CHEF JEFF — ONE BYTE AT A TIME: Rice and Beans

Need a plan for a few meals during the week? Cook a pork roast Sunday along with some crockpot beans and use the leftovers for some quick fare on consecutive workdays.

Here’s the first of three recipes using the leftovers.

Rice and Beans

2 cups prepared brown rice

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 20-ounce) bag frozen pepper and onion stir-fry mix

1 14½-ounce) can diced tomatoes

2 tablespoons sherry vinegar

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon Tabasco sauce

4 cups cooked red beans (reserve rest for a later meal)

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

¼ cup chopped scallions

Cook rice according to package directions. Let stand, covered, in pot until serving.

Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven or deep skillet over medium high. Add the garlic and stir-fry mix and cook, stirring occasionally, until somewhat softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, vinegar, cumin, oregano and Tabasco; cook 2 to 3 minutes. Add the beans, salt and pepper; reduce heat to medium, cover and simmer 10 to 12 minutes.

Serve beans over rice; garnish with scallions.

Yield: Serves 4.

Grab more food tidbits at the Chef Jeff blog at

GrandForksHerald.com.

Tags: one byte at a time, beans and rice, features, food, recipes, beans, rice