Rice & White Beans with Pesto Cream
From: Ian Seddon's Cookbook
🥘 Ingredients
- cannellini beans 2
- large red bell pepper 1
- Extra
- Kosher
- dried oregano 1 ½ tbsp
- Cooked Brown Rice 3 ½ cup
- cherry tomatoes 1
- aged balsamic vinegar 2 tsp
- Avocado Pesto Sauce ¾ cup
If you bought potatoes to go with this dish instead of rice, arrange another oven rack in the middle of the oven and roast the potatoes at the same time as the beans and pepper, following the Oven Roasted Potatoes recipe on page 10 of The Grains & Starches Handbook. Note the beans and pepper and potatoes may take a bit longer to cook than listed. Storage: Store the roasted beans and pepper separately from the rice in the fridge for 3 to 4 days; the balsamic tomatoes are best fresh. To reheat the beans and pepper, toss with a bit of oil and bake on a sheet pan at 300ºF / 150ºC for 7 to 8 minutes, until hot and crisp, or reheat in a frying pan with a touch of oil until warmed through. Reheat the rice as listed in step 4(a). Slice the tomatoes fresh and dress as listed in step 5. Assemble your bowl as listed in step 6 right before serving. Nutrition boost: For added protein, stir some hemp seeds into the Avocado Pesto Sauce. For added veggie action, top the dish with microgreens, broccoli sprouts, or soft salad greens; add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a squeeze of lemon as desired. Shortcut: Skip roasting the beans and bell pepper. Instead, toss the beans with a few dollops of Avocado Pesto Sauce, a squeeze of lemon juice, ~1 tsp dried oregano, and salt/pepper to taste. Marinate the beans for 5 to 10 minutes. If desired, fold the raw sliced bell pepper into the warmed rice (or skip the pepper). Serve the pesto beans over the warm rice and pepper. Top with the balsamic tomatoes, some Avocado Pesto Sauce, and if desired, good-quality extra virgin olive oil.
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1Gather: cannellini beans , large red bell pepper , Extra virgin olive oil, Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, dried oregano , Cooked Brown Rice , cherry tomatoes , aged balsamic vinegar , Avocado Pesto Sauce .
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2Arrange a rack in the top third of the oven. Preheat to 425ºF / 220ºC.
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3Drain and rinse the beans, then transfer to a large dish towel. Gently rub to remove as much moisture as you can without smushing the beans.
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4Transfer the beans and sliced bell pepper to a rimmed sheet pan and toss with 3 tbsp olive oil, 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, a generous amount of black pepper, and the oregano. Gently toss and spread out in a single layer as much as possible. Roast in the oven for 15 minutes . Remove from the oven, stir the beans and pepper, then spread out. Roast for 10 more minutes, or until the beans are a bit crisp and the bell pepper has softened.
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5While the beans and pepper roast, prepare your side salad (if you’re making one) and prep the other ingredients. Rice: Add the rice to a microwave-safe bowl, add a couple ice cubes, and cover the bowl. Microwave until warmed through (the ice keeps the rice tender). Remove ice and keep the rice covered until ready to assemble. Tomatoes: Slice the tomatoes in half (or in quarters if large). Set aside on the cutting board. TIP: Only slice as many tomatoes as you can eat if you’re planning to save leftovers.
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6Just before the beans and pepper are done roasting, add the sliced tomatoes to a medium bowl. Drizzle with 2 tsp olive oil, the balsamic vinegar, a heaping 1/2 tsp kosher salt, and several cracks of black pepper. Taste, adding another teaspoon of olive oil to balance the acidity or more salt or pepper as needed.
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7Assemble: Divide the warm rice and roasted beans and bell pepper among bowls, then top with the balsamic tomatoes. Dollop timer tablespoons ( timer ) of Avocado Pesto Sauce on top of each bowl. If desired, drizzle each bowl with a bit of good-quality extra virgin olive oil. Serve with your side salad, if you made one.