups basmati rice (uncooked)
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp paprika
• black pepper, to taste
• scant ½ tsp oregano
• ½–1 tsp honey (optional)
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup salsa (I used mild)
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 1½ cups cooked white beans (see note), or canned beans, drained
• ½ cup frozen peas
• ‎⅓ red pepper, diced
• 1½ cups water
• 1½ Tbsp pareve chicken soup mix
• 2–3 frozen cubes cilantro, defrosted

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).

Place the rice into a large round Pyrex dish. Add all the spices and the olive oil and mix together well. Smooth out top. Carefully pour salsa and tomato sauce over the rice. Place the beans on top in one area, peas in another area, and diced red pepper in a third.

Combine water with chicken soup mix and carefully pour it over all the ingredients in the Pyrex dish. Sprinkle cilantro all over. Place a piece of parchment paper, cut to size, over the dish. Cover well with foil. (This is so the steam stays in the dish, and the rice becomes light, fluffy, and delicious.)

Place the dish in the oven and bake for one hour or until rice is completely cooked. Remove from oven and let sit for a few minutes. Fluff and mix. Serve hot.

Note: To prepare the beans, clean and rinse 1 cup of dry white beans. Soak in a large bowl, covering with water by a few inches. Leave overnight. (Soaking shortens cooking time and makes the beans more digestible.) Drain. Transfer to a small pot. Cover with 3 cups water, bring to a boil, and cook for 45 minutes or until almost soft. Drain. Use 1½ cups for this recipe (1 cup dry beans yields approximately 2½ cups cooked), and freeze the rest in small ziplock bags. Add to vegetable soup, cholent, etc. You’ll be one step ahead!

Tip: This recipe lends itself to personalization. You can add corn instead of — or in addition to — the peas, or use a mixture of peas and carrots. Use spicy salsa if you like. If you prefer a very saucy dish, add more tomato sauce. You can even experiment with different types of beans.

(Originally featured in Family Table, Issue 723)