Recipe: Easy Black Beans and Rice

👩‍🍳 This recipe might become one of your staple go-to's because it’s fast, easy, and nutritious.

You can easily whip up a batch on meal prep day and keep it in the fridge to serve as your starch/carb with chicken, fish, or steak. 

It also works great as a salad topper or the base for a plant-based meal.

Makes 6 servings.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (185 g) long-grain brown rice 

• 2 cups (480 ml) low-sodium vegetable broth 

• 1 Tbsp olive oil 

• 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped 

• 2 garlic cloves, minced 

• 1 15-oz (425 g) can black beans, rinsed and drained 

• 1 tsp cumin 

• Sea salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a medium pot over medium heat, bring the rice and broth to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 45 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender. Set aside.

2. Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until it becomes translucent, 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for 30 seconds.

3. Add the beans and rice and cook, stirring frequently, until heated through, about 4-5 minutes. Stir in the cumin and salt & pepper to taste. 

4. Serve warm or keep in the refrigerator. Enjoy!

Recipe by: Dr. Saara Haapanen

Photo Credit: Canva by WS Studio from Getty Images 

Recipe: Coconut Rice with Lentils

🥥 Coconuts make two guest appearances in this recipe.

For a vegan meal, serve this rice & beans dish with a side of broccoli or cauliflower.

It also makes a great side dish for fish or chicken.

Makes 6-8 servings.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (185 g) long-grain brown rice

• 3 cups (720 ml) coconut water

• 1 cup (240 ml) light coconut milk (from a can)

• ½ tsp sea salt

• ½ cup (95 g) lentils, rinsed and drained

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the rice, coconut water, and coconut milk and bring to a boil.

2. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cover, cooking for 5 minutes. Add the lentils and cook for 40-45 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed. 

3. Remove from the heat and let sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff the rice & lentil mixture with a fork and serve.

Recipe by: Dr. Saara Haapanen

Photo Credit: Canva by subodhsathe from Getty Images 

Recipe: 15-Minute Cauliflower Fried Rice

👩‍🍳This is a lower-carb version of fried rice – without the rice.

If you don’t want to “rice” the cauliflower yourself, pick up a bag of frozen cauliflower rice at the grocery store.

Makes 4 servings.

Ingredients:

• 1 head cauliflower

• 1 bag frozen mixed vegetables

• 2 Tbsp olive oil

• 3 large eggs

• ¼ cup coconut aminos

• Optional toppings: lemon quarters, cilantro, parsley, or green onions

Directions:

1. Wash and dry the cauliflower and chop it into florets.

2. Place the florets in your food processor and pulse until a rice-like consistency is formed. Depending on the size of your processor, you’ll probably have to do this in batches.

3. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When it’s hot, add the cauliflower and vegetables. Stirring frequently, saute for about 10 minutes. 

4. While it’s cooking, whisk the three eggs together in a small bowl.

5. When the mixture reaches the desired tenderness, pour in the eggs and cook, stirring, until it is combined and the eggs are cooked through. Stir in the coconut aminos.

6. Remove from the heat and add optional toppings. Serve and enjoy!

Recipe by: Dr. Saara Haapanen

Photo Credit: Canva by marinrlee from Getty Images 

Recipe: Spinach Feta Turkey Burgers with Lemon Dill Rice

Greek Inspired Cuisine

1 Serving

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Burger Ingredients:

• 5 oz ground turkey (sub ground chicken)

• ⅙ cup feta cheese (sub blue cheese, gorgonzola, goat cheese)

• ⅓ cup frozen spinach, thawed and water squeezed out

• ⅓ clove garlic, minced

• ⅙ tsp salt

• ⅓ Tbsp olive oil

Rice Ingredients:

• ⅓ Tbsp olive oil

• ⅙ tsp salt

• ⅓ cup water

• ¼ cup rice (sub farro or couscous)

• 1 tsp dried dill (sub 1 Tbsp fresh dill if you have it)

• ⅓ lemon zest (wash it well)

Bell Pepper Ingredients:

• ⅓ Tbsp olive oil

• ⅓ large red bell pepper, chopped into strips

• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Start the rice: Add the rice and olive oil to a pot over medium heat. Stir to combine and let the rice toast for 5 minutes. Then add the water and dill. Stir once, then bring to a boil. Cover, reduce to a simmer, and let it cook for 10-15 minutes/ Turn off the heat and let the rice steam for an additional 10 minutes. Uncover it when it’s done and let it sit/cool for a bit.

2. In a bowl, add the ground turkey, feta, drained spinach, garlic, and salt. Mix well to combine. Form 6 small or 3 large patties with your hands and place them on a plate. To make it easier, let the mixture chill for a few minutes in the fridge (otherwise it’s pretty sticky) before forming the patties.

3. Heat a non-stick skillet, cast iron skillet, or grill pan over medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Add 1 Tbsp olive oil (or a high heat oil if you have it, like coconut or avocado oil), and let it warm up for 2 minutes. Then add the patties to the pan. Cook on each side for 5-7 minutes over medium heat depending on the size. When they’re done, they should be pretty firm, but not hard, to the touch. Remove from the pan and set aside.

4. In the same pan, add 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add the bell pepper strips with a salt and pepper, then turn up the heat to medium-high. Stir/flip the peppers every few minutes until they’re done to your liking! I cooked mine for about 10 minutes.

5. Finish the rice: to the rice, add 1 tsp of lemon zest (2 if you doubled the recipe) and juice from ½ a lemon. Mix with a fork, taste, and adjust flavors if needed (I added more salt). Cut the remaining lemon into wedges for garnish.

6. Assemble: Add a layer of rice to each container, followed by the burgers, bell peppers, and lemon wedge for garnish. That’s it!

Photo Credit: Canva by dinoforlena from Getty Images