rice – Dragonfly Home Recipes

Make dinner easy on yourself with these tasty and nutritious white bean wraps. Fresh thyme leaves and a tangy yogurt-lemon dressing add flavor to the comforting combination of long-grain brown rice, great northern beans, and melted mozzarella cheese. Add a handful of leafy greens, and you have a tortilla full of delicious vitamins, minerals, and protein. Serve these wraps with tortilla chips and your favorite salsa, and add avocado and other vegetables too. They are versatile and easy on the budget.

I am constantly striving for a balance between eating well and staying within a reasonable food budget. If left to my own devices, I am like a kid in a candy store when I go into places like Whole Foods or the little gourmet food shop I recently discovered. However, with many other things going on, staying within a reasonable food budget is a necessity and a challenge I enjoy, so when I find an inexpensive, healthy, and delicious meal, I keep it in our regular meal rotation. This white bean wrap recipe is one of those, and though it varies a little bit from week to week depending on which vegetables are in season, when it comes to taste and economy, the rice and bean combination always delivers.

Now that the weather has finally warmed up around here, I look forward to more and more fresh vegetables at the farm stands that dot the countryside around my home. Our black raspberries are looking promising so far, and my aunt recently gave me a bunch of rhubarb. I can’t wait to make a pie! Our screened-in porch is all cleaned up and ready, we will be eating out there as often as possible. Last night my husband and I sat out there and listened to the night noises–the insects and frogs, and looked at the stars.

I hope you all have a great weekend, and if you are in the U.S., enjoy a long Memorial Day weekend. A friend recently said to me, “I feel like the cold is finally out of my bones.” With the warm weather we’ve been having, I feel the same way, and it feels really welcome and really good. I hope you find time to relax, spend time with family or friends, get outdoors, and eat some really good food! I will be sharing this recipe over at Angie’s Fiesta Friday, along with some inspiring bloggers I admire.

White Bean Wraps

Servings: 4-6
Time: about 45-50 minutes
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Ingredients:

1 cup of long-grain brown rice, cooked
1 14-ounce jar or can of white beans (I used great northern beans)
1 cup of plain Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
3-4 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese (optional)
a large handful of fresh greens (lettuce, kale, or any type of greens you prefer)
6 to 8 fajita-style tortillas (I used whole wheat ones)

Directions:

Cook the rice according to the package directions. While the rice is cooking, prepare the rest of the ingredients. In a small bowl, stir together the Greek yogurt and lemon juice. Wash the thyme and remove the thyme leaves from the stems. Place the shredded cheese in a small bowl. Wash and dry the greens and set them aside. I like to warm the tortillas (wrapped in foil) in a 160-degree oven while the rice is cooking, so they are warm and soft. In a small saucepan, gently warm the beans over very low heat.

Once the rice is done and everything else is ready, spoon some rice onto a tortilla. Top with some beans, thyme leaves, and shredded cheese. Then top with the Greek yogurt and greens, and wrap up the tortilla. Repeat until everyone is well fed. Serve with chips and salsa, and avocado and other vegetables if desired. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator and warmed up easily. Enjoy!

Chicken and rice are great comfort foods, especially when cooked slowly with rich, saucy tomatoes. This is a meal that my husband and son enjoy very much on a cold, snowy evening. And we are definitely having some cold, snowy evenings these days. Right now we have enough snow to cross country ski, so I was very grateful and excited to get the chance to get out on my skis yesterday afternoon. The snow was piled up on every little branch, and I was the first person on the trail since the previous night’s snowfall, so the only tracks in sight were from rabbits. Fresh snow is so pristine and cleansing. Breathing in all that cold air and looking at the clean, white snow and the white-blue sky soothed my overactive mind. There is something so silent about snow. The woods were hushed, as the snow absorbed all sounds, including the internal sounds from my mind. It is easy to get overstimulated and stressed out in the this world we live in, but I left the woods a more peaceful person than I was when I entered them. Simple, nourishing food is also good for the mind, body, and soul. With the help of a crock pot, this meal cooks and builds flavors for a few hours on its own, once the prep work is done. One of the many things I like about this recipe is that it is intentionally simple. I made it as basic as I could, because sometimes that I what I have time for, or what my kids like best. You can cook the rice while you are preparing the chicken and sauce, or cook it a few minutes before mealtime, whichever works best. Add a green salad or a green vegetable, and you’ve got a healthy, complete meal that tastes good and warms up those you love. And that too is good for the soul.

Slow-Cooked Chicken and Tomato Sauce with Rice

Servings: about 4
Time: about 15 minutes preparation, and 5 hours cooking time
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Ingredients:

1 to 1 1/2 pounds chicken breast halves
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/3 cup chicken broth
1 14.5 ounce can of tomatoes (I really like organic San Marzano tomatoes because they have a great flavor)
1-2 teaspoons salt
1-2 teaspoons honey
about 2 cups cooked rice (I start out with 1 cup of uncooked rice, but it expands to about 2 cups when cooked)

Directions:

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Swirl the oil to coat the pan, and add the chicken. Cook chicken for 5-7 minutes, turning occasionally, until lightly browned. Place chicken in your crock pot. Add the chopped onion and minced garlic to the pan. Saute for about 2 minutes. Add the chicken broth, scraping the brown bits from the pan, and stirring. Add the tomatoes, breaking the tomatoes into small pieces with your spoon. Turn off the heat and pour the tomato mixture over the chicken in the crock pot. Cover and cook on low for about 5 hours. When you are about to serve the meal, test and season to taste with salt. Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of honey to taste, and stir to combine. Serve the chicken and tomato sauce over cooked rice. You may add the cooked rice to the crock pot before serving if you wish. Enjoy!