Vegetarian, vegan and pescaterian meals are commonplace in some of the oldest healthy living people on earth.
So why don’t more people skip animal protein? Read more about this here.
The biggest kickback I’ve heard regarding adopting a pesca-vegan lifestyle, is the perceived lack of flavor and repetitive nature of meals. Plus, “I’m going to miss meat too much…” “I can’t stand tofu…” “it’s too strict…” “I can’t eat out…”
While our bodies don’t need complete protein at every single meal to get sufficient essential amino acids, we do need a variety of protein throughout the day. I talk more about this in my post “7 Easy Ways to Turn an Old Pasta into a New Dish“.
I think I’ve got a winner recipe that’s yummy enough to appeal to carnivores, sufficiently nourishing to provide solid protein, versatile enough to satisfy your personal preferences, and simple enough to make quickly.
$ – Savvy: This recipe delivers all of the essential amino acids in three different saucy ways! A-grades all around.
Rice n’ Beans Gets Fancy
Equipment
- rice cooker (or pot of water), skillet, steamer (or microwavable bowl), Corning ware or large bowl, spoon, tongues, knife, stove, food processor or blender
Ingredients
Core Meal
- 2 cups White Basmati Rice (4 cups cooked)
- 1.5 cans Organic Black Beans
- ½ pound Large Carrots
- 12 oz Organic Kale fresh, whole
- 1 tsp Organic Turmeric
- 2 tsp 21 Seasoning Salute
- 2 tsp Black Peppercorn fresh ground
- 4 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Sauce 1 – Spiced Pumpkin & Sunflower (thick and creamy)
- 1 cup Sunflower Seeds roasted, lightly salted
- 1 cup Organic Canned Pumpkin or scratch
- 1.5 tsp Ground Ginger
- ½ tsp Garlic Powder
- 4 tbsp Coconut Milk
- 2 tsp Black Peppercorn fresh ground
Sauce 2 – Trader Joe's Sweet Chili Sauce
- 8 tbsp Trader Joe's Sweet Chili Sauce 1 tbsp per serving
Sauce 3 – Spiced Creamy Basil & Coconut
- ½ oz Fresh Basil minced or pureed
- ⅓ cup Cilantro fresh
- ¾ cup Coconut Milk canned
- 2 tsp Chopped Garlic fresh
- 1.5 tsp Organic Hot Thai Curry Seasoning
- 3 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Instructions
- Cook the rice per package instructions. I recommend using a rice cooker.
While the rice is cooking:
- Cut the carrots length-wise in half and then slice into 1/4" or smaller pieces. Feel free to quarter the carrots before chopping.Add the carrots to a steamer or pot with a steamer insert and 1" of water. Cook about 3-5 minutes until done to your liking.
- Wash the kale. I recommend reducing waste and increasing nutrients by keeping the stems. How?Roll each kale leaf around the stem, hold it snug against your cutting board, then proceed with thin slices down the stem. This reduces "kale stem flavor" but keeps a nice crunch.
- Cook the chopped kale on medium heat in a skillet with 1 tbsp olive oil. Toss frequently.
- Beans: either make from scratch (pressure cook to remove most lectins) or purchase organic canned bean and rinse thoroughly before using. I use a sieve to rinse these.Open the beans, rinse them thoroughly and add to Corning ware or microwave safe dish. Place in microwave on medium power for about 5 minutes, stir once.
- Once the rice is finished cooking, add it to the beans and toss these with the remaining olive oil and spices.
- Add your kale and cooked carrots, and toss everything together to coat. Add more spices to taste. *avoid adding salt.
Sauce 1
- In a small food processor or sturdy blender, puree: the sunflower seeds and pumpkin. After a consistent puree is formed, add the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.
Sauce 2
- Open the sweet chili sauce bottle and pass it around. Serving size is 1 tablespoon.
Sauce 3
- In a small food processor or sturdy blender, combine all of the ingredients and blend until a consistent puree (or near puree) is formed. If you like chunks in your sauce, then stop early.
Notes
- Serve with raw carrots or shred them and toss with apple cider vinegar and olive oil as a side salad!
- NUTRITION FACTS LABEL: Calculates nutrition for Plain PLUS Sauce 1 (Spiced Pumpkin & Sunflower)*
Nutrition
For the Number Crunchers:
Here’s a table with Cost and Calorie details for every possible combination of recipe and sauces.
QUICK n’ EASY CHEAP SIDES (that work) and what they’ll cost you:
- Whole Raw Carrots (washed/peeled/potentially cut):
- Add about $6.50 to the monthly cost or $0.06 per plate. This side adds about 25 healthy calories to each plate.
- DO: 1/2 pound raw carrots, wash/peel, chop off the ends and consider cutting into strips (time permitting).
- Raw Carrot Salad (washed, peeled or grated by you, tossed in dressing):
- Add about $10 to the monthly cost or $0.13 per plate. This side adds about 50 healthy calories to each plate.
- DO: 1/2 pound raw carrots, grate or peel. Toss in 2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil and 1 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar.
If you’re looking for less calories per plate, simply serve up a little less. A couple of the sauced recipes have a higher number of calories per plate even before adding a side dish. Maybe you have 8 dinner servings & 1 lunch!
I have clients who will pre-portion out separate servings of a dish to help ensure they’re getting the nutrients they need, not extras. It also helps unsure you’ll have enough food to last for the next go-around of this meal!
What isn’t there to love about a recipe that at its core is simple healthy nourishment with three very different looks for cheap?
If you made this recipe last week with one sauce, go ahead and try it again with a different one! Consider using different beans, like pinto beans, navy beans, Cannellini beans, or even those massive Greek gigante beans (spendy but creamy).
LUNCH TIP: This meal serves such a big crowd that it’s easy to add a couple extra handfuls of greens, rice and beans, and pack a gourmet lunch with the abundance! You don’t need to make a pretty sandwich or a fancy salad from scratch. $ – Savvy: Consider adding a string cheese stick for kiddos to boost calcium and protein, plus a side of carrots for cheap – they’re loaded with great vitamins like beta-carotene (natural Vitamin A) and vitamin C.
Plate is compartmentalized for show. **Raw carrots are NOT recommended for very young children. Sub: well-steamed chopped carrots & cut up the cheese stick**
I am not a pediatric nutrition expert, but I’ll share a tip that helps me with my little: when our plates nearly match (in types of food present), my little is much more likely to enjoy her plate as much as I’ll eat mine!
Here’s a table with external links for each recipe ingredient (plus a few alternate ingredient ideas). As previously mentioned, prices vary per region, season, city, store and personal preference for brand or specific type of food item.
| Core Recipe (Plain) | Sauce 1 (Pumpkin & Sunflower) | Sauce 3 (Coconut Basil) |
| White Basmati Rice or TJ’s or other | Sunflower Seeds (hulled)** **(May contain peanut oil) or Raw (hulled) | Fresh Basil (TJ’s Whole Plant = best $) or local store basil (2x the $) |
| Organic Canned Black Beans | Organic Canned Pumpkin or TJ’s | Cilantro or Organic |
| Organic Kale | Ground Ginger | Organic Hot Thai Curry Seasoning |
| Organic Large Carrots (Costco – huge bulk) In autumn I use a TON of carrots = Costco. soups, sides, snacks, this dish, appetizers… | Garlic Powder | Chopped Garlic |
| Extra Virgin Olive Oil (organic) | Coconut Milk | Coconut Milk |
| Black Peppercorn | Black Peppercorn | Extra Virgin Olive Oil (organic) |
| Organic Turmeric | Sauce 3 (easy buy) | *extra core idea: Shallots |
| 21 Seasoning Salute (TJ’s) or THIS (2x the $) | Trader Joe’s Sweet Chili Sauce | *extra core idea: Onion |
TJ’s = Trader Joe’s . Sam’s = Sam’s Club
