Black Beans & Brown Rice with Garlicky Kale

During those days when I was overweight and I was working to achieve a healthy weight, Often I used to wonder what to eat for lunch which should include balanced nutrition with good carbs, proteins, good fats and green veggies and yet flavorful. As everyone else I always ended up eating the tasteless green salad with the regular dressing. Then one day when I was fed up with the same lunch I decided to cook brown rice without any oil. It looked quite good and was tasty as well. But my next question was what should I eat with brown rice?

After a serious thought of one week I decided to include black beans and by then I had developed a taste for Kale. So instead of using kale for smoothies or salad I thought I would sauté it with garlic. My house was full of the mouthwatering aroma of garlic and the kale looked beautiful.

Since I believe in quick cooking and I try to establish an easy way of cooking most of the time I added black beans to the garlicky kale. This is how Black Beans & Brown Rice with Garlicky Kale was created. This has become one of my favorite lunch whenever I need change of taste or have leftover brown rice and yet I can maintain my healthy weight.

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Black Beans & Brown Rice with Garlicky Kale

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Serves 4

Per Serving 416 calories

Fat 11 g

Carbs 66 g

Protein 16 g

4

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp dried garlic*
• 1 tsp white sesame seeds
• 2 tbsp + ¾ cups scallions
• 2 cups chopped baby kale
• 1 15oz can black beans (rinsed and drained)
• ½ tbsp. crushed pepper
• ½ tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 cups brown rice (cooked)
• 1 tbsp hemp seeds*

*Hemp seeds, * Dried Garlic

Directions

Heat oil in a pan, add garlic and sesame seeds, as soon as they start getting brown slow down the flame and add white portion of the green onions/spring onions/scallions.

Sauté for few minutes in the low flame and add kale and sauté again. Then add black beans. Mix well.

Mix in all the spices and sauté again for few minutes. Toss in green portion of the green onions/spring onions/scallions and sauté again.

Add brown rice and mix well so that the rice is fully coated. Cover and cook for 3 minutes or until done.

Take it out in a serving plate and garnish with hemp seeds.

Serve hot, or at room temperature or can be served cold. Can be prepared a day ahead and refrigerated and consumed the next day.

Note: I personally prefer it cold so I always cook this recipe a day ahead and eat it next day for lunch.

Add white portion of the spring onions in the beginning and the green portion at the end for the distinct flavor of the onions.

Hemp seeds add to the nutrition in this recipe.

I personally prefer using dried garlic because when I add it to the oil to give it a distinct aroma and a strong flavor to any dish. Feel free to use fresh chopped garlic.