Episode 9: Broke Beans
Recently, I saw a post on Reddit where the poster was saying “times are tough! if your budget is busted do this: get some Knorr instant chicken bouillon and add rice” and I thought yes, but no. Yes, get the bouillon, and the rice, but then add beans. Definitely add beans. Because beans and rice will keep you alive. You will have the protein to thrive, and they taste good too.
So, for this episode, we talk about Broke Beans–the dish you make when you literally only have a few dollars and need to stretch those for a week. Broke Beans will keep you fed, happy, and ready for your next battle. As I say in the podcast, right now, keeping yourself fed and healthy is resistance, it is courage, it is critical. Feeding your family–even more an act of defiance, courage, and survival.
Broke Beans is hardly a recipe–it’s more a basic life food. You can add anything to the beans and rice:
* Add some animal protein. Anything, beef, chicken, pork, fish, add the cheapest off cuts, or pick up whatever is marked down at the store or available at the food pantry. Don’t be too proud to feed yourself–go to the pantry, look for the odds and ends in the meat case. Eggs are another great addition–fry one up to top your plate of rice and beans.
* Add sone plant protein–tofu is a delicious option.
* Add some plants. Leafy greens like spinach and kale can be added when you are cooking, or stir them into the beans when done. You can even forage dandelion greens to add some fresh bitterness (pick the greens in places that are overgrown to avoid potential weed killers and fertilizers–so park trails yes, golf courses no).
* Add an apple on the side for crunch, sweetness, and to fill you up. If you get a bag of apples (listen to Diner for Four with Eric Hanberg), start every meal with one.
Broke Beans and Rice:
1.5 cups dried beans (soak these overnight before cooking, or use 3 cans of beans)
1.5 cups of rice
Knorr bouillon (I used 2 heaping teaspoons of chicken bouillon with the beans, and the same amount of beef bouillon with the rice–next time I would probably use the same flavor in both–it’s mostly salt, but will make your rice and beans taste really good)
1 tomato
1/2 onion
cilantro
olive oil
Cook the beans in a pot or instant pot. I cook them like rice–for one cup of beans I add 2 cups of water. So, 1.5 cups of beans with 3 cups of water and 2 tsp of bouillon, cook over medium high heat until it boils. Boil for 1 minute, then put the lid on the pot, reduce to low heat and cook for 30 minutes. If you use canned beans you really only need to cook them until they start to bubble. If you use dried beans, check to see if they are tender after 30 minutes–sometimes they need more time.
Same instructions for the rice: Add 1.5 cups of rice and 3 cups of water to a pot or instant pot, add 2 tsp of bouillon, cook on medium high until it boils, boil for 1 minute, reduce heat to low, put the lid on the pot and cook for 25 minutes.
Optional topping: Dice up tomato and onion, add about a handful of diced fresh cilantro and enough olive oil to moisten (about 1 tablespoon).
Serve rice, topped with beans, topped with the tomato/onion salsa.
If you have questions or suggestions for topics, please reach out! Email: truetacoma@gmail.com, or find me on social media @True-Tacoma
