Kidney Bean & Rice Gratin

I am sorry for the lack of posting lately. I have the immune system of a 3 week old baby. I somehow managed to get BOTH strep and the flu over the weekend. I have been miserable for days. Add in that I leave to see my Grandmother in less than a week and both of my finals are due on Sunday, and I don't know how I've been functioning. With meals like this, of course! This meal is easy, comforting and did I mention easy?! :)

Kidney Bean & Rice Gratin
serves 3

• 1 Tb. olive oil
• 1/2 cup frozen peppers & onions
• 2 ribs celery, chopped
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 1/2 cups cooked rice (1/2 cup uncooked)
• 3/4 cup frozen corn
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano or Italian seasoning
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 cup cheddar blend
• Cilantro, for garnish (optional)*

*I used Dorot for the cilantro, which is frozen herbs! It's so cool because I hate wasting herbs but fresh ones add such great flavor. Frozen herbs aren't as easy to work with for garnishes (I just mixed this in with the spices) but the flavor was still top notch! I only had to use two squares and I have the rest in my freezer for next time. I found it at Trader Joe's.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Heat the oil in a large nonstick pan. Add the peppers & onions, celery, and garlic. Saute about 10 minutes, until celery is tender.

Mix in chili powder, Italian seasoning, cumin, and crushed red pepper.

Add in canned tomatoes and bring to a boil. Let simmer for about 5 minutes.

Mix in beans, corn  and rice.

If pan is oven-safe, cover with cheese and stick the pan in the oven to bake. My pan is oven safe but I tend not to use it because I'm over careful with my pan. :) I transfered the mixture to a prepared casserole dish, topped with cheese and baked for 15 minutes.

Nutritional information (for 1/3): 412 calories, 12g fat (5g sat), 61g carbs, 10g fiber, 16g protein

Standard sick fare is soup and other canned meals. After two days of that, the only thing I was craving was REAL FOOD. It's crazy how much your body likes what it likes. I was too tired to fight it the first two days but by the third, I was actually getting nauseous at the thought of food from a can again. This is where quick, nutritious meals made from real food come in handy! :)