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Recipes

Italian Bean Skillet

17 March 2022

1. Start by adding 3 cups of vegetable broth and 3 cups of water to a medium pot and bring to a boil. It would be best to get this on the heat about 5 minutes before the video begins. Measure out 1 cup of Wild Rice and rinse under cool water in a strainer. Once liquid boils, add the rice and reduce heat to medium or low to maintain a simmer. This will take about 40 minutes to cook, so keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn't boil over.

2. While the rice cooks, prepare the vegetables. Start by cutting the onion into medium dices and set aside. Then cut the zucchini by slicing it in half lengthwise, then into 1/4 inch thick half-moons. Lastly, dice the tomatoes into a similar size as the onions.

3. Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable stock in a large saute pan over medium heat and add the onion, zucchini, and tomatoes. Let these cook for 5-1 O minutes to soften up and absorb the stock. Add a tablespoon of stock at a time if the pan becomes too dry.

4. While the veggies cook, begin opening all your canned goods. Drain the chickpeas and the cannellini beans, and set aside. It is fine to mix them together. Pluck the Rosemary and Oregano off the stems until you have about 2 tablespoons of each. Put the fresh herbs into a pile together and give them a good rough chop. Measure out about 2 cups of kale and rough chop that as well. Rough chop just means that the cuts do not have to be consistent, we just want to size the ingredients down a bit.

5. Your veggies should be soft by now, so add the herbs and let them cook with the veggies until they become aromatic. Once the aroma of herbs has filled the room, then add the kale and cook for a few minutes until soft. Then add the chickpeas, cannellini beans, and tomato sauce to the pan. turn the heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer. There is no need to cover this pan as we want the moisture to evaporate a little.

6. Allow your sauce to simmer consistently until the rice is fully cooked. Wild Rice will always have a bit of a chew to it, but you can tell it's done if the black outer shell has cracked open to reveal the white rice in the center. Whether your rice is done or not, no worries, add it to the veggie sauce and continue cooking until done to your liking. Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt, stir, then divide into 3 or 4 portions, depending on your appetite. I've measure out the nutrition facts for 3 servings, but wild rice is as filling as it is packed with nutrients. Enjoy!