Black Beans and Rice: All Dressed Up

This is definitely not your everyday black beans and rice. Sure it's easy to cook some rice, heat up some beans and toss them together. Easy but not necessarily anything to write home about. With just a bit of extra work, these rice and beans are full of flavor and serve as a great side dish or even as a vegetarian meal on its own. Rice and beans work together to make a complete protein, making them a favorite among vegetarians. Using brown rice along with the beans also makes this dish full of fiber. It goes great with anything spicy, such as the spiced pork and salsa in my last post, as it's slightly sweet. Or you can make it a little spicier on its own by adding some Tabasco sauce if you can't imagine eating rice and beans that aren't somewhat spicy. Either way, these are delicious, healthy and easy to make.

Black Beans and Rice

• 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 small onion, diced small
• 1 medium red bell pepper, diced
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 jalapeno chili, seeded and minced
• 1-2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1 tsp hot pepper sauce (optional)
• Salt and pepper
• 2 cups brown rice, cooked

Heat oil in a large pan over medium to medium high heat.
Saute onion, red bell pepper, garlic, and jalapeno. Season with cumin, oregano and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook until tender, about 8 minutes.
With the back of a spoon, mash about 1/3 of the beans. Add the beans to the pan.
Add tomatoes, orange juice and hot pepper sauce (if desired).
Bring to a boil, stirring frequently.
Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes.
Remove the cover and simmer for a couple minutes more to reduce the liquid. Adjust the seasoning.
Serve the bean mixture over the cooked rice.

For a printable recipe click here