Meatless Monday: Black Bean, Brown Rice & Organic Vegetable Hash!

Happy Monday, and with an extra hour of sleep, everyone should be starting their week a little more well-rested than normal!  Unless you're Kuzak who's in trial, and well, then all bets are off, or The Adorable Monster, who sleeps away most of the day anyway, so you're always well-rested.

Here's another Meatless Monday's recipe for your cooking pleasure!  This is a dish I whip up all the time, using a variety of organic vegetables I pick up at the Farmers Market.  I'll write up the combination of vegetables I used in this recipe, but feel free to get creative and use your own mixture.  I cook them down in my favorite cast iron skillet and then add in black beans and rice, which gives the dish a whole grain component, fiber and a complete protein!  This is a one pot, one-stop shopping kind of meal!

A neat trick?  This is a fabulous way to make use of leftover rice!  I usually make rice for another meal, for example to go with a fish entree, and then use the leftover to make a hash the next day. Also, try topping this hash off with an organic poached egg for breakfast - it's heavenly!

Black Bean, Brown Rice & Organic Vegetable Hash
Serves 3-4 people 

1 cup brown rice, cooked
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 tbsp olive oil
2 Japanese eggplants or other smaller eggplant, diced
1 bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 serrano peppers, seeded and chopped
2 zucchini or other squash, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 tsp lime juice
1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, chopped
salt & pepper

Directions:

In a cast iron or other heavy-bottomed pan, add the olive oil and heat over medium heat.  Next, add the onion and saute until beginning to caremalize, about 5-7 minutes.  Add the garlic and saute for one more minute.  Then, add the eggplant, the peppers and the squash, and saute until cooked.

Once the vegetables are cooked, add the rice and beans and stir into the vegetables.  Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 5 more minutes.  Squeeze with the lime juice, season to taste with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Enjoy!

Source for Ingredients:

organic onion, organic garlic, organic Japanese eggplant, organic squash, organic bell pepper & organic serrano peppers from Sage Mountain Farm (at the Hollywood Farmers Market)

organic brown rice and organic black beans from Whole Foods

Music on Tap:

Buddy Guy - Stone Crazy 

This weekend, I went on a Buddy Guy rampage, and this is one of my favorite live recordings from this Chicago blues legend!  

CLICK HERE TO CHECK IT OUT!