The list of in-season summer fruits and veggies jogged my memory of a fabulous Brazilian dish I ate last week called Paraiba. It uses lima beans, which are in season. I have not made this recipe, but from eating it I have a good idea of how to make it. Experiment to get the quantities just right. I like this dish because it is simple and very tasty.
Ingredients:
Brown rice, cooked al dente in half chicken broth, half water
Lima Beans, cooked to directions on package or from a can
Cheese (Swiss, Gruyere, cheddar, or mixture), shredded
Steak tips cooked to your liking and seasoned with salt and pepper
Directions:
Cook rice. While rice is cooking, prepare and cook meat. Heat oven to 350. In a clay pot or oven-save dish that you have a lid for, spread an inch thick layer of al dente rice with enough chicken broth to make the rice very moist. Sprinkle a layer of lima beans over the rice. Cover lightly with shredded cheese and heat, covered, in oven for 15 minutes at 350, or until cheese is melted. Remove from oven, toss steak tips on top and serve. For a cheaper version, leave out the meat or replace the steak with whatever meat is on sale.
This is also a great recipe for left over rice. Just make sure rice is nice and moist when you put it in the oven or it will dry out!
I make dishes similar to this on a regular basis, as they’re a great way to include lots of nutrition and fiber. This recipe would be good with a bit of curry powder added, along with some diced tomatoes and/or mushrooms, as well as wild rice. It’s a great start for personal experimentation. One cautionary note: lima beans can get dry and tough if overcooked, so be sure to watch for that. Cardboard pellets are not tasty! I learned that lesson the hard way years ago.
@EllieD I love your variations! Mushrooms go with anything, in my book. I wonder if one should add the lima beans after the pot comes out of the oven, just like the steak.
Have your cake and eat it kind of a dillema. What should today’s brides do? Have a expensivewedding or save for a house? I would choose the second without a doubt