Since school started and I have a job with regular working hours (6 to 2), I have been fighting having lunch.  I am not given a lunch hour and they get kind of upset if I am gone from my desk at whole 20 minutes.  I don't like eating at my desk, but I will do it.  I just need something quick to fix, or something I can make in the morning while doing breakfast and lunches.  I have been thinking crockpot, which is a great idea and I have a real little one.  The I was on wikibooks with the list of vegan recipes.  I am seeing a lot of rice and bean dishes and some are baked and I had a DUH moment.  Before I could cook rice on the stove or in a steamer, I used to bake it at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, covered.  Brown rice is not very good done this way, but basmati and white are, so is arborio for risotto (did you know you can make risotto in the oven and it is easier?).

I got to thinking...I love legumes, rice has to be grain of choice here with the celiac stuff, I have 2 glass Pyrex covered dishes that fit exactly into the toaster oven...why not come up with ways to bake rice and beans together with whatever veggies I have?  I think brown rice, black beans, onions and sweet potato with cumin and garlic would be good.  I think red beans and rice with garlic and red pepper sauce would work.  I could do pinto beans and green chilis with adobo seasoning with tomato sauce /stewed tomatoes with onions.  I could toast the rice when raw and put shedded Chinese cabbage, mushrooms, onions, bean sprouts and bit of red bell pepper.  Yellow crookneck, zucchini, mushrooms, onions with kidney beans and Italian seasoning.  Basically whatever I have, rice with enough liquid for it to cook, whatever beans I want and 45 minutes in the toaster oven!

Of course, the quantities could be increased for a family meal that is fairly inexpensive, uses up leftover veggies or small amounts of whatever, then bakes in the oven so you can forget about it and help with homework or do some cleaning or whatever.  Simple...so why did this take me so long?