Rice and Beans

I always recommend dry, raw ingredients over canned.  There is more flavor and more nutrients when you cook from scratch, plus you get to decide the ingredients.  Sometimes, however, life just gets too compact to make everything this way, so more often than not, we get into a routine of canned or pre-fab food.  However, with a little forethought and organization and just good old fashioned food knowledge, you can prep a day or several days in advance to create a meal that's healthy, tasty, and quick to prepare.

Tonight's dinner was a simple rice and beans.

I started this meal last night right before I went to bed.

1/2 cup brown rice (usually takes an hour to cook)

1/2 cup dry red beans (usually takes an hour to cook)

2 cups homemade chicken stock

*Optional vegetables- celery, tomatoes, spinach

Mix all together in a container the day or a few days before you plan to cook it.

Come home from work and pour all ingredients into a medium size pot with a lid.  Bring to boil, then let simmer for about an hour.  Add salt, pepper, chili powder, garlic powder, and cumin to taste.  

Now, I know what you're thinking- but I need to go before an hour... well, maybe this isn't the meal for you this night.  There are a lot of meals you can prep the night before, I've got a lot in former posts and will continue to post little hints, ideas, recipes, etc from time to time.  Just remember, experiment with different ideas and plans and find what works for you.

Enjoy!