Mexican Style Red Rice and Black Beans

Serves 1
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Directions

  1. 1Roughly chop a yellow onion.
  2. 2Move chopped onion to the side.
  3. 3Break up about four cloves of garlic, crush them, and run a knife through them to roughly chop.
  4. 4Move chopped garlic over with the onions.
  5. 5Dice carrots into matchsticks and then into cubes.
  6. 6Place diced carrots to the side, separate from onions and garlic.
  7. 7Drain and place half of a 15 oz can of sweet corn into a bowl.
  8. 8Wash a 1 lb bag of long grain rice under cold water about four to five times until the water runs clear.
  9. 9Strain the washed rice and let it drip out.
  10. 10Preheat a high-walled saucepan on medium-low heat.
  11. 11Add a little bit of neutral oil to coat the bottom of the pan.
  12. 12Add garlic and onion to the pan and cook them down, keeping them moving, letting them sweat for about 10 minutes.
  13. 13Salt the onions and garlic while they are sweating.
  14. 14Add the washed rice to the pan with the translucent onions and garlic.
  15. 15Mix and toast the rice until it gets a nice light golden color (about 5 to 10 minutes).
  16. 16Add one 8 oz can of tomato sauce to the rice and stir carefully until well incorporated.
  17. 17Pour in about 3 to 4 cups of chicken broth, depending on preferred rice fluffiness.
  18. 18Add one tablespoon of chicken bouillon powder and stir.
  19. 19Sprinkle the diced carrots and corn on top of the rice mixture; do not stir them in.
  20. 20Add cilantro leaves on top.
  21. 21Bring the rice mixture to a very low simmer.
  22. 22Cover the saucepan and let the rice cook untouched for 20 minutes.
  23. 23After 20 minutes, remove the cilantro leaves.
  24. 24Using a fork, fluff the rice and mix in the carrots and corn.
  25. 25Remove the heat and taste the rice, adding salt if desired.
  26. 26Slice a yellow onion in half, cut off a little of the root, then the tip, and peel off the outer skin.
  27. 27Cut garlic in half and cut off the tops to expose the garlic.
  28. 28Sift through a 1 lb bag of whole dried black beans to remove any wonky beans or rocks.
  29. 29Rinse the dried black beans about three or four times.
  30. 30Add the rinsed dried beans to a pot full of water, ensuring there are at least 2 to 3 inches of water above the beans.
  31. 31Remove any beans that float to the top.
  32. 32Add the prepared onion and garlic to the bean water.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb long grain rice
  • 1 yellow onion
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • carrot
  • 0.5 15 oz can canned sweet corn
  • neutral oil
  • salt
  • 1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
  • 3 cups chicken broth
  • 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon powder
  • cilantro
  • 1 lb whole dried black beans

Equipment

knifehigh-walled saucepanlarge pot

Tips

  • Use whatever onion variety is on sale.
  • Don't worry about perfect cuts for onions and garlic as they will cook down.
  • You can use jarred garlic if fresh is not available.
  • Carrots and corn are optional but add bulk and flavor; use fresh or frozen.
  • Peas can be added if you like them.
  • Washing rice multiple times until the water runs clear removes excess starch and dust.
  • When cooking onions and garlic, ensure they sweat for about 10 minutes and salt them for flavor.
  • If onions or garlic start to burn, reduce or remove from heat.
  • Toast rice until light golden color, watching carefully if heat is increased.
  • For tomato sauce, canned is a budget-friendly alternative to blended Roma tomatoes.
  • Adjust chicken broth quantity based on desired rice texture (less for fluffier, more for stickier).
  • Do not stir in carrots and corn; let them sit on top of the rice while cooking.
  • Remove cilantro leaves after cooking rice.
  • Fluff rice with a fork after cooking to incorporate vegetables.
  • Always sift through dried black beans to remove any debris or rocks.
  • Rinse dried black beans thoroughly to remove dust.
  • Dried beans do not need to be pre-soaked, but it will reduce cooking time.
  • Ensure there are at least 2-3 inches of water above the beans at all times during cooking to ensure even cooking.
  • Remove any floating beans as they are likely shells or not good for cooking.