Nourishing Eggs, Beans, and Rice Bowl

Pinto beans were, and as an adult continue to be, a household staple in my childhood home. I remember thinking from a young age that beans keep you strong and healthy- that was the perception imparted on me!

There’s rice under all those toppings, I promise!

Now, as a nutrition student, I’ve come to realize that beans are in fact helpful at keeping you healthy. Although not as fancy or eye-catching as other superfoods, beans truly are a superfood.

Bean 101 Nutrition:

In the legume food category
Excellent source of protein
Excellent source of fiber
Nutrient dense: source of iron, zinc, potassium, magnesium, and folate.
Source of antioxidants
Recommended weekly intake is 1.5 cups per week or 3 cups per week in a vegetarian diet.

With this recipe, I made my own pinto beans at home:

I rinsed with cold water about 1.5 cups of pinto beans. I added them to a pot and filled with about 5 cups of water. Brought them to a boil and lowered the heat to a steady simmer. Then cooked them half-way covered on low heat for about 3 hours.

I mention my bean cooking process here and not in the directions because I want to encourage those who don’t have time to cook beans to make this recipe! If you can’t cook your own beans, use canned beans. Just give them rinse with cold water to get rid of excess salt. I also like to make this recipe when I have leftover rice for a quick meal.

Now, on to the bowl…

Ingredients:

1/2 cup bell peppers, chopped
1 cup of brown rice, cooked
1 cup leafy greens (I used spinach)
1 cup of beans, cooked
1-2 hard boiled eggs

Directions:

To make the hard boiled eggs, bring a pot of water to a boil.
Carefully drop in eggs with a long spoon or ladle. (I usually cook about 8 eggs at a time.)
Cook eggs with water boiling for 6-8 minutes, depending on the desired consistency for the egg yolk.
Prepare an ice bath for the eggs by adding ice and water to a large bowl.
Once eggs are done, take them out of the cooking water with the same long spoon and drop them into the ice bath. Leave on ice bath for 3 minutes.
Once cool enough to handle, peel the eggs and refrigerate them for now.
To build the bowl: start with a base of rice and add the rest of the ingredients on top. Serve with salsa or hot sauce for extra flavor!