This is a classic, nutritious dish that’s full of flavor, making it the perfect comfort food. It also qualifies as an inexpensive and filling main dish. Rice and beans combined make a complete protein, supplying all the essential amino acids found in dairy, meat, chicken, and fish.

Directions

Prepare the Baked Beans and Rice

Serves 5-6 as a main dish, 7-8 as a side

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius).

2. Place the rice into a large round Pyrex dish. Add all the spices and the olive oil and mix together well. Smooth out top. Carefully pour salsa and tomato sauce over the rice. Place the beans on top in one area, peas in another area, and diced red pepper in a third.

3. Combine water with chicken soup mix and carefully pour it over all the ingredients in the Pyrex dish. Sprinkle cilantro all over. Place a piece of Gefen Parchment Paper, cut to size, over the dish. Cover well with foil. (This is so the steam stays in the dish, and the rice becomes light, fluffy, and delicious.)

4. Place the dish in the oven and bake for one hour or until rice is completely cooked. Remove from oven and let sit for a few minutes. Fluff and mix. Serve hot.

Tips:

This recipe lends itself to personalization. You can add corn instead of — or in addition to — the peas, or use a mixture of peas and carrots. Use spicy salsa if you like. If you prefer a very saucy dish, add more tomato sauce. You can even experiment with different types of beans.

Notes:

To prepare the beans, clean and rinse one cup of dry white beans. Soak in a large bowl, covering with water by a few inches. Leave overnight. (Soaking shortens cooking time and makes the beans more digestible.) Drain. Transfer to a small pot. Cover with three cups water, bring to a boil, and cook for 45 minutes or until almost soft. Drain. Use one and a half cups for this recipe (one cup dry beans yields approximately two and a half cups cooked), and freeze the rest in small ziplock bags for adding to vegetable soup, cholent, etc. You’ll be one step ahead!