Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Rice and Beans: The Perfect Meal

This is the century of culinary science, molecular cuisine, and other food fads. It may as well be happening in a parallel universe as far as this blogger is concerned. I had four meals today, three out of which were the same one: rice and beans generously sprinkled with crumbled queso fresco and chopped up fresh cilantro. (I put so much chopped cilantro on top, it may as well be a small salad.) I bet there's a scientific reason why I find this meal so satisfying. Anyone knows what it is?

Here is the recipe for my perfect meal. I make long grain white rice with a bit of salt and butter. No rinsing before or after. The beans are usually pinto beans from a can. I don't just empty a can on top of my rice; I always improvise a base out of whatever I have at hand. Today I sauteed some chopped onion, jalapeno peppers, garlic, and tomatoes, using sunflower oil, with a little chicken broth. Then I simmered that and the beans together after throwing in a bit of Goya's all-purpose Adobo seasoning. Also a bit of chili seasoning.

Rice and beans, a recipe I perfected solely for my palate. For my appetite first as a grad student and now a teacher at the very bottom of the pay scale at my university.

Rice and beans, my protein trampoline.

3 comments:

Clem said...

"Rice and beans, my protein trampoline." Well, you can always get into advertisement if uni refuses to pay you (can't believe it happened to you in the US of A!! I thought it was just Croatia/Filozofski fakultet u Zagrebu). But please keep on telling us about your meals, it's like food porn for me! Yes I have a queso fresco and coriander fetish!

Snezana Zabic said...

I always think of you when I post food entries, Clem!

ksenija said...

well, rice and beans do form a complete protein. they need each other, you may say. maybe that's why they are so satisfying together.