A Sunday New Recipe
Sundays are for eating leftovers frozen from earlier meals, or for trying out a new recipe that doesn’t quite fit one of the weekday categories. I had noticed this recipe in last Sunday’s NYT, because it called for leeks and I had leeks left from my bi-monthly vegetable delivery box. I always have white beans frozen in small portions, and the rest of the ingredients are pantry or freezer staples, so I didn’t need to shop for any thing before making this casserole. I was too lazy to go out to the greenhouse to pick the last lemon, so I used an orange.
The rule I now live by in cooking, having wasted much too much food in the past, is this:
Use what I have and have what I use.
I used brown rice, so this took about an hour in the oven. I probably should have added a bit more liquid too, since the rice came out just a bit chewy. But this recipe is so much more than the sum of its parts! It really is delicious and will join my list of rice/bean dishes. I’m sure you could easily substitute onion for the leeks. I also added a bit of “Beyond Meat” sausage, tomatoes, and cauliflower.
This is a great dinner to make when you have things to do around dinner time. You can prep everything ahead of time, and just need to be in the kitchen for a few minutes to put the veggies in the oven. You need to return to the kitchen in about 20–30 minutes to take the pan out, boil the water/stock, add the rice and beans, and then the water. You seal up the pan, put it back in the oven, and have another 30–60 minutes of free time while it bakes.
I always save my foil and reuse it until it falls apart. It looks like this piece is nearing the end of usefulness!
