Rice Con Queso

3 c Cooked brown rice (1 1/2

-cups uncooked), cooked with Salt and pepper 1 1/3 c Cooked black beans or

-blackeyed peas, pinto -beans, Etc. (about 1/2 cup -uncooked) 3 Cloves garlic, minced

1 lg Onion, chopped

1 sm Can chiles, chopped

1/2 lb Ricotta cheese, thinned with

-a little low fat milk or Yogurt until spreadable 3/4 lb Shredded Monterrey Jack

-cheese 1/2 c Shredded cheddar cheese

Garnishes (optional): chopped black olives, onions, fresh parsley Preheat oven to 350 degree F. Mix together rice, beans, garlic, onion, and chilies. In a casserole, spread alternating layers of the rice-beans mixture, ricotta cheese, and jack cheese, ending with a layer of rice and beans. Bake for 30 minutes. During the last few minutes of baking, sprinkle cheddar cheese over the top. Garnish before serving. Complementary protein: rice and beans and milk products From: DIET FOR A SMALL PLANET by Frances Moore Lappe` ISBN 0-345-30691-0. Random House, New York. 1971-82 Posted by: Karin Brewer, Cooking Echo, 7/92