Recipe: Easy Beans & Rice

It's been a while since I've posted a recipe, so I've been experimenting. After failing horribly with a curry-style lentil dish, I decided it was time to simplify things. The results: this delicious and easy bean dish.

I cooked mine in a crock pot, which meant the least amount of effort. We found a 2-person crock pot at Fred Meyer's (it's like Target) for $10. It's been one of our best purchases yet! When you use a slow-cooker, there is no need for cooking oil, which can help if you are trying to eat smart. You can cook this dish in a sauce pan too, but you will need to soak the beans over night, or use canned beans.

Ingredients:

1 medium carrot

1/2 onion

2 cloves garlic

1-2 slices wood smoked bacon (this can be omitted)

1 cup beans, any kind

Water or broth

Salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes, to taste

1 cup rice

1 can beets

Cilantro & lime

Step 1.

Chop up the onion. Cut the carrot lengthwise and slice. Add to pot.

Step 2. Peel the garlic. An easy way to do this is cut off the end and then use the flat side of the knife to slightly crush the garlic. This helps loosen the skin so it can be removed easily. Chop up the garlic and add to pot.

Step 3. Rinse the beans and cut the bacon into small pieces. What's nice about bacon is you don't need a lot to add flavor to a dish! The bacon can be omitted if you want a vegetarian or vegan dish, but add some smoked paprika or smoked salt so you're not missing out on that lovely smokey flavor! Put the bacon and beans into the pot.

I used Anasazi beans for this recipe simply because they're beautiful! Black beans would work, too.

Step 4. Stir together all the ingredients, add salt, pepper, and pepper flakes, and add roughly 2 1/2 cups water or broth, or enough to cover. Now cover with the lid and let cook for 3 to 4 hours, or until beans are tender. Stove top cooking time will differ.

Step 5. Serve over rice with cilantro, lime, beets, and hot sauce.

I used fancy black rice that I found at the co-op that my mom shops at. It has lots of vitamins and a nutty flavor, similar to brown rice. How cool is this rice??

If you opt for black rice, here are the cooking directions:

2 cups water for 1 cup rice

Soak the rice while the beans cook.

When you are ready to cook it, bring the 2 cups water to a boil

Add in the rice and reduce to simmer

Cover and cook for 25-30 minutes

Note: If you don't pre-soak the rice, you will need to cook it for 60-70 minutes!