Jamaican Red Beans & Rice

Two more recipes today from The Vegetarian Family Cookbook. In all honesty, I have to say that until Nava Atlas offered to send me a copy of her book I hadn't given it any notice. That's really just because it started with the word "vegetarian", which in most of my cookbooks translates as "lots of eggs and dairy". But all the dishes I've looked at have either been vegan or have easy vegan options. Now I can't seem to put it down! Her recipes inspire me as an adventurous cook, but are still dishes that my son will gladly eat.

First, in the thermos, Quick Jamaican Red Beans & Rice, made of cooked brown rice, a can of red beans, and some light coconut milk. On the side are whole wheat Banana Fritters, another adaptation of a traditional Jamaican recipe, with a little container of maple syrup.

Nava recommended a green salad or a dish of glazed butternut squash to go with this meal. Sounds good to me, but as shmoo says when in one of his Raggae moods, "A nuh mi fi like it (I am not one to like that)." So I added a dish of blueberry soy yogurt topped with frozen cherries and raspberries.

Verdict: Beans and rice is such a staple at our house. If you cook a large batch of brown rice at the beginning of the week and keep canned beans on hand, you can have a fast, simple and kid-friendly supper together in minutes. Adding coconut milk this time gave it an extra-rich flavor we all loved -- even better the next day for lunch. The fritters were denser than a regular banana pancake, and more banana-y. Everything got eaten up by my wanga-gut (hungry belly) boy. 4 stars.