Light Red Beans and Rice

By Hklbrries

A quick-fix version, low in fat, rich in flavor. Freezes well. The trick to sauteing vegetables without using a lot of oil is to clap on a lid. My recipe calls for two cups each of onions, peppers and celery. If six cups of vegetables were sauteed in the usual manner in just four tablespoons of oil, the vegetables would stick and burn. Sauteing in a lidded pan develops the flavor of the vegetables while preventing them from sticking.

The beans and thickened broth may be ladled over any kind of rice, but I like to use Texmati brown rice to add extra fiber to the meal. The rice, which can be found in many supermarkets, is nutty and sweet.

Both the rice and the red bean mixture freeze well, so cook up a big batch and eat hearty all winter long.

Ingredients

• 2 cups onions, chopped
• 2 cups celery, chopped
• 2 cups green peppers, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 tbsp oil
• 3 tbsp flour
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 2 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 4 cups fat-free vegetable broth
• 1 cup water
• 2 (40 1/2-ounces each) cans dark red kidney beans
• 6 cups brown rice, cooked and hot

Details

Servings 10

Preparation

Step 1

Chop onions, celery and green peppers to medium dice in a food processor. Combine in a bowl with garlic.

Heat oil in a large, deep kettle. Add vegetables and cook and stir for 3 minutes. Cover and cook over low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until very soft.

Add flour to vegetables and increase heat to medium. Cook and stir for 5 minutes. Add seasonings and stir well. Slowly stir in vegetable broth and water. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.

Add kidney beans and simmer for 20 minutes. Serve in bowls over hot rice.