Pinto beans and brown rice replace ground beef in this nutritious version of a popular sandwich.
In a medium saucepan, cover pinto beans with the 4 cups cold water. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat. Cover and let stand for 1 hour. (Or omit simmering; soak beans in cold water overnight in a covered pot.)
Drain and rinse beans. In the same pot, combine the beans and 4 of the 6 cups water. Bring the beans to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 1 to 1-1/4 hours or until beans are tender, stirring occasionally. Drain.
In a medium saucepan, bring the remaining 2 cups water to boiling. Add regular brown rice and return to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 40 to 45 minutes or until the rice is tender and water is absorbed. Let stand, covered, for 5 minutes.
In a very large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, green onions, green pepper, and carrot. Cook and stir until vegetables are tender, but not brown. Stir in cooked pinto beans, cooked rice, barbecue sauce, the 1/4 cup water, wheat germ, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Bring mixture to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
Spoon mixture into each bun. Makes 6 to 8 sandwiches.