Gazpacho Rice and Beans

Because pasta sauce is not the only place you can hide veggies

There are many controversial topics when it comes to feeding kids. And one of them is the act of deception. (Another is the art of bribing, which I unpacked a few weeks ago). 

To explain my stance, I thought I’d take this opportunity to tell you a little bit about my background for those who are new to me and this Substack.

When I was a little over a year out of college, I started my first food blog, which was called Big Girls Small Kitchen. I wrote it alongside my childhood best friend and did so on Blogspot (RIP!). We got a quick and dirty cookbook deal within 9 months—a crazy feat to think about today!

I quit my day job, started catering and private cheffing to make money, and it was all going relatively well until I couldn’t get out of bed in the morning. A month before my debut cookbook came out, I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis and discovered I had a serious gluten sensitivity.

And that’s when my food career and my health story dovetailed.

Since I could no longer eat most of the recipes in my cookbook, I started a new blog (Feed Me Phoebe) which I still have today and consider my day job (this Substack is my more beloved side hustle!). I started focusing on “healthy” comfort food and writing extensively about autoimmune disease and gut health—subjects that spawned my second and third books (The Wellness Project and SIBO Made Simple). 

My most recent book CARBIVORE was a return to my roots in that it is a more traditional cookbook, but the approach I take to carbs very much stems from my health journey. Despite writing a lot of recipes for highly restrictive diets (like the low FODMAP approach), I am generally very anti-diet and do not believe in restriction for restriction’s sake—or even in the name of “health.” There has to be a real medical necessity or payoff.

My approach is something I call “healthy hedonism”—a sweet spot where the things that nourish your body meet the things that feed your spirit. And French fries just so happen to speak to my soul.

When it comes to feeding my kid, though I take a generally more “woo” approach than most, I am not dogmatic about her eating healthy. Though I do try to limit added sugar, as I explained in my Munch Menu manifesto, the most important thing to me is that I raise a good eater.

That means adventurous, yes. But more importantly, it means shame-free.

It also means that I am not (at the moment) someone who painstakingly hides vegetables in her food. Sure, I try to pack in nutrient boosters when possible (see this meatball formula and this baked oatmeal). But deception is not central to my repertoire.

So much of eating at this age is exposure therapy. My daughter wouldn’t touch a mushroom for many many months until one day she helped me slice shitakes, watched me fry them up, and now happily requests “mushroom chips.”

Had I hidden mushrooms in sauces (and yes, meatballs) prior to this moment? Absolutely. But it wasn’t until she could see it and name it that she was eventually converted.

I know not everyone is in the same boat and I totally understand the parents whose kids reject most vegetables and want to get them in any way they can (I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!). This is also why today’s recipe might speak to you.

It’s one of my absolute favorite dishes from my cookbook CARBIVORE (from the beans chapter!) but it wasn’t photographed in the book, so few people have made it.

You essentially puree a vat of gazpacho in the blender—tomatoes, onions, peppers—and then use the soup as the liquid base for your rice.

The result is a tomatoe-rich, sticky rice that’s so full of flavor, but also one you’d never suspect has as many vegetables in it as it does. I top it with chopped, dressed cukes for added crunch (and because they are my munch’s favorite veggie).

Since there’s a big food holiday coming up, I’ll also mention that this dish works great at a picnic or potluck—you can make it ahead of time and it’s delicious at room temperature. I haven’t done a ton of family meal options over here, but this is definitely one for the adults!

I’m thrilled to share this excerpt from the book with the Munch fam. If you’re confused about how carbs can be made part of a healthy lifestyle, this cookbook can help. Other munch faves are the hemp-crusted chicken tenders and carrot cake oatmeal.

The full recipe is below for paid subscribers, including an easy-to-save/ print PDF and notes on:

• Making this ahead of time for a crowd 

• Gluten-free and dairy-free modifications

• Adapting the recipe for brown versus white rice

• How to freeze portions for later

• Defrosting and reheating tips 

• “Same same but different” variations to keep your critters on their toes

Want all of these notes and the full recipe? Become a paid subscriber today!

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Gazpacho Rice & Bean Pilaf
Makes 6 to 8 servings

Pilaf is a fantastic technique for adding more flavor and plants to your grains. Of course, the more veggies involved, the more chopping. One day, I thought how wonderful it would be to just puree lots of water-laden vegetables and use their moisture to cook the rice itself. And thus gazpacho rice was born. Cooking the rice in the tomato mixture takes the edge off the alliums, but still retains an air of brightness. The dish is finished with lemony cucumbers. Serve it as a summertime accompaniment to grilled meats or a more low-key alternative to paella with seafood on the side.