By Jenna Rice
Canned beans and eggs can transform into the ultimate comfort food with a squeeze of lemon and a few greens tossed in.
I came to New York City fall of 2013 without a job, against the advice of everyone, ever. Cohabitating with my cousin in the studio shared with his girlfriend, I was twenty-seven and running through what little savings I had with the speed of a hungry cheetah. While job hunting, I took on odd temp positions like organizing PR closets with 19 year old interns. This was a time of much forced self-reflection; one aspect being my eating habits. Buying coffee with notes of caramelized apricot and chocolate bonbon was no longer feasible. I, a great lover of food, tried to come up with satiating meals on an extremely tight budget. This was the beginning of a love affair with canned beans. Beans were my beacon of light; versatile, savory, and cheap. I would peel off the lid with the grandeur of a child removing gold foil from a chocolate coin. The first recipe involved garbanzo beans; rinsing (occasionally, but not always) and pouring them into a bowl with a twist of salt and pepper. Next came cumin, extra virgin olive oil, and tangy feta, a squeeze of acidic lemon and cherry tomatoes. Once mixed together, the feta, spice and olive oil transformed into a white-flecked golden ooze. It permeated the amber orbs of the garbanzo beans, resulting in a creamy, salty, ephemeral delight.
After about a year I finally took a job at a new product innovation consultancy. Here I made my first friend, who’s tasty, inexpensive, and healthy “desk lunch” mission aligned with my own. She, too, could appreciate the complexity of a can of beans. As our friendship grew, so did our collection of recipes for Beans and Greens. We are still coming up with alternate versions today. This particular recipe is a simple, flavorful favorite: Beans, Greens and Eggs. Portions need not be followed exactly; this is just how we personally enjoy it. Beans, Greens and Eggs is super easy to make and can be done in under fifteen minutes.
Ingredients
1 cup/handful of arugula
½ tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
6 cherry tomatoes
Persian cucumber
Salt and pepper
Trader Joe’s Coconut Oil Spray, or about a table spoon of coconut oil
1/3rd cup of canned beans
½ a teaspoon each of cumin, onion powder, red pepper flakes
Lemon wedge
1-2 eggs
Plain Greek Yogurt (I prefer Fage!)
Hot sauce
Instructions
Place arugula into a bowl, pour on extra virgin olive oil. Feel free to mix it up, either with two spoons or your hands.
Slice the cherry tomatoes in half and the cucumber to your preference. I do thin slices. Use as colorful, edible decorations around the rim of the bowl or place anywhere on the arugula.
Sprinkle with a twist of salt and pepper.
Take a small frying pan, spray liberally with Trader Joe's coconut oil spray, and heat the beans on medium. Sprinkle on cumin, onion powder, red pepper flakes and a squeeze of lemon.
Regularly move the beans around with a spatula or wooden spoon. After around five minutes, the beans start splitting. Move them from the pan into one side of the salad.
Add more coconut oil to the pan and do quick scrambled eggs: moving them consistently with a spatula. Once cooked to your desired consistency, place on the other side of the bowl.
Take a hearty dollop of plain Greek yogurt and place it on the black beans, followed by hot sauce per your preference.
Enjoy ☺