This is a quote from the wonderful Dave Ramsey’s Podcast. It is his suggestion to anyone that has debt, to eat rice and beans, beans and rice and get a second job. I can’t help you with the second job but I can tell you that rice and bean are one of the most versatile, nutritious and cheapest foods around.
I love it that there are so many variations to the classic rice and beans. You can vary it by using different types of beans, spices, add meat or vegetables. Make it super frugal by using dried beans instead of canned. It even freezes well.
Kelly at Almost Frugal Food has written the basic way to make rice and beans. If you get bored with the basic rice and beans then you can explore all the different variations. Calypso Rice and beans adds pineapple and the Caribbean version adds coconut milk. Platillo Moros y Cristianos, which translates as Moors and Christians is the national dish of Cuba.
There are so many versions of this amazingly simple dish I can’t list them all. If the recession goes on and we continue to fight against our debts we will be eating a lot of this dish.
What are your favourite ways to prepare rice and beans?
Oh, there are so many! My faves are kidney beans, black eyed beans, and chopped tomatoes as the base. Then, I add either Indian spices + brown basmati, or Cajin spices + quinoa, or Italian spices + red rice. I couldn’t live without pulses and grains!Even if I were minted!
I couldn’t live without them either! I have to try the Italian spices and red rice.