Asparagus with Brown and Wild Rice & White Kidney Beans

This recipe makes a refreshing seasonal salad that is macronutrient balanced and delicious.  Only choose fresh local asparagus.  Avoid asparagus from Peru or the US as it leaves a huge carbon footprint.

Ingredients

1 cup Brown and Wild Rice Blend (Lundberg Wild Blend is nice)

1 cup raw almonds, chopped

1 bunch local asparagus, trimmed and chopped in 2” pieces

1 cup cooked cannellini beans (white kidney beans)

¼ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt and pepper to taste

Bean Preparation

It is best to soak dried cannellini beans in water for 24 hours and then cook them, as opposed to using canned beans.  Canned beans usually contain some sort of preservative and cause gas and bloating.  Try cooking beans every weekend.  They keep well in the fridge for about one week.  Use the beans in pasta dishes, salads, dips and stir-fry’s.

To prepare the beans, drain and rinse the beans after their 24 hour soak.  Place them in a large pot and cover with two inches of water.  Bring to a boil for 3 minutes.  Drain and rinse the beans and wash the pot.  Return the rinsed partially cooked beans to the clean pot and cover with two inches of water.  Bring to a boil again and simmer for about 20 to 30 minutes or until the beans are cooked through and tender.  Remove from heat and salt the beans with about a tablespoon of salt. Let the beans sit for five minutes or so before straining.  

Directions

Cook rice according to directions.  Cool to room temperature.  Add chopped asparagus to a pot of boiling water and cook for 2 minutes.  Drain and place asparagus in cold water to stop the cooking process and to preserve the vibrant green colour.  Once cool, drain the asparagus and add to the cooled rice.  Add cooled cooked beans and chopped almonds.  Drizzle with lemon juice and olive oil.  Season with sea salt and pepper.