Outrageous grocery bills have been a worry for so many of us lately and it seems there will not be any relief. Just a few short months ago, my budget for food was ample, and I could plan my weekly menu at my fancy, but lately I have found myself needing to pay closer attention to the pennies and to start planning meals more for frugality than anything else.

Unfortunately, the nutritional value of a meal often declines with the price, and the cheapest options are mostly empty calories comprised of processed carbs, salt and fat, which I cannot in good conscience serve to my growing child more than occasionally.

Growing up, my mother always kept in the closet or garage a large tub of rice and a large tub of beans, provisions she called “struggle food.”

“With just salt and water and a way to cook them,” she said, “you can keep yourself fed with these.”

So, for all my adult life, I have also kept tucked away a bin each of rice and pinto beans to use in times of need. For years we have kept them on our garage shelf, sometimes brought down for sensory play or as a monster truck rally arena, but they are now serving their true purpose once a week by providing a nutritious, complete meal for my family while giving us some wiggle room in our budget.

Dry beans are considered inconvenient by some due to the need to soak and boil them for hours to be edible, but I found the simplest, laziest way to make them that takes just 10 minutes of hands-on work. This meal (or a variation of it) is a staple meal for people all over the world. My version is made with a few added vegetables and spices for flavor.

Pinto beans and rice

Ingredients:

1 pound dry pinto beans

1 small white onion

1 small green bell pepper

2 tablespoons salt

1 teaspoon cumin

1 can petite diced tomatoes

2 teaspoons minced garlic

Black pepper to taste

1 teaspoon chicken base or 3 cups chicken stock

Directions:

This recipe requires the use of a large crock pot.

Inspect your beans for any errant rocks or other debris.

Thoroughly wash your beans several times, scrubbing them as you go to remove any dirt. If your beans have been held in storage for some time, like mine have, this is especially important.

Put the clean beans directly into the crock pot.

Finely chop the onion and bell pepper and mix them into the beans.

Add the diced tomatoes, minced garlic, salt, cumin and black pepper and stir to combine.

Add in the chicken base and fill with water until everything is just covered.

If you’re using stock, add the three cups and top off with water until everything is covered.

Cover and turn on low for 10-12 hours. If I turn them on at 7:30 when I’m leaving for work, they are perfect at 6:30 when I serve them.

Stir the beans gently once they are cooked.

Serve mixed with rice and some pickled jalapenos, some shredded cheese, hot sauce, cilantro or sour cream.