Hoppin John

By: Rocky Barragan

For a vegetarian Hoppin John recipe that is loaded with flavor, try out this version from Rocky Barragan. For the unaware, Hoppin John is a Southern variation of traditional rice and beans. This easy Hoppin John includes black beans and brown rice.

Notes

For more information about and recipes from Rocky, check out her Featured Foodies profile page.

Check out this video recipe to see Rocky make this vegetarian Hoppin' John dish:

Cooking MethodMicrowave

Ingredients

1 cup Trader Joe's Brown Rice Medley
1 can black beans
Morningstar Breakfast Sausage, 2 links per person
Cheese, 1 slice per person
1 tablespoon Fage Greek yogurt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Green onions, 2 per person
Olive oil spray
Hot sauce (optional)

Instructions

Start preparing your rice. I used Trader Joe's Brown Rice Medley but you can use whatever rice you have on hand. A quick cooking rice is great for those nights when you want dinner on the table in less than 15 minutes.
To your rice add your black pepper and cayenne pepper to add some zing. You'll also want to shoot a bit of olive oil spray so your rice doesn't stick during the cooking process.
Now slice up some Green Onions and set those aside.
Drain a can of beans and put them in a microwavable bowl and heat through. Depending on the brand you may want to add a bit of salt to your beans.
Heat up your meat or meat substitute. I used Morningstar Breakfast Sausage Links because that is what I had on hand. I heated the sausage links through in micorwave and then chopped them up until they were crumbled.
Once your rice is done you can start loading your bowls.Add the rice first and then add your beans. Next add your meat or meat substitute to the bowl.
In each bowl place a slice of cheese. Use whichever you'd prefer. I used soy cheddar cheese. Put each bowl in the microwave for about 20 seconds to melt the cheese a bit.
Top off your bowls with the a dollop of Fage Greek yogurt and green onions.
If you're feeling daring feel free to add your favorite hot sauce to add even more kick to this dish.