Thursday, January 23, 2014

Beans & Rice

New twist on some old staples!
The Red Queen and her kingdom have been enjoying the fruits of Bon Appetit January 2014 issue! Beans and rice are a traditional pairing embraced by many cultures and shine with the addition of sautéed laccinato kale and Shitake mushrooms. The mushrooms are sautéed and tossed with teriyaki sauce. 

In addition to the published recipe, The Red Queen likes to sweat the lentil beans before cooking them. Sweating simply allows the beans to begin cooking from the direct heat before adding the water to finish cooking. To sweat the beans add with desired seasonings to the pot of sautéd leeks and garlic (diced tomatoes or tomato paste is included at this stage of cooking). Reduce heat to med-low, cover and cook about 10 minutes. The water can then be added, brought to a boil, and simmered for 30-40 minutes more (The RQ always adds a hearty bay leaf.). Beans cooked in this way maintain their integrity and don't get mushy. 

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