Cuban Black Beans and Rice — Dinner on the Fly

I was born in the Dominican Republic and lived in Mexico every summer for years growing up. When I traveled the world in 2007, we ate rice and beans once a week without fail. I guess you could call me a rice and beans connoisseur (I know, it’s what ever little girl dreams of being).  Every country does beans and rice a little differently, but they all do them. My favorite form of rice and beans is Cuban black beans and rice which I am sharing with you today.

Como los Cubanos

Cubans use black beans for their arroz con frijoles and my one Cuban friend (shout out Johnfrank!) says his family never adds cilantro, but I tend to live by the rule: Cilantro always. So this recipe includes that as well. I also live by the rule that cheese and sour cream are always a good decision, so I recommend you use them as a garnish.

These are best done when you can pressure cook the beans, but, ain’t nobody got time for that. So I just use organic canned beans. The other great thing about this meal is you can feed five people for less than $4 in about 30 minutes.

Cuban Black Beans and Rice

Ingredients

2 cans of organic black beans
1 medium onion diced
2 cloves of garlic sliced
1/2 bunch of cilantro
2 cups of long grain rice
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 tablespoon of butter
sour cream
cheddar cheese (shredded)
2 scallions (sliced)

1. Melt butter in small sauce pan. Dump rice in and stir. Let sauté for a couple of minutes. Rice should have a nice sheen to it.
2. Pour in water and bring to a boil. Once boiling reduce heat to medium and cover.  DO NOT STIR. Stirring can cause rice to become gummy. Cook until all the water has evaporated. Some of the grains of rice will appear to be standing up and if you poke the bottom it should be dry.
3. Heat oil on medium heat and sauté onions till almost translucent, add in garlic and sautee until fragrant.
4. Add in black beans (juice and all) and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in cilantro.
5. Spoon rice onto plate and cover in beans. Top with sour cream, cheese and scallions.

What’s your favorite version of beans and rice?