When I told Tim we were having ‘beans and rice’ for dinner, he busted out with some Baby Got Back lyrics, so I couldn’t resist using them as my title. Black beans and rice would be more accurate, however. This is a recipe adapted from Vegan Yum Yum, which is a fantastic vegan cook book. Not one recipe has yet to let me down from this book.
The best part about this dinner is that it has kale–and I still like it. There seem to be an abundant number of vegan and vegetarian bloggers out there who claim to love kale. I wish I could say I fell in this camp but then I would just be a poser. Kale, in my very humble opinion, does not taste good. At all. Unless it’s in the form of kale chips, I’m never too impressed with this particular leafy green. That being said, I know I should try to sneak it into my diet every now and then since it has super nutritional properties and those super green veggies are the ones we should be striving to get the most of in our diets.
And here is where Tahini Lemon Rice and Beans comes in to save me from my kale-hating ways. Now, I had to adjust this recipe some because in addition to the kale, black beans, and brown rice it calls for, it also includes seitan. I have only had one seitan experience. I tried to make it homemade using the recipe from Veganomicon , and the results were not pretty. I can usually choke down my cooking disasters even when I know it isn’t the most delicious thing I’ve ever tasted, but this–this was completely inedible. So right off the bat seitan was eliminated from the ingredient list. I can’t say what it would be like with the seitan, but without it, it was delicious. So good that as I am writing this I wish I had a plate in front of me even though I just had lunch. The kale blends right in with the dish and I couldn’t taste any of its normal bitterness. The sauce is incredibly rich and creamy. I’m pretty sure I’ll be making this dish again very soon as I am salivating just from writing this description.
Let me warn you before I get to the recipe: it isn’t a pretty meal. Tim suggested I not photograph this one. I went ahead and took the picture because I know I like seeing what something is supposed to look like before I make it. Cook books with color photos are my favorite. :)
Tahini Lemon Rice and Beans
Adapted from Vegan Yum Yum
1 cup brown rice
Tahini Lemon Sauce (recipe below)
Coconut oil for sauteing
1/2 bunch kale, deveined and chopped
1 1/2 cups cooked black beans, or one 15.5 ounce can, rinsed and drained
Tahini Lemon Sauce
1/4 cup low-sodium Tamari or soy sauce
1/4 cup tahini
Juice from 1 large lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce (I use regular rather than vegan varieties since I’m not a vegan and don’t necessarily need my meals to be completely animal-free)
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons olive oil
Step 1: Start cooking the rice according to the package directions or however you normally cook your rice.
Step 2: Make your sauce. Simply whisk all the ingredients together (see my lovely ingredients picture above?) in a bowl and set aside.
Once your rice is getting close to being done, start the next step.
Step 3: Heat a small amount of oil in a saute pan and add the kale. Once the kale starts to wilt, add the beans and heat through.
Maryea is a stay-at-home mom on a mission to feed her family wholesome, real foods and stay a sane, happy mama at the same time! Click here to get free email updates with her posts:
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Maryea, I was not a kale lover either. I did find out that, in order to use kale in recipes, you must steam it for a few minutes first, then squeeze out the excess water and put it in the food processor. I have used it ever since I found this trick and it adds such a depth to “sauce-y” things like black beans, pintos, red beans & rice and I always add it to my spaghetti sauce and soups now, too. The way to tell if it’s been steamed long enough (but not too long — it should stay nice and green), is to take a leaf out after it’s been steaming for a few minutes and …. EAT it! If the juice that comes out of the leaf is bitter, steam it a couple minutes longer. If the juice is sort of sweet tasting, it’s done. Shock it under cold water right away, to keep it from overcooking. This was a life-changing discovery for me, I’m telling you! Good luck.
Maryea, I have tried many recipes online where you could leave responses or reviews. Until now, I have never responded or wrote a review. In the past two days I have tried two of your meals (i.e., Tahini Lemon Rice and Beans AND the Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers) and they were not only fabulous, but easy and healthy. You can’t get much better than that! I will definitely be following you closely
Also, never have I had the entire family baby, 9, 10 and hubby all love the same meal. Finally some meals everyone will eat. Thank you! I also love having pictures of the meals, no matter what it may look like.
Thank you so much for the feedback, Kim. Hearing from moms like you really makes what I do worth the while.
Also, Kelly, thanks for the suggestion to steam the kale. It definitely takes away the bitterness. I will be using it much more frequently now.
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I made a mistake with this one. I used “Reduced Sodium” Tamari (same brand as yours) and I think that made the dish way too salty. But I can’t wait to try it again with “Low Sodium” Tamari. I love peanut sauces like this one.
This is such a yummy dish. I actually added some mushrooms (cooked with kale) and it was delicious. Thanks for the easy recipe
You’re welcome, Lei! It sounds wonderful with your addition of mushrooms.