Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Red Beans and Rice Didn't Miss Her


Remember that classic 90s song lyric?

"You ain't it Miss Thang/ Give me a sista/ Can't resist her/ Red Beans and Rice Didn't Miss Her/ Some knucklehead tried to dis/ Cuz his girls were on my list/ He had game but he chose to hit 'em/ And I pull up quick to get wit 'em"

"Baby Got Back" is quite possibly the best song of my generation. It's one of the only songs I can karaoke to ... anyway, speaking of red beans and rice, that's what I had for dinner last night:


This is Nutty Brown Rice with Red Bean Sauce from Judy Brown's "Guide to Natural Foods Cooking." I've mentioned the book before. It's a vegan cookbook from 1989. So retro. And this dish had a very wholesome, pre-faux meat craze retro feel to it. The rice is peppered with walnuts, green onion, and herbs.

The sauce, which totally makes the dish, is made from mushed kidney beans, sesame oil, garlic, and miso. Judy actually called for onions instead of garlic, but I used garlic since there were already onions in the rice.

On the side, I fried some green tomatoes from the farmer's market:


Though I adore the fried slices that most people make, my mom always prepared hers this way. They're diced, coated them with cornmeal and flour, and cooked in a skillet hash-brown style. Yum! BTW, notice the new vintage plates ... another gift from my Granny.

13 comments:

thedalyn said...

D. Lish. Us...at least it looks that way. And, the 80's got a lot wrong but music isn't one of them (I got Falco and Dead or Alive on vinyl for my birthday--I'm hoping Sir Mix-A-Lot or Tone Loc is next).

Anonymous said...

My anaconda don't want none unless you've got buns, hon! That song is awesome, and your rice and beans looks awesome too.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the High School flash back! And that looks sooo yum!

Unknown said...

I was lucky and grew up in a country that more or less escaped that baby got back song.

Marisa L. S. said...

I love that song! I love request it at other people's weddings. And, it'll be surely played at mine!

I've never had fried green tomatoes. I know they are quite popular in the South. THey do look delicious!

Anonymous said...

Hehe, the episode of Friends where they sang that song to the baby was on the other day. So amusing!

Mmm, good old beans and rice, I think it's time I make me some!

ChocolateCoveredVegan said...

LOL I love that song! It's a great workout song... or even just a sing-at-the-top-of-your-lungs-in-the-car song!

ChocolateCoveredVegan said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
J said...

Hahahaha!

I love retro cookbooks. The red beans and rice sound fantastic.

Loving the plates from your Granny!

Alicia said...

I don't know the song, but those fried green tomatoes are going to be in my dreams tonight. I've never eaten something like that, but somehow I KNOW I would love them!

LizNoVeggieGirl said...

Haha, oh yes, I remember those lyrics :0D

jessy said...

ahahahaa! that is such a fantastical song! and your red beans 'n rice are looking pretty fantastical themselves! walnuts in the rice?! that sounds super good! and i really like your new dishes, too.

i'm fo 'sho gonna have to try fried green tomatoes like that - sounds even more awesome your way 'cause you get more of the tasty coating all over everything! mmmmmmmmmm!

Erin said...

Ooooh, the red beans and rice sounds good. I think I'd love a "vintage" vegan cookbook.