Post #94 - Rice and Beans with Stuff

Here's one of my favorite comfort-food dinners:

Start the rice first:

Rinse 1 1/2 cups of long-grain rice until the water runs clear. Let drain.

Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Sauté (in vegetable oil) some chopped onion and a minced clove of garlic until fragrant and translucent. Add the drained rice and stir to coat the grains with oil. Toast the rice, stirring every now and then. When you notice that the color has definitely gotten darker, add in 1 can (drained) of diced tomatoes. Stir around a little. It'll soon try to stick to the bottom of the pan - when this happens, add 2 cups of chicken or veggie broth and a scant teaspoon of salt (table salt this time, not kosher).

Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to really-really low. Let cook until the rice is done - I think it's somewhere around 20 minutes, but I've never timed it. I usually stir once halfway through cooking. (How can you stir halfway through an unknown cooking time? Sorry.) When the rice is done, if there's still too much liquid, remove the cover, increase the heat, and flip-stir the rice gently so you don't break it.

While the rice is cooking:

Open a large can of pinto beans (Sun Vista is my favorite), pour off the top inch or so of beany liquid, and dump into a pot. Add a chili (jalapeno or serrano, slit or not) and a chunk of onion if you have it. Heat.














Chop/shred iceberg lettuce, and dress with lemon juice, salt and pepper.

Chop up some cilantro, green onions, tomatoes, black olives. Shred some cheddar. Make some guacamole. Gather your hot sauces and sour cream.

To serve, plunk some rice in a bowl, and top with beans (free of liquid thanks to a slotted spoon). Sprinkle with some cheese. Mix it up a little to melt the cheese. Then add any or all of your veggie toppings and condiments. Mix. Eat as is, or scoop with chips.