Brown Rice Penne Rigate with Veggies

     Last night I was contemplating what to make for dinner and looking for a way to include some wing beans I had bought at the store. Wing beans are common here in the tropics and other places like Southeast Asia, India and the Philippines. When I first moved to Guam and went grocery shopping I felt like I was in a foreign country and couldn't speak the language. English is spoken here but I had no idea what to do with the items on the shelf that were written in other languages like Japanese or Korean. There were so many unfamiliar items in the grocery store, especially the produce section.  Many familiar items are shipped here from the United States but at the high cost I was determined to learn how to eat like the locals. This is when I began a new culinary journey and along the way I found some exciting new options for cooking. I became familiar with various vegetables and fruits by buying them, taking them home and doing lots of research on the internet. Of course I also did my share of asking the locals how they cook certain items. It took me a few years to really understand the subtle nuances between the eclectic culinary variations that make up Guam's cuisine. 

     The most common way I have seen wing beans served is as a Thai salad or an Asian stir fried vegetable. Wing beans are a legume. They are rich in protein, complex carbohydrates, B vitamins, calcium, iron and fiber. Every part of the plant can be eaten! Leaves are like spinach, flowers like mushrooms, the tubular roots like potatoes and the sweet, crunchy pods which I will use tonight. The pods have a very mild green bean flavor. What I like most about them is the light, crunchy texture they have, sort of like when you bite into a crisp and crunchy bell pepper. I wasn't really in the mood for Thai or Asian tonight. Italian was more my craving. So I thought why not incorporate this vegetable into an Italian pasta. I think this is when cooking really gets fun. Take a risk and try something new! 

     Cooking savoury dishes offer a lot of flexibility. This dish is one of those that you can make adjustments to and still produce a satisfying dish. If you don't have wing beans then use the more traditional string green beans. If you use string green beans, skip the parboiling step. Stir frying them in step 2 will be enough as you want them to retain some crunch. If I were to use string green beans, I would add some red bell pepper to give the dish a little sweetness like the wing beans do. Fresh young asparagus would be another nice vegetable to substitute for the wing beans.

     I list in recipes the names of products I use. For the recipe, there is some flexibility. If you don't want to use the suggested items, switch them out with something of your choice. For example, if you don't want to use brown rice penne rigate, choose another penne pasta. Try not to alter too much with the seasoning or you will be create a new dish.

Wing Beans

Brown Rice Penne Rigate with Veggies

Serves 4 – 6

gluten-dairy-soy free

printable recipe

Ingredients:

6 oz. Jovial gluten free brown rice penne rigate

2 cups wing beans, sliced in ½” slices

2 cups broccoli florets

2 Roma tomatoes, diced

1 cup thin sliced red onion

1-2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tsp. dried Italian herbs

1 handful fresh basil, chopped*

Pinch of red pepper flakes

Salt & pepper

½ fresh lemon

1 T. Earth Balance Soy Free Buttery Spread

1 T. coconut oil (or other high heat cooking oil)

2 - 3 T. extra virgin olive oil

*I prefer using a fresh herb whenever possible. Right now I am growing basil so it is plenty available. If you don't have fresh basil then substitute it with 1 1/2  tsp. dried basil

Note: When cutting fresh broccoli florets, I will also peel the stem, slice it thinly and use it as well. Plenty of healthy fiber in the stems! Besides, you buy broccoli by the pound so why not use most of it.

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the wing beans and broccoli florets. Parboil for 3 minutes. Use a spider strainer to remove the vegetables from the water. Place in a bowl and set aside. Keep the water boiling, add the pasta and cook for about 7-8 minutes. You want the pasta to be al dente. If you over cook the pasta it will fall apart. Strain the pasta when done, set aside. Before you strain the pasta reserve about 1 cup of the water.

2. In a large skillet heat on medium heat the Earth Balance butter and coconut oil. Add the red onion and sauté until the onion is soft. Add the garlic, cook for about 1 minute. Add the wing beans, broccoli florets, diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning and pinch of red pepper flakes. Stir to combine. Next, add the pasta to the pan. Stir again to combine. Squeeze the juice from half a lemon into the pan, add the fresh basil and extra virgin olive oil. If you want more moisture add some of the reserved pasta water. Toss to combine all the ingredients. Season to taste with salt & pepper.