Rice and Beans is the staple food of the plant-based diet.  This is a very basic version that’s kind of a hybrid of a West Indian and South American version and seems to satisfy the American palate rather nicely!

           Rice and Beans

These Braised Greens are modified from recipes I learned in the West Indies and from watching my grandmother in Chattanooga.  In the West Indies they use the leaf of the dasheen plant, a staple root in the Caribbean, to make something called callaloo that is very similar to these braised greens.

            Braised Greens

Like quinoa, buckwheat is not a true grain, but because it cooks like rice and has many of the nutrient values we associate with grain we tend to just refer to it as a grain.  It is actually a seed related to rhubarb and sorrel.  This is a nice light and fruity salad that you can eat right in the hottest part of the day and it will refresh like a cool drink!

            Buckwheat Salad