Goods of the Body: Recipe for Arroz con Queso
What have you ‘bean’ eating today?
Here’s a meatless recipe using brown rice, beans, salsa and low-fat cheeses for a quick, nutritious, and filling supper. Serve with steamed vegetables or a big salad.
Arroz con Queso
1 TSP. extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 3/4 cups vegetable broth
2 cups quick- cooking brown rice
1 can red beans, rinsed and drained
1 tsp. chili powder
1 15 oz. tub of ricotta cheese (part skim)
4 oz. Monterrey Jack cheese, grated
1 sprinkle of nutmeg
3 TBS. pasteurized egg white, or 1 egg
1 to 2 cups of salsa, jar or homemade, to taste
4 oz. of low-fat sharp cheddar, grated
Brown onion in olive oil. Add broth, bring to boil, and stir in rice to prepare according to package. (This step may be done in advance.) After cooking, stir in beans and chili powder. In bowl, mix ricotta, nutmeg, and egg white. Use a little more olive oil to grease baking pan (8 x 8), then begin layering with 1/3 of rice mixture, then salsa, then 1/2 of ricotta mixture, 1/3 of Monterey Jack, and repeat, ending with rice. Save the remaining third of Monterey Jack to mix with cheddar for topping. Bake in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes, adding the jack-cheddar mixture on top to melt for last 10 minutes.
Benefits: high fiber, high protein, low calorie, low saturated fat, heart healthy, healthy weight, lycopene
by Brenda