Brown Rice and Beans Cooked "Together but Separate"

Serving suggestion: layer shredded chicken, rice and then beans.

I love making beans in my pressure cooker.  It doesn't take long and I don't have to pre-soak the beans at all.  I also love using my pressure cooker as a rice cooker.  Now I have learned that I can do both at the same time but still have the ability to serve them separately. I doubled the amounts listed in this wonderful recipe and used the Cuisinart Pressure Cooker I have:

 Ingredients
2 cups dry pinto beans ($2.76 Amazon Prime Subscribe and Save)
6 cups water
2 cups brown rice  ($1.76 Amazon Prime Subscribe and Save)
4 cups water or make  broth adding 4 tsp chicken bouillon ($0.64 Amazon Prime) 
seasonings or salt as desired

Estimated Cost: $5.16 enough for two meals for a family of 4 = $2.58 meal
My Actual Out of Pocket Cost: $0.00 using items from my storage

Place 2 cups of sorted dry pinto beans in the bottom of the electric pressure cooker. Then place a small trivet in with the beans and pour 6 cups of water over the beans and trivet.

Use a small stainless steel mixing bowl (6 cup capacity) and set it on top of the trivet. Then put 2 cups of brown rice and pour 4 cups of desired liquid along with desired seasonings into the bowl. (I like to use mostly vegetable, chicken or beef broth and about 1/2 cup of vegetable puree like beets, broccoli, carrots etc and season with a couple teaspoons of Mrs Wages salsa seasoning mix the rice tastes great and you don't notice the veggies).

Put the lid on the pressure cooker and set on high pressure for 35 minutes. (or follow your pressure cooker instructions for the type of beans you are using).
When the timer goes off, DO NOT OPEN THE LID. Use natural pressure release which means to let it sit until the steam and pressure release themselves.  If the beans are not quite as tender as you like, then set the cooker on "browning" and allow them to simmer a little longer

"Magic" Cornbread

Here is how pink the batter looks

See how it changes after baking?
These first two pictures were made with yellow split peas ground into flour

This last picture is of the cornbread made with pinto bean flour. 

I call this magic because the beets in this batter is very pink but then it changes color as it bakes and if you don't like beets, here is a tasty way to enjoy the nutrients without noticing the beet taste at all:) The real magic is in the ingredients which combine to make a complete protein.  I grind my own flours.

2 Cups Cornmeal (I use fresh ground popcorn kernals)
2 Cups pinto bean flour (or a combination of 1/2 cup yellow split pea flour and 1 1/2 cups Great Northern Bean flour) 
1/2 cup beet puree (fresh is best when I have them.  They don't even have to be cooked before blending. Or use canned fancy beets--not the  pickled kind--and blended them up with a little water in the blender)
2 Tablespoons baking powder (or use 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking soda and 3 teaspoons of cream of tartar)
1 teaspoon salt
2 beaten eggs
 2 cups milk
1/2 cup olive oil

• Combine dry ingredients in one bowl and wet ingredients in another.
• Mix wet and dry together and put into two well oiled 8"x 8" round pans
• bake in preheated 425 F oven for about 20 minutes
• Let cool a few minutes before cutting into wedges or it will be really crumbly.

Oatmeal Rice Pudding

Bring to a boil over medium/low heat:
4 cups filtered water
1/2 cup yellow split pea powder (whisk in a little at a time)
1 Cup powdered milk (whisk in a little at a time)
2 Cups leftover cooked brown rice
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons of vanilla
1/2 tsp allspice
a little fresh grated nutmeg
1 /2 -1 Cup honey

When boiling take off the heat and add 2 cups Oatmeal (I love the texture of Coaches Oats) and let sit a couple of minutes or until desired texture.  It thickens as it sits.

Family Review:  I love that it is a complete protein with the legumes and grains and dairy together and it tastes good too. Dad likes it but wants milk to put on top (we are out of milk today), Morning glory gives it 5 stars (it tastes like a dessert maybe a little less sweet next time...I used 1 cup of honey), and Lady Slipper loved it from the first bite which is a definite winner with a toddler. 

Be Nutritiously Inspired,

Full Protein Zuchini and Beet Bread

I just discovered a very yummy and healthy way to add more beans and brown rice to my family's diet! I just used a recipe for zuchini bread ( I used one from "Our Best Bites by Sara Wells and Kate Jones) and then altered the recipe:

1) Instead of white flour, I used 1/2 cup ground white northern bean flour (I have my own grinder I used and just ground up a bag of the dried beans) and for the rest of the called for amount of flour I substituted brown rice flour (also just a regular bag of brown rice ground up in my electric grinder.

2) I used 1/3 cup of blended beet purree (I cooked the beets in the microwave and then cut them and blended them in the blender with a little water) as part of the amount of zuchinni.

I also used all white sugar since I didn't have brown sugar to add as the recipe called for.

My family all loved this bread and because it is made from the brown rice and bean flour, it is also a complete protein bread. Not to mention the beets and zuchini. A great snack to give to my toddler and feel good about.

Note: I got the idea to use vegetable puree from Jessica Seinfeld's "Deceptively Delicious" cookbook. Check it out for some great recipes for using other veggies in a fun way.