Rice and beans with mandarin oranges and fennel

Rice and beans are a key plant based meal.  Learn to make it lots of different ways.  This version is great served warm on the first day and then cold as leftovers (the mandarin oranges don't hold up well in the microwave).

Try this banging recipe as a large dish, small dish, or over salad greens.  

FYI the inspiration for this recipe came from the Forks Over Knives Cookbook.  I would have straight up stolen their version of the recipe, but I didn't have the exact ingredients.  I also wanted to make my own dressing and throw some basil in there since there has been a basil explosion in my garden.  We'll talk about gardening (even in tight spaces) in the spring, get excited!

Ok so here is what you need...

For the rice and beans:

1 cup of dry brown rice (I used brown basmati, use what you have)

  *Life hack - rice takes 40 minutes to make, so make extra for later, once cooked it freezes well too*

1 fennel bulb also called anise - it tastes sort of like licorice 

1 15oz can of low sodium garbanzo beans aka chick peas, rinsed 

1 15oz can of mandarin orange segments packed in water, drained

a handful of basil

a handful of parsley

red pepper flakes, maybe like a tablespoon, whatever you like 

For the dressing:

1 tablespoon of olive oil

2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar

the zest and juice of an orange or a Meyer lemon if you can find them

a pinch of salt and pepper

maybe a tiny bit of agave nectar if your citrus is sour 

I used a Meyer lemon this time because I am fancy, but an orange works just as well

To make the dressing just put all of the ingredients into a bowl and whisk together.  If you are too lazy to whisk you can also put the ingredients into a mason jar and shake it up.   Set it aside for later.

Get your rice cooking and then cut up your fennel and herbs

Cook up your rice.  Please tell me you know how to make rice.  If not, admit that to no one, but use these very simple instructions.
1. put 1 cup of rice into a sauce pan with 2 and 1/2 cups of water
2. turn the heat up to high and bring to a boil
3. turn heat down to medium-low and let simmer until all of the water is absorbed - it takes about 40 minutes total

FYI brown rice can be cooked covered or uncovered.  If you had to read these instructions you can't be trusted and should probably leave the cover off.

While your rice is cooking, cut the fennel bulb only (not the fronds) into bite sized pieces and chop up the herbs.

Let the rice cool for a few minutes and then put all of the ingredients and dressing into a bowl.

Now just gently stir it all together

This recipe makes about 4 servings...maybe more depending on how hungry you are.

Again this is great by itself as a meal or a smaller portion for a snack.

I know that some of you are thinking "you call that a meal?" I hear you, I used to eat large meals that consisted of a hunk of meat, a vege, and a starch.  But, you've got to change the way you think about food and what defines a meal.  That is why you are reading this blog right?  Stop thinking about a meal as having a main dish and side dishes...and instead think about meals as having large dishes and small dishes.

So for a meal you might have a small dish of grilled portobello mushroom caps, a large dish of steamed broccoli, and a small dish of this rice and beans.  See what I did there?

Happy eating and best health,

Dr. G