Callaloo Cook Up Rice and Pepper Black Beans

I love Callaloo...it's really good for you and once its been rinsed, seasoned and cooked down its the perfect accompaniment to any dish. I decided to mix it in with organic short grain brown rice for a 'cook up style' dish as its Sunday and I felt like a vegan version of old school rice and peas.

In this rendition I've done the 'cook up rice' and the peas (black beans in this instance) separately.

The Ingredients

Organic short brown rice

Callaloo

Scotch bonnet pepper (1/4 no seeds)

Red Onions

Spring Onions x 2

1 Cup of Coconut Milk

Thyme - 4 Sprigs

1 Vegan Stock Cube

Salt - dash

1 tin of Black Beans

1/4 Red Onion

Scotch Bonnet Pepper (1/4 no seeds

1 Tin of Chopped Tomato's

Half a Sweet Red Pepper

Hot Cayenne Pepper

Sides -

Lettuce - Cucumber - Cherry Tomato

Plantain

Callaloo is a plant that grows in the Caribbean and in other tropical places in the world such as Puerto Rico. It is very well known particularly in Jamaica, Dominican Republic and Trinidad.

Callaloo leaves contains less than 50 calories, 6.5 mgs of fibre, over 300 mgs of calcium, over 500 mgs of potassium, over 3 mgs of iron, over 3.5 mgs of protein, and some sodium. Callaloo contains 4 times the amount of calcium found in broccoli and twice the iron. Also contains Vitamin C for boosting up your immune system, B Vitamins for good mood and vitality, and Vitamin A which is a great antioxidant.

Callaloo is a good source of protein and is great for building muscle.

The fibre in Callaloo helps to prevent constipation and create a good environment for growth of probiotic bacteria thus boosting your immune system.