Meatless Dishes: Rice and Beans Latin Style

Here we are once again at the beginning of the week, thinking of what needs to be completed during the next five days, making sure we have prioritized our daily to-do list and as if that wasn’t enough, we have to worry about preparing a healthy meal for our families at the end of the day.

During this May Issue, we have looked at several meatless dishes that can be made not only on Monday’s but everyday of the week. What’s really of benefit is that these meatless dishes are simple to prepare in the least amount of time; which is what most of us truly need!

This week we are going to start off with a typical Latin recipe that is healthy, vegetarian and most of all makes the cut at being a very tasty meatless dish.

Rice and Beans Latin Style

Ingredients:

4 tsp olive oil

1 red onion, diced

1 large yellow pepper, diced

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp dried basil

½ tsp ground coriander

16 grape tomatoes

5 tsp white wine vinegar

1- 15oz can of black beans, rinsed and drained

¾ tsp salt

¼ tsp ground pepper

½ cup long grain rice

Cook rice as directed on packaging. (This amount of rice will make four half-cup servings)

While rice is cooking, prepare the beans:

In large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add in red onions, bell pepper, garlic, basil, cumin, and coriander.  Cook for about 5 min, making sure to stir veggies occasionally until they become slightly softened.

Add in tomatoes, cooking for another 3 min. Add in white wine vinegar, cook for 30 seconds. Mix in black beans, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover saucepan and cook for 30 min. until veggies are super tender and the mixture has thickened.

Taste beans – season with salt and ground pepper to suit your taste.

To Serve:   Individual serving should be ½ cup of cooked white rice with 1 cup of beans on top. 

Special Notes:  You can use any type of beans that you prefer – pinto, kidney, red, black eyed peas, butter-beans…you name it, and you can use it in this meatless dish.

Tip:  If you wish to make this an entire meal, serve a Sangria Spritzer – ¾ cup sangria and ¾ cup seltzer drink.

If you enjoyed today's meatless dish recipe, try Collard Greens and White Beans Spaghetti

Enjoy y Buen Provecho Siempre!!

source: 400 calorie fix cookbook / photo credit