My boys have a new favorite low oxalate recipe–Jamaican Rice and Peas! This is a staple from my vegetarian days that I haven’t made in years, but I had one of those crazy cravings and gave in. It also seemed like a good learning opportunity for the boys. What better way to introduce new cultures than through their food?
Get in the mood for Caribbean food!
Rice and peas is an everyday staple in Jamaica. Its subtle coconut flavor and creamy texture are a perfect complement to Jamaican Jerk Chicken and other spicy island treats, but it also makes a filling vegetarian main-dish. It’s traditionally made with pigeon peas, but black-eyed peas or kidney beans can be substituted. I sometimes use the habanero pepper and sometimes don’t. Since you use a whole pepper and remove it before cooking, it doesn’t make the rice hot, but adds a nice, subtle pepper flavor.
The night I introduced Jamaican Rice and Peas to my boys, I talked with them about Jamaica and tropical islands. They were fascinated and asked lots of questions and repeated the things I was telling them over and over. I think it was the first time it started to make sense to them that people live in many different places, and that people in different places eat different foods than we do. It was fun watching them learn, and it was a very pleasant way to make dinner conversation with soon-t0-be-three-year-olds. I plan to buy a good map to keep in the kitchen, so as we cook and learn together I can point out where the different foods we eat come from. I hope this will also make cooking and eating together as a family more fun. It sure was fun last week. And it was even more fun when Aidan requested “Island rice and beans” again for dinner a few nights later.
Aidan loves his Jamaican Rice and Peas (made here with kidney beans)
Jamaican Rice and Peas
2 cups cooked pigeon peas, black-eyed peas or kidney beans
1 can unsweetened Coconut Milk (13.5 ounces)
1 cup water
2 cups long grain white rice (not instant!)
1 habanero pepper (optional)
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2-4 cloves garlic, crushed
sea salt to taste (start with 1/4 teaspoon)
Put all of the ingredients into a saucepan, including the cooking liquid from the beans if possible (should be about 3/4 cup liquid — adjust by adding extra water if necessary). Bring to a boil, then simmer until most of the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender (about 30 minutes). Remove the habanero pepper and serve.
Makes 4 main dish or 8 side dish servings.
Note: Most Jamaican chefs start by cooking raw pigeon peas (which are soupy like non-drained canned beans), then add the other ingredients to the bean pot. This is why I use the cooking liquid in my recipe. It keeps things easy and more authentic tasting. You may like the texture of this dish better, however, if you drain and rinse the beans first, then add an extra 3/4 cup water.
Low Oxalate Info: Pigeon peas and kidney beans are medium oxalate ingredients. All other ingredients are low or very low oxalate, so this is a low to “lower medium” oxalate dish depending on what type of pea/bean you use. Actual oxalate values are: black-eyed peas (3 mg. oxalate per half cup, uncooked), pigeon peas*(7 mg. per 1/2 cup, canned), kidney beans* (11.7 mg. axalate per half cup, uncooked), coconut milk (0.0 mg. per 1/2 cup if using a brand without guar gum, such as Chaokoh or Natural Value), Uncle Ben’s long grain white rice (trace) OR “boiled” white rice (0.9 mg. per half cup), habenero pepper (0.4 mg. per sauteed pepper), thyme(2.5 mg. per teaspoon), garlic (0.3 mg. per clove), Celtic sea salt (about 0.2 mg. oxalate per teaspoon). Jamaican Rice and Peas has about 2.4 mg. oxalate per main dish serving or 1.2 mg. oxalate per side dish serving IF you use black-eyed peas.
Picky Eater Pleaser: Try leaving out the pepper, thyme, garlic and beans at first, so you just have coconut rice (you will have to add 1/2-3/4 cup water). If your picky eater likes this, try adding back in the beans/peas first, then add each “spice” one at a time each time you make the dish. Alternately, make “coconut rice” and let family members add their own beans at the table. You can also use 2-3 fresh thyme sprigs instead of the dried thyme and remove them before serving if “green specks” in the rice is unacceptable to your picky eater.
Menu Planner: Try Jamaican Rice and Peas as a side dish with baked chicken and pineapple, or as a main dish with a tropical fruit salad on the side (mango, banana and pineapple with coconut sprinkles-yum!).
Other Diets: Jamaican Rice and Peas may also be suitable for gluten-free, dairy-free, GFCF, vegan and vegetarian diets.
Photo credit goes to Loren Sztajer for Beach Chairs and Umbrella in Jamaica.
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