Black Beans and Rice

I've been eating a lot of this stuff lately. It's really cheap, really quick, and really filling. It keeps pretty well in the fridge (at least for a few days) and can go with lots of main courses. Plus, it's so versatile you have lots of room for experimentation to see what you like.

Example recipes: (1) (2) (3) (4)

Here are the basics:

• 1 1/2 cups rice (long grain, short grain, white, brown, whatever you fancy)
• 3 cups water
• 1 Tbs olive oil
• 1 white onion
• 1 can (12 oz.) black beans
• 1 Tbs cumin
• 1 Tbs cayenne

In medium saucepan, bring water to boil and add rice; cover. Cook rice until all water is absorbed, about 20 minutes. I have a rice cooker, which is probably the most used and widely appreciated appliance in our apartment. If you don't, and have trouble getting rice to come out well (like I did), check out this article for some tips. 

While rice is cooking, heat oil in medium skillet over medium-high heat. Saute onion until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add black beans, cumin and cayenne and simmer on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. When bean mixture has reduced slightly, spoon rice overtop and mix in with a spatula. I usually get about 3 or 4 servings out of this, although we take larger portions.

Other ideas:

• 1 package firm tofu - bread with some flour and spices (I like some cumin, pepper, and sage) and fry, then add to bean mixture for some extra protein
• 1 tomato, diced
• whatever spices you want to use up

Enjoi.