A grain, a green, and a bean

 Introduction

Picture this: It’s dinnertime. Your fridge is at least semi-stocked with produce. Your pantry contains a few cans of beans and maybe a bag of rice, quinoa, or farro. There’s a bookshelf somewhere nearby that’s lined with cookbooks, and those cookbooks are littered with Post-it notes flagging the recipes you’ve been wanting to try. If you were to open your phone, you might find a cooking app or two. You’ve saved more recipes in Instagram and TikTok than you can count.

In spite of this, and the growling of your stomach as you stare blankly at the kitchen countertop, you have no idea what to cook. Does this sound familiar? If it does, you’re not alone.

I’ve been cooking and writing about food for nearly fifteen years. I have an ample cookbook collection, including a few titles of my own, each filled with recipes I know and love. Like most home cooks nowadays, there’s no shortage of accounts I follow on social media for new ideas and inspiration. Even so, I find myself frequently stumped when I ask myself the question: What’s for dinner?

For better or for worse, I’m not the only one. Plenty of capable home cooks find themselves in the same scenario, with plenty of recipes at their fingertips and no dinner plan in sight. Given the multitude of cooking resources available to us online and in print, it shouldn’t be this hard, right?

Perhaps what’s needed isn’t another recipe (let alone a giant collection of random recipes) but rather, a formula. This formula can get you thinking strategically about using the ingredients and foods you already have at home to create a meal you’re excited to eat. If you’re a loyal recipe follower, as I am, then you can use the formula to help you narrow your choices and make selections from the many cookbooks at your disposal.

If you’re going to trust in a formula, then it ought to be one that promises good and balanced nutrition as well as a pleasing meal: a quality protein source, energy-sustaining carbohydrates, healthful fats, and plenty of vegetables. If this meal can be relatively complete on its own, sparing you the effort of whipping up a bunch of additional side dishes or accompaniments, so much the better.

Years of feeding myself through times of busyness and times of stillness, periods of culinary inspiration and dreaded food ruts, have helped me to settle on a formula I love and want to share. Ready for it?

A grain, a green, and a bean.

Back to Basics

Grains, greens, and beans. In many ways, these food groups are the building blocks of a plant-based diet. Whole grains, greens, and beans are some of the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet. They’ve been the foundational ingredients in cuisines for centuries and have sustained communities long before animal protein was always widely available.

Grains, greens, and beans are each rich in vitamins and dietary fiber. Beans are good sources of plant-based protein, as are many grains, especially quinoa and wheat. When these foods are combined, as they are in all the following recipes, they become even more powerfully nourishing.

The notion of grouping grains, greens, and beans together to assemble a meal has existed within the plant-based community for a long time. Educator Matt Frazier, author of The Plant Based Athlete and founder of the website No Meat Athlete, popularized the phrase “a grain, a green, and a bean,” giving it a handy acronym: AGAGAB. Matt describes AGAGAB as “a simple, one-pot meal that happens to be cheap, filling, and nutritionally outstanding.” Combinations of grains, greens, and beans are indeed all those things and more—in a “less is more” kind of way.

Less is more: that call to simplicity hits home for me. Like many vegans, I’ve gotten accustomed to an ever-widening array of product innovations and restaurant offerings. I love having access to these options, but each time my food bill creeps up I remind myself that they’re proverbial icing on the cake.

Some of my favorite plant-based eateries ten and fifteen years ago had sections on their menus devoted to “basics”—always cooked grains, beans, and vegetables—that could be paired with a simple sauce. No matter what other dishes were on the menu, I always found myself drawn to these simple, nourishing meals. With A Grain, a Green, a Bean, I’m going back to the basics—for the simplicity, the nutritional value, and the budget-friendly factor!

Part of the beauty of grains and beans is that they’re economical as well as satisfying and nutritious. There are exceptions, of course; heirloom and ancient grains are more expensive than conventional counterparts. Foods made with soybeans, such as tempeh, can be more pricy than your average can of chickpeas. For the most part, though, few foods offer more nutrition at a relatively low cost than humble, hearty grains and beans.

The Building Blocks

The categories of “grain,” “green,” and “bean” might seem self-evident, but there are some nuances worthy of elaboration

Grains

Grains are the edible seeds of various plants, including oats, rice, corn, and wheat. There’s another category of edible seeds called pseudograins, which are harvested similarly to grains and usually grouped with them. Pseudograins are all gluten free, and they include amaranth, buckwheat, and quinoa.

Grains typically consist of an outer membrane, an inner endosperm, and a core called the “germ” of the grain. When grains are left intact with all these components, then cooked or ground into flour for bread, noodles, or other food products, they’re called whole grains.

Refined grains result when the outer membrane of the grain is stripped away from its inner endosperm. White rice, pearled barley, and all-purpose flour are examples of grains that have undergone some amount of refinement.

There’s a lot of buzz these days about the value of eating whole grains and grain products, rather than refined grains. There’s sound reasoning behind this recommendation: refined grains contain a little less protein, fiber, and vitamins than their whole counterparts. Yet crusty baguettes, bowls of pasta and noodles, and tender flour tortillas are only a few examples of refined-grain foods that are cherished around the world. I value the nutrition of whole grains, but I think foods with refined grains deserve a place in balanced diets, too.

This cookbook presents the “grain” category in a flexible way. Many recipes feature rice, quinoa, wheat berries, millet, and other whole grains. There are also recipes in which the “grain” is a slice of bread, some pasta, or a warm pita pocket. My goal is to help you enjoy grains in as many convenient, enjoyable forms as possible.

Cooking Whole Grains

If you’re not accustomed to cooking with whole grains, then this book will provide you with a great opportunity to become more comfortable with them. It’ll invite you to cook most whole grains the same way you’d cook a pot of pasta: by bringing a big pot of water to a boil, adding the grain, boiling until tender, then draining the grain thoroughly.

Many cooking instructions for grains suggest using a precise ratio of measured cooking water to dry grain. For example, I usually see recipes that suggest a 1:3 ratio of millet to water or a 1:2 ratio of brown rice to water. This can work out perfectly well, but I find it can also be unreliable. Grains might absorb different amounts of liquid depending on how old they are or even which brand of grain you use.

It can be stressful to salvage a pot of bulgur or farro that’s dry and burning at the bottom because it wanted more water, or a batch of cooked rice that became soggy from too much liquid. Boiling grains like pasta will give you so much more control over the grain’s consistency. I think it’s easier, and it results in fluffier, more distinct grains.

There are exceptions. I always cook quinoa with a 1:1¾ ratio of dry quinoa to water, and I use a 1:1½ ratio for most types of white rice. The Oven to Table Recipes section of this book calls for cooking whole grains on a sheet pan or in casserole dishes. In that case, a precise amount of water is specified. Otherwise, you can experience the freedom that comes with boiling grains. You won’t have to nervously watch for signs of browning or sticking to the bottom of your cookware!

Beans (Legumes)

Beans are edible seeds from the Fabaceae, or Leguminosae, family of plants. They’re part of a larger category of foods called pulses, which also includes lentils and dried peas. Technically, this book ought to be called A Grain, a Green, a Legume because it features dried peas and lentils along with beans.

If any category of food deserves to be called a “superfood,” it’s beans. While they’re usually touted as good sources of plant-based protein, they’re also packed with fiber, phytonutrients, and iron.

I knew that beans were good for me as I began to explore plant-based cooking. Having grown up with minimal beans in my diet, however, I didn’t know how versatile and fun an ingredient they can be. Beans, lentils, and peas can be mashed, sautéed, simmered, and roasted until crispy. They can be mixed with grains or flour and formed into burgers, patties, and plant-based meatballs. They enrich soups with heartiness and texture, and they’re an easy way to make a simple pasta dish higher in protein. I hope the recipes in this book will show you how much potential exists in each can of beans that’s sitting in your pantry.

I take the slightly controversial position of almost always using canned beans, rather than dried. For the most part, I don’t think canned beans are less flavorful than beans that have been home-cooked from their dried state, and I find them a lot more convenient. They’re also every bit as nutritious as beans that have been boiled from dry. Some canned beans are salted, but it’s easy to search for low-sodium options, if that’s best for you.

If you’re in the habit of cooking dried beans or have a monthly bean subscription, it won’t be hard to use your scratch-cooked beans in these recipes. My recipes always call for beans in multiples of 1½ cups, which is the amount in a 15-ounce can. For those of you whose pantries are always stocked with a few cans of beans, as mine is, this book will give you a good excuse to continue replenishing your shelves.

One note about the liquid that comes in a can of beans. Many recipes call for draining, rinsing, and then draining these beans again. I think the drained bean canning liquid can be useful sometimes, adding some thickening starch to pastas or helping create ultra-smooth hummus (see this page). Some recipes in the book specifically call for draining and rinsing beans. But if rinsing isn’t specified, you can assume it’s fine to merely drain the beans before adding them to the recipe as instructed.

Greens

When you read the word greens, your mind might turn immediately to dark leafy greens, such as kale, spinach, bok choy, or Swiss chard. These greens are rightly known for being ultra-nutritious. Originally, it was my thought to make all the “greens” in this book of the dark and leafy variety. As I got into recipe testing, though, I realized the greens I routinely cook with go well beyond those dark leafy greens.

There are many nights when the green component on my plate is broccoli, green bell pepper, green cabbage, brussels sprouts, or green peas. In the spirit of staying true to my own style of cooking, the “greens” in this book include all the above, as well as leeks, green onions, and even copious amounts of herbs. In other words, any vegetable with a green color is fair game.

In allowing yourself to think about greens as a broad, inclusive category, rather than a single group of vegetables, you’ll give yourself the flexibility to work with more ingredients. You might also feel comforted to know that the recommendation to “incorporate more greens into your diet”—guidance that dietitians like me dole out all the time—can be met in a realistic, sustainable way.

This book is divided into four main sections: Bowls & Salads, Beans & Greens on Bread, Stovetop Meals, and Oven to Table Recipes.

Bowls & Salads may be the types of recipes that come to mind first when you think about cooking with whole grains and beans. These recipes are wholesome, are fresh, and include a lot of texture and color within a single dish.

Beans & Greens on Bread celebrates sandwiches, wraps, toasts, open-faced English muffins, stuffed pita pockets, and toasted tortillas—in other words, any type of recipe in which a bread or wheat product is the central grain.

The Stovetop Meals section focuses on one-pot or one-skillet recipes, including pastas, soups and stews, and stir-fries.

Oven to Table Recipes includes casseroles, sheet-pan meals, stuffed vegetables, and other meals that use baking or roasting as the main cooking method.

My hope is that these four sections will demonstrate the many approaches to turning grains, greens, and beans into complete, satisfying meals. The recipes offer a range of preparation times and levels of involvement. Some of the Stovetop Meals and many of the Beans & Greens on Bread are quick and easy, while a few of the grain bowls and baked dishes in the Oven to Table Recipes section are intricate and well suited to cooking in stages. The bottom line is that there’s always some combination of grains, greens, and beans to fit your schedule.

Toward the end of the book is a section on Basics, which includes sauces, dressings, dips, and other components that find their way into numerous recipes. Taking the time to prepare just one of these multipurpose condiments will set you up for success with the rest of your cooking. For example, Cashew Sour Cream (this page) appears in no less than 15 recipes in this book! Alternatively, you always have the option to substitute the homemade sour cream, hummus, or guacamole with a store-bought, plant-based alternative.

Finally, I’ve included five different Sweet Things. No, these aren’t sweets made with beans and greens. I’m including this tiny chapter because I don’t think any experience of food is complete without periodic pauses for something sweet. I’m sharing the five treats that are nearest and dearest to my heart.

As you explore the recipes, I recommend reading each one through from start to finish. That way, you’ll be able to spot whether a recipe from the Basics section has been referenced, and you’ll know whether there are any preparation steps you should think about in advance of cooking. It’s always helpful to have a sense of a recipe’s process and timeline before you get to work.

I have food likes and dislikes, as we all do, and the grain, green, and bean categories offer no exception to this rule. I love rice, farro, and quinoa, but I can’t stand amaranth (believe me, I’ve tried). I can eat kale raw or cooked by the pound, but I have a hard time warming up to Swiss chard.

My message to you is this: it’s okay to have favorites.

You’re allowed to like some whole grains and green vegetables more than others. You don’t have to regularly eat every single legume, so long as you try to cook with a few of them. As a dietitian, I can tell you that variety is important, but so is enjoyment and excitement about your food. You don’t have to force yourself to eat a type of bean that you don’t care for (or can’t find) when there are other beans that you love. The same goes for greens and grains.

In the spirit of honoring your preferences and mine, this cookbook favors some of my favorite grains, beans, and greens. There are also opportunities to make substitutions or trades. A few recipes call for kale, collards, spinach, chard, or beet greens—in other words, you can use the dark leafy green that’s available and appealing to you.

While I don’t always offer or suggest a substitution, know that many of the listed beans can be swapped out for a can of beans that happens to be sitting in your pantry. For instance, I routinely swap cannellini beans for pinto beans, black beans for adzuki beans, and French lentils for brown or green lentils.

If I feel that a particular type of bean is essential to a recipe’s success, you can count on me to state that in the recipe headnote. Otherwise, you have an open invitation to make substitutions that feel reasonable to you.