3 cup Cooked brown rice (1 1/2 cups uncooked), cooked with
Salt and pepper
1 1/3 cup Cooked black beans or blackeyed peas, pinto beans,
Etc. (about 1/2 cup uncooked)
3 Cloves garlic, minced
1 lg Onion, chopped
1 sm Can chiles, chopped
1/2 lb Ricotta cheese, thinned with a little low fat milk or
Yogurt until spreadable
3/4 lb Shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
1/2 cup Shredded cheddar cheese


Garnishes (optional): chopped black olives, onions, fresh parsley
Preheat oven to 350 degree F. Mix together rice, beans, garlic, onion, and chilies. In a casserole, spread alternating layers of the rice-beans mixture, ricotta cheese, and jack cheese, ending with a layer of rice and beans. Bake for 30 minutes. During the last few minutes of baking, sprinkle cheddar cheese over the top. Garnish before serving.
Complementary protein: rice and beans and milk products
From: DIET FOR A SMALL PLANET by Frances Moore Lappe' ISBN 0-345-30691-0. Random House, New York. 1971-82 Posted by: Karin Brewer, Cooking Echo, 7/92