Recovery, Not Ramen: Black Beans and Rice

Today is Sunday. The sabbath. And I am not talking about attending mass. I'm referring to dirt church. It's Race Day, the religious observance of cycling. On our sabbath we do not abstain from work, on the contrary, actually. We dole out the upwards of 600 calories an hour to pre-meditatively flagellate ourselves; bowing our heads and coming to prayer at our handlebars, seeking to strip away our temporal routines and purify ourselves in the meditation of contest. Masochistically demonstrating our reverence like devotees of Santa Muerte crawling on hands and knees.

Now, as far as I'm concerned, that is about as spiritual as you can get.

Now all that pious effort will surely create quite an appetite. For that appetite I present to you a highly confidential recipe for my favorite recovery food. Black Beans and Rice - incredibly easy, incredibly delicious black beans and rice. Not to mention it is likely one of the very few vegan recipes you will find me sharing.

I once heard that blacks beans and brown rice contain all nine essential amino acids. Is this true? I have no idea. Yes, I am sitting at a computer and Yes, Google is a click away. But I don't care that much, and I'd rather continue believing it's true than to be disappointed for the sake of accuracy. Whether this meal contains amino acids or not doesn't really matter anyway, because its frickin' tasty and will make you feel good after busting your ass in the saddle all day. Not to mention, it's simple enough to prepare when you are knee deep in a caloric deficit and battling post-race delirium. And it will make you feel like damn gifted chef.

Now that I have your attention, I know what you're asking. You're saying "Ian Backpack, what do I need in order to make this delectably nutritious fodder for myself and my loved ones?" And to that I say, you need the following:

- One 15 oz can of Frijoles Negros (that's Black Beans, dummy)
- One 14.5 oz can of Stewed Tomatoes
- 1.5 cups of instant brown rice
- 1/2 yellow onion, sliced thin
- Garlic, to taste
- Oregano
- Crushed red pepper
- Black pepper
- Salt
- Olive oil

Optional Ingredients that I like to use are Lime, Apple cider vinegar, and, of course, my trusty Sriracha sauce. This dish is extremely adaptable, and you will quickly devise your own list of secret ingredients.

Go ahead and heat a little bit of that olive oil in a large pot (when I say large, I mean 2qt or so, I don't actually know if that counts as a large pot). When your oil is good and hot, throw in your sliced onion and sauté til it's translucent. At this point I add my garlic and let that cook with the onions for a minute. Mix in your beans and tomatoes and give it all a good stir. Drop in your dry spices and give a squirt of lime, a blast of Sriracha and a splash of vinegar, if you're into that kind of thing.*

This is when I like to use a knife and the back of a wooden spoon to cut those outrageously large stewed tomatoes down to size. Cut 'em into bite size pieces, or don't, whatever. Bring this amalgamation to a boil and stir in your instant rice. Reduce your heat to a simmer, put a lid on that shit and let it percolate for 5 minutes. Pull it from your heat source and let it sit covered for another 5. Now you're ready to unveil and indulge.

I generally split this into two portions, but for those with an average appetite or not using this as a one-course meal, you can probably get 4 servings. I precook and pre-portion this feast for literally every race, epic ride, or out of town trip I engage in. It is not uncommon to find me post-ride, clad in dirty bike shorts, half-consciously spooning cold black beans into my face and chasing it with a glass bottle of Coca de Mexico. Actually, that is how I recommend this meal to be served...

*A few notes about the list of ingredients...
-I like to add vinegar for a little tang, but it also helps make spicy food spicier, so you gringos might want to avoid this addition.
-To cheat a little bit I use seasoned recipe beans, and mexican style stewed tomatoes. They add a little more flavor and make things that much more fool proof.
-I know next to nothing about the process of making rice into instant rice, but I sincerely doubt that 100% of the initial nutrition remains intact. That being said...
-If you are opposed to the idea of cooking with canned Beans & Tomatoes and instant rice, then, first of all, this blog probably isn't your cup of tea. And secondly, you can totally rework this recipe for fresh ingredients, but at that point you have defeated the spirit of this instruction and may as well look for your bean and rice recipe elsewhere. Probably somewhere on the internet NOT called Ramen Hacks.

If you have any recommendations, proof that instant rice is not vegan, or just arrogant criticism, go ahead and leave a comment so I can publicly praise and/or chastise you.