Zesty Tomato & Beans

Servings: 5-6

Time: 25-30 minutes (including the time to cook the grain; get that going first!)

Ingredients:

1 cup whole grain of choice (millet, brown rice, quinoa, etc.) OR serve with potatoes

4-5 cloves garlic, chopped

2 tsp olive oil (optional)

1/4 - 1/2 cup red wine (optional but gives the dish a lovely tang)

6 medium tomatoes, chopped (or 1 1/2 - 2 15 oz cans of diced tomatoes)

1 15-oz can kidney, pinto, black or white beans, rinsed

1/2 - 1 cup organic corn (frozen is a good option)

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp cayenne (optional)

1/2 tsp salt (optional; with this dish, you can wait and just salt at the plate because it is so flavorful)

1/2 - 1 cup water

12 oz green beans, stems removed and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 3 cups)

Directions:

Start cooking your whole grain of choice so that it’s ready when your vegetable and lentil mixture is ready.

In a separate pan, saute the garlic in olive oil (optional) or with a little water on medium heat for about 2 minutes. Be careful not to burn the garlic. Add the wine and cook another 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and cook for about 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the beans, corn (optional, but really good), chili powder, cumin, cayenne, salt (optional) and water (add more if you like a soupier consistency). Stir to mix and cook for about 10 more minutes until the flavors are nicely blended. Taste the mixture and if it needs a little more flavor, feel free to add a little more of any of the seasonings. Add the green beans, cover the saute pan and cook another 5-10 minutes to steam the green beans. The dish is ready to eat when the green beans are tender and cooked to your liking.

Serve the tomato, green bean and bean mixture and the whole grain side-by-side in a bowl or on a plate and enjoy!