A Lighter, Brighter Recipe for Beans and Rice

THE CLASSIC COMBO of beans and rice comes in many delicious iterations. When Los Angeles chef Rashida Holmes was growing up, pigeon peas were the legume of choice, as they are for many families with roots in Barbados. “We had them for every holiday,” said the chef. In the warmer months, her mother often added okra and tomatoes to the meal, as Ms. Holmes does here in her third Slow Food Fast recipe.

“Some people make theirs so the rice is fluffy,” Ms. Holmes said. “I like mine a little more soupy, but you can do what you prefer and adjust the amount of water.” She cooks the okra separately, split lengthwise, tossed in olive oil and roasted until crunchy. This way, it adds a nice textural counterpoint to the pigeon peas and rice. “You don’t need to worry about it being slimy. It just gets meaty and crisp,” she said. Just before serving, Ms. Holmes mixes up a tangy vinaigrette of grated tomato, olive oil and salt. Spooned overtop, it brightens the entire dish.

—Kitty Greenwald is a chef, food writer and the co-author of ‘Slow Fires’ (Clarkson Potter)

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