Black beans and brown rice, vegan, clean, gluten-free and so appetizing

By Gloria Stovall

I am passionate about cooking, baking and experimenting with various ingredients to create mouthwatering vegan dishes without using excessive salt, sugar and other unhealthy ingredients.  Truth be known, I was once a “junk food” vegan as I was unfortunately hooked on devouring processed vegan food including the tasty vegan meat substitutes such as Boca Burgers, Tofurkey, Gardein’s meatless meatballs, bacon, chicken, and sausage, Morning Star’s veggie burgers, the Beyond Burger and Impossible Burger, Lightlife’s meatless patties, Field Roast’s Italian sausages and hot dogs.  There is nothing wrong with eating these scrumptious vegan meat substitutes; but one should only do it in moderation, as consuming processed foods excessively on a daily basis can be detrimental to your health.  These flavorful meat substitutes products are loaded with tons of sodium, gluten wheat fillers, soy, preservatives and a wealth of ingredients one should not be consuming in excess.  There are “junk food” vegans in which one should not strive to be; and “clean vegans” in which we should all strive to be when going vegan as eating plant protein in its natural state, is what will make the body thrive and fight against diseases. 

One of my favorite vegan dishes to make is black beans and brown rice as it is a complete protein meal; in other words, it has the nine essential amino acids that are needed to form a complete protein.  Beans by themselves are an incomplete protein as well as brown rice; but when these two foods are combined, they are complete proteins, which is the type of protein our bodies need.   The majority of animal protein is naturally complete so when one goes vegan, they must know how to continue to get the complete protein their bodies need to survive and thrive. 

I am going to share one of my signature black beans and brown rice recipes as I believe you will absolutely love and benefit from this yummy dish, which is naturally vegan and gluten-free.  Black beans are naturally high in protein, fiber, healthy carbohydrates, and cancer fighting omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, vitamin and minerals including manganese, magnesium and thiamin. 

This dish can be made with organic ingredients too.

3 cups of black beans (dry or canned).  If you use canned beans, I recommend buying the reduced sodium version.

2 cups of whole brown rice (brown rice has high dietary fiber and magnesium)

½ tsp. oregano (oregano has natural antioxidants and fights infections)

½ tsp. black pepper (black pepper is high in antioxidants)

¼ tsp. red pepper (red pepper is an excellent source of vitamin A and C)

1 tbsp. coconut oil or olive oil (these oils are beneficial for the heart, body and skin)

½ tsp. salt (I do not like too much salt but you can add as much as desired)

¾ cup chopped onion (onions fight inflammation and reduce cholesterol levels)

2 garlic cloves chopped (garlic reduces heart disease and improves memory)

½ cup chopped bell pepper (bell peppers are rich in potassium, vitamin A and C)

There are numerous ways to prepare black beans and brown rice but I am personally fond of cooking everything together in one pot so all of the ingredients can blend together for a richer flavor.  If you are cooking black beans that are dry from the bag, you will need to rinse and soak them overnight in a large cooking pot; and in the morning drain the water from the pot and add fresh water.  Rinse the brown rice very well and add it to the pot with the beans. Next you want to add all of your ingredients and bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and cook for at least two hours.  Please note beans from the can do not take nearly as long to cook as dry beans; and brown rice depending on the type you buy can take up to 45 minutes to cook.  There is parboiled rice, which is rice that has been partially boiled in the husk-thus reducing cooking time; and brown rice that has never been cooked, which can take longer to cook.  I use both versions of brown rice contingent on how much time I want to spend in the kitchen, as they are both 100% brown rice, healthy and nutritious.  

On average this dish takes anywhere from 45 minutes to 2 ½ hours to cook depending on the type of beans and brown rice you use.  The key to preparing fluffy brown rice is making sure it is thoroughly cooked without using too much water and when you cook the beans with the rice together in the same pot, you will be able to gauge how much water you need to add to the beans to keep them from sticking as well as noticing if the brown rice is getting tender and fluffy.   Once the black beans and brown rice have finished cooking, remove the pot from heat and let it sit for about 15 minutes and enjoy as is or add fresh raw mushrooms with avocado.  

Thank you so much for reading my blog posts and following me!  I greatly appreciate you and wish you a fantastic day!