Three apologies.

First, I apologize that this is a peanut recipe; I know peanuts are trouble for a large portion of my readership. Miraculously, Martin has no peanut sensitivity. I reintroduced peanuts to his diet two years ago, with no indications of negative reaction. That being said, if peanuts are banned for your child but almonds are permissible, you can substitute almond butter for peanut butter in this recipe. I know, because I used to do that before I let Martin back on peanuts.

Second, sorry for the picture quality, and the fact that half the dish has been emptied. By the time I thought to snap a picture, Adrian and Martin had scooped servings into their bowls.

Third, I need to imply a vulgarity. Here it is: I serve rice once or twice a month, and when I do, Martin goes absolutely bat-s&*t berserk. He loves rice. I’m not sure whether he craves the carbs or the little sugar high or what, but Martin will do anything for rice.

(Tidbit: My law-school roommate, who is from Japan and ate white rice almost daily, once told me, “Just think of it as brown rice with the nutrition washed off.”)

By the standards of what I usually prepare for family dinner, this recipe is quick and easy. I made it this Monday evening. Martin and I get home late on Mondays, because he has personal training after school, so unless I’ve prepared an advance meal, I have to scramble. Some Mondays that means fermented cashew cheese on seed crackers. This week, however, a blizzard had bungled the roads and train lines, and Adrian decided to work from home in case the Monday commute was messy—which meant I needed a family dinner. I had a big bag of organic green beans from Costco, so I dug out an old peanut-sauce recipe from Smucker’s (from my pre-biomed days!) and adapted it to this:

1. Set rice to cooked. I used Lundberg organic basmati, which needs only 15 minutes to cook, plus 10 minutes to set.

2. Slice (I went with one-inch pieces) and steam green beans. I also tossed in three cloves fresh garlic, sliced.

3. While the rice is cooking/setting and the beans are steaming, prepare the peanut sauce:

Ÿ         Ÿ1/3 cup peanut butter

          1 teaspoon garlic powder (or 2-3 teaspoons crushed fresh garlic)

Ÿ          juice of one small lemon

Ÿ          2 tablespoons coconut aminos

Ÿ          1 teaspoon coconut crystals (omit if you’re super-sugar-restricted)

Ÿ          1/3 cup water

Ÿ          dash of cayenne pepper (optional).

Heat the sauce ingredients over medium-low heat, whisking two or three times until well combined.

4. In large mixing bowling, combine steamed beans (and garlic cloves, if using) with peanut sauce. I also added a handful of cashews, for extra protein. I wanted to add a handful of peanuts, which would have made the recipe even better, but the natural foods market where Martin and I stopped before his personal training inexplicably doesn’t carry peanuts.

5. Scoop the rice into a serving bowl and top with green beans.

Quick, easy, and a big hit with both Adrian and Martin.