Menu Monday (and a little something extra)

I want to make menu Monday more interesting. So I have decided to include budget recipes every week I have one. This week I was lucky... there were two!

Veggie Fried Rice

• 4 cups cooked brown/wild/red/mixed rice
• Olive oil for cooking
• One large onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 handfuls of each frozen golden beets and frozen green beans
• 1 1/2 Tbs Bragg's Amino Acid or 1 Tbs soy sauce
• 2 Tbs mayonnaise

Chop onion into slivers, and mince garlic. In a large skillet, saute' over med high heat with oil until onion starts to clear. Add in beets and green beans and agitate constantly until they are cooked through. Add in the rice and mix until warm. Remove from heat and add the Bragg's and mayo. Toss and serve, warm or cold.

Mexi Comfort Rice

• 4 cups cooked brown/wild/red/mixed rice
• Olive oil or butter for cooking
• 1 can or 1 1/2 cup frozen corn
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 can or 1 1/2 cup cooked black beans
• 3 Tbs salsa
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves
• 1/2 cup chopped olives

Dice the bell pepper and saute in oil or butter until soft. Add in the beans and corn. When hot, pour into a large bowl and add in the rice and toss with salsa, cilantro leaves, and chopped olives (saving some of the cilantro and olives back for garnish if you wish). Add salt if needed (ours didn't need it... but it depends on the salsa.)

Either of these recipes could be converted to vegan, and both serve 5 - 6 people for under $5. I just love rice!