Recipe: Asian Bean and Rice Rolls

Asian Bean and Rice Rolls

1 cup medium grain rice*
2 tablespoons rice vinegar or white distilled vinegar
1 tablespoon dry cooking sherry
2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
2 to 3 tablespoons pine nuts or slivered almonds
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
1/2 cup diagonally sliced snow peas (1/4 inch slices)
2 teaspoons minced gingerroot or 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon water
1 can (15 ounces) Red beans or Light Red Kidney beans or 1 1/2 cups cooked dry-packaged Red beans or Light Red Kidney beans, rinsed, drained
1/2 cup chopped seeded cucumber
1 orange, peeled, seeded, coarsely chopped
2 medium green onions and tops, thinly sliced
Salt
White pepper
12 large Boston lettuce leaves or leaf lettuce

Cook rice according to package directions. Heat vinegar, sherry, sugar, and lemon rind in small saucepan over medium heat until sugar is melted, about 1 minute. Drizzle vinegar mixture over rice and toss.

While rice is cooking, cook pine nuts in sesame oil in small skillet over medium heat until toasted, about 2 minutes; remove from skillet. Add snow peas, gingerroot, and water to skillet; cook, covered, over medium heat until snow peas are crisp-tender, 2 to 3 minutes.

Stir pine nuts, snow peas, gingerroot, beans, cucumber, orange and green onions into rice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve warm, or refrigerate and serve chilled; spoon about 1/4 cup packed rice mixture onto each lettuce leaf and roll up.

*TIP: Medium grain rice is also called sushi rice or sweet jasmine rice; it can be purchased in supermarkets and Oriental groceries. If desired, the rice mixture can be eaten with a fork or chopsticks, rather than rolling it in lettuce.

NOTE: Although B.E.A.N. recipes usually call for a specific variety, any canned or dry-packaged bean variety can be easily substituted for another.

Makes 4 servings
Source: The American Dry Bean Board