HOME TOUR

So back in the days of my clinical internship for my master’s degree in nutrition, I was at Boston Medical Center. My first rotation was in the food service kitchen. It was a shock to the system because not only was it my first rotation but it was in the basement of the hospital and I wanted to be a NICU dietitian. I wanted to be a pivotal part of a clinical team taking care of the tiniest of ones. Instead, I was up to my elbows is slightly defrosted chicken at 5 am. Sigh.

In each of our stories is the grit, the tough parts that get us to where we want to be. The “grit” in a clinical dietitian’s journey is often in the places they don’t even remotely have an interest in working but are forced to experience for the sake of a degree and greater appreciation for all the areas that nutrition is important. Now in typical fashion, the lovely is there and especially apparent in the relationships. It’s there in the people you meet and the way your heart is humbled. Every. Single. Person who works in a hospital, from a janitor to an anesthesiologist, is a pivotal part of “the team.” No one gets well in a hospital if they aren’t being fed. And Janet was there to make that happen. And I was awed and humbled to get to see her heart for a hospital.

Now Janet had been there for ages and made her famous rice and beans every day for the kitchen staff. Before I left that rotation she gave me her recipe. It had some not-so-great ingredients in it to be completely honest. I nipped and tucked and played with the recipe and what we’ve got today is a fluffy, wet-ish Mexican rice that’s oh-so-good in slightly crisped tortillas–perfect for a Cinco de Par-Tay. And even though it’s been doctored, in our home it’s still Janet’s Rice and Beans.

JANET’S RICE AND BEANS

INGREDIENTS

2 Large Chicken Breasts

3 cloves of garlic minced

1 Small Yellow Onion, finely chopped

1 Red Bell Pepper, finely chopped

2 Celery Stalks, finely chopped

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 tsp Dried Thyme or several fresh sprigs of fresh

3 Bay Leaves

1 tsp Salt

3 oz Tomato Paste (about half a small jar of tomato paste)

2 1/4 C Water

1 C Brown Basmati Rice

1 can Kidney Beans, drained and rinsed

INSTRUCTIONS

Start by finely chopping your onion, bell pepper, celery and mince garlic.

In a sauté pan, warm olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper and celery stirring to coat in oil. While they are cooking, I open the can of beans, drain and rinse them, measure out my water in a liquid measuring cup, measure out the brown rice and set these aside.

Cook the vegetables until the onions are becoming translucent and the celery and bell pepper are softened, about 5-7 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant but not yet beginning to brown or burn. Add dried or fresh thyme, bay leaves and water. Subsequently, add your tomato paste, brown rice and beans. Stir to combine.

Next add the chicken breasts. Settle them in the center of the pan and push them into the liquid so they’re mostly covered with liquid, cover the sauté pan with the lid. Lower heat to a simmer. This step is key, the slower you can cook it, the fluffier the rice and the more tender the meat will be. Patience pays off. I always try to rush it and the results are never as good as when I let it do its thing.

Cook around 40-50 minutes and resist the urge to keep opening the lid–steam helps the rice cook. I start stirring occasionally towards the end to prevent some of the rice from burning in the center and occasionally need to add a couple tablespoons of water to help the rice cook through and prevent it from sticking in the middle. Low heat is key because it gives the rice time to cook. High heat evaporates off the water before the rice has had time to absorb it and cook through. Cook until the liquid has absorbed, the rice is fully cooked and the chicken shreds easily.

You can serve this in so many different ways, over lettuce bowls with chips as forks (my kids favorite–anytime you eat with a chip it’s a mom of the year situation, haha) or my favorite, in a delicious handmade flour tortilla from Trader Joes. If I’m really on my game, I’ll make my own tortillas. Serve with a crumble of cojita cheese, a squeeze of lime and margarita of course.

I hope you enjoy Janet’s Rice and Beans. We often make it without chicken too so it can quickly become a vegan go-to recipe. Ruthie from Ruth Eileen Photography did a fantastic job capturing this dish. She’s so talented!