Jamaican Vegetables, Beans and Rice

This is a well known Jamaican family dish that was traditionally served on Monday’s for using up the salty ham left over from the previous Sunday’s dinner. There are many variations of this recipe; this Jamaican version uses coconut milk, but you could use stock if you prefer. This recipe is an ideal base for adding any vegetables that you have lurking in the back of the fridge.

By Caroline Marson

Cookery advisor

All recipes by Caroline Marson

Ingredients

Serves 4-6

75g streaky bacon, roughly chopped
1 onion, peeled and chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
250g leftover ham or sausage cut into small pieces
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Vegetables such as peppers, courgettes, broccoli
Tabasco sauce or a hot sauce of your choice

Sprigs of coriander Herbs

Herbs

Ideal for seasoning pastas.

To keep cut parsley or coriander, put in a hole free polythene bag with a couple of tablespoons of cold water, give the bag a good shake and keep in the salad drawer of the fridge. Herbs should keep for a week like this.
2 x 400g cans of drained and rinsed kidney Beans
Beans

Canned, dried or baked beans for the kids.
- Canned are most useful when in a hurry. Except for baked beans, once the can is open, tip the contents into a sieve or colander and run under the cold tap to rinse well.
- If you want to use dried beans in a recipe instead of canned ones, soak half the weight of canned beans in cold water overnight then cook in fresh boiling water until tender. Drain and use in a recipe.
- Beans can be served alone or mixed with other flavourings and foods. They are also great used to thicken soups and stews. They can be mixed with pasta or rice in soup for a hearty dish.
- Beans are a good substitute for meat in burgers as protein.
- Cold cooked beans are also excellent mixed with garlic dressing for a salad and served with cold meats or fish.
400ml can of Coconut milk

Coconut milk

For thai curries and vegetable bakes

If you have any leftover you can freeze in ice-cube trays. Once frozen transfer to freezer bags. It will keep for up to 3 months.
½ teaspoon dried thyme or a few sprigs of fresh thyme Herbs

Herbs

Ideal for seasoning pastas.

To keep cut parsley or coriander, put in a hole free polythene bag with a couple of tablespoons of cold water, give the bag a good shake and keep in the salad drawer of the fridge. Herbs should keep for a week like this.
300ml long grain Rice
Rice

Great as an accompaniment or for making risotto and pilaff.
- White long grain rice is good for salads, and its absorbent qualities go well with sauces and casseroles.
- Risotto rice has an incredible capacity to absorb a great amount of cooking liquid and still retain bite, just like paella rice.
- When cooked, basmati rice gives a light, fluffy, separate grains perfect to accompany curries or biriyani and pilaff dishes.
- Rice can replace breadcrumbs in stuffing’s and a few grains can be added to soups to thicken the broth.
- You have to be careful when reheating rice as there is a nasty little bacteria called bacillus cereus which may be present in cereals, particularly rice, and it is resistant to heat.
- It’s important always to cook rice for a hot dish just as you need it and serve it piping hot. If the rice is for a cold dish, once it’s cooked, cool it as quickly as possible and chill within two hours. To do this, drain the rice in a colander, rinse with cold water then tip into a large shallow container. Once it is cold, cover and keep refrigerated for no longer than a day.
Ground Black peppercorns
Black peppercorns

Best used as a condiment.
They can be lightly crushed and used to spice up a creamy sauce or to coat fillet steak or chicken breasts.
- Although it might seem odd, grinding black pepper over a bowl of strawberries enhances the flavour of the fruit.
- Pepper that is pre-ground is not fresh tasting and often has other ingredients mixed in.
- Choose the type of mill that suits you, and if you want coarser pepper you can loosen the screw on the top of the mill or crush the seeds in a pestle and mortar
Salt

Salt

Consider tablesalt, sea salt or crystals.

Sea salt’s pronounced and salty flavour means less is required to season food.

Instructions

In a non-stick medium pan, add the chopped bacon and cook until the fat is released then add the onion and garlic and cook until just soft over a low heat.
Add the beans, coconut milk, ham or sausage, cayenne pepper and thyme and bring to the boil. Allow it to cook, stirring for about 1 minute.
Add the rice and 450ml boiling water, turn down the heat to barely to simmer, cover and leave undisturbed for about 25 minutes.
When the rice is tender, stir gently and add any leftover vegetables, and season to taste. Serve in bowls and garnish with coriander sprigs, allow your guests to help themselves to the spicy sauce.

Health Note

From beans on toast to dhal with rice, pulses, which are protein rich, are a nutritious and cheap alternative to meat. Although convenient, tinned pulses may be high in added salt so remember to add less salt as a seasoning. When using ‘dried’ kidney beans once they have been soaked over night it is essential to boil them rapidly for 15 minutes and then to simmer them until they are thoroughly cooked. Three heaped tablespoons of beans counts as one portion of your daily intake of vegetables.

Note: Rice safety

It's best to serve rice when it has just been cooked. If that isn't possible, cool the rice as quickly as possible (ideally within one hour) and keep it in the fridge for no more than one day until reheating. Never leave cooked rice to cool on its own - always chill it quickly for example under running cold water. If cooked rice had been chilled or frozen ensure that it is thoroughly reheated and is piping hot throughout. Never keep rice chilled for longer than 1 day or frozen for longer than 1 month. Once cooked rice has been re-heated, throw away any leftovers. Never re-heat rice more than once.

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