One-pot dish makes cleanup easy
Classic combination of beans and rice includes pumpkin for color, heft
My husband and I have an I-cook-you-clean arrangement. But really it’s more that I cook, and we both clean. Occasionally, when I bring him too many pots and pans, he makes his displeasure clear with a sigh or a groan or a wellplaced eye roll. When I reflect on it later, I vow: I’m going to try to avoid recipes that trash the kitchen.
The promise of just one vessel to clean was the first thing that caught my eye about this recipe, from Jessica Prescott’s “Vegan One-Pot Cooking.” But it has plenty more to offer: A take on the classic combination of beans and rice, it includes pumpkin for color and heft and a trio of warming spices for flavor.
PUMPKIN AND BLACK BEAN BAKED RICE
Active time: 25 minutes | Total time: 1 hour | 4 to 6 servings
Storage notes: The finished dish can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days and frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw and reheat in a 300-degree oven.
1½ cups long-grain white rice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large red onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1½ teaspoons ground cumin
1½ teaspoons ground coriander
1½ teaspoons smoked paprika
1 small winter squash (1½ pounds), such as butternut, acorn, carnival or pumpkin, peeled, seeded and cut into ¼-inch wedges
2¼ cups water
1½ cups cooked or no-salt-added canned black beans, drained and rinsed (from one 15-ounce can)
1 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
2 tomatoes (8 ounces total), stemmed, cored and chopped
1 jalapeño chile pepper, stemmed, seeded and chopped
½ cup lightly packed fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems, chopped, plus more for garnish
1 avocado, peeled and diced
1 lime, cut into wedges
½ cup vegan or dairy sour cream
Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees.
In a large bowl, cover the rice with water by 3 inches and whisk for 30 seconds and drain off the cloudy water. Then repeat once or twice, or until the water is mostly clear. Drain off the water again.
In a large Dutch oven or large ovenproof saucepan over medium-high heat, heat the oil until shimmering. Add threequarters of the chopped onion and the garlic and cook, stirring, until it starts to become translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the cumin, coriander and paprika and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add the rice, squash, water and beans and stir to combine, pressing the mixture so the rice is barely covered by the liquid. Increase the heat to high to bring the liquid to a simmer, then turn off the heat, cover and transfer to the oven. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the rice has absorbed the water and the squash is tender.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine the remaining chopped onion with the tomato, jalapeño and cilantro. Taste, and season with salt as needed.
Divide the baked rice among serving bowls. Top each serving with the salsa, slices of avocado, a squeeze of fresh lime and spoonfuls of sour cream. Serve hot.
Nutrition | calories: 432; total fat: 13 g; saturated fat: 4 g; cholesterol: 10 mg; sodium: 423 mg; carbohydrates: 71 g; dietary fiber: 10 g; sugar: 7 g; protein: 11 g.