It's all a clever ruse...: Vegetarian Spicy Rice and Bean Salad

If I tried to list the things I've learned or picked up from reading other people's blogs, I'd have a post that was a mile long. In that vein however, I did discover both green monsters and overnight oats that I actually liked by reading Oh She Glows. However, since I’m not a vegetarian, I’ll admit some of her other main dish recipes intimidated me. But, this one looked really phenomenal and as soon as I saw it I knew I had to make it. I am so glad I did.

This is mostly her recipe, with a few little tweaks I made to customize it to my particular tastes. It was ah-mazing. I served it topped with a bit of Parmesan Reggiano cheese just because I always feel like one dish meals served in a bowl need a topping to make them complete. It was super filling, but didn’t leave me feeling like I had over indulged, and I now have leftovers for the whole week to supplement other meals, or take to work for a stand alone lunch. Though to be honest, I didn't find I needed anything else to 'go with' this dish, which is really great since I'm trying lately to eat smaller dinners and larger, more hearty breakfasts instead.

Also, a word about mushrooms that I wish I’d learned sooner; don’t pop their little stems out. As you’re rinsing the mushrooms, slice just the end – the tough part – off the bottom of the stem, but leave it otherwise intact. They are perfectly edible, and shrink down when cooking. After all, you likely paid for the mushrooms by weight, so not eating the stems is essentially throwing your hard earned cash away with them.

Serves 7 : 1-cup servings

Calories: 182 / Fat: 3g / Fiber: 7.8g / Protein:9.0g / Carbs: 32g
Original Recipe from Oh She Glows

1 Cup Brown Rice, uncooked

1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Cup Spanish (sweet) onion, chopped

1/2 tsp Ground Cumin

1/2 tsp Coriander

1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes

1/2 tsp Oregano

1/2 tsp Mustard Seeds

2 Garlic Cloves, minced

1/2 Cup Scallions (green onion), chopped

1 Can Black Beans, drained and rinsed

3 Tbsp Tamari (organic soy sauce)

1 cup Frozen Peas

1 cup Frozen Corn

1 Cup Carrots, grated

1/8 Cup Dry White Wine

1 Cup White Mushrooms, chopped
1 Cup Portobello Mushrooms, chopped

Cook rice according to package directions, and set aside.

Prepare all ingredients before beginning this recipe.

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-low heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté until soft; about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms, and sauté until they release their liquid. Add wine and cook until liquid is nearly gone. Add spices, garlic, and scallions, and sauté about 5 minutes. Stir occasionally to keep from burning or sticking.