Brown rice takes an eternity to cook, and it's important to get that perfect chewy texture. Here, the rice begins its journey to greatness on the stovetop and then gets transferred to the oven for gentle, even heating.
This recipe makes a lot of rice and beans. It must be the Latina in me that is incapable of cooking rice and beans for anything less than a small army. The good news is that you won’t have much trouble devouring this delicious dish for dinner two nights in a row. Or every day for lunch for a week, as we wound up doing in my house.
Brown rice, which is used here, can be a bit challenging for novice cooks. All forms of rice are slightly mysterious, requiring just the right combo of liquid, rice, heat, and luck. Brown rice, in particular, takes an eternity to cook, and it’s important to get that perfect chewy texture. Here, the rice begins its journey to greatness on the stovetop and then gets transferred to the oven for gentle, even heating.
This is a perfect dish to take along to a weekend barbecue, or enjoy at home with tacos or grilled meat.
Brown Rice and Beans
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cups chopped onions
2 cups chopped bell peppers
10 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2-1/2 cups brown rice
3-1/2 cups chicken stock
2 15-ounce cans black beans, drained
2 limes
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Use a skillet or dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid that can go from stovetop to oven. Place the pan over medium-high heat.
Add the vegetable oil to the pan, then the onions, peppers, and garlic. Sprinkle the cumin, coriander, and kosher salt over the vegetables in the pan. Mix well and saute the vegetables until they are tender, about five minutes.
Add the rice to the pan, followed by the chicken stock. Mix well, and then cover. Place the pan in the oven and cook for 45 minutes.
Remove the pan from the oven and stir in the drained black beans. Cover again, and place the pan back in the oven for an additional 15 minutes.
Remove the pan from the oven once again. Add the juice of two limes and the chopped cilantro to the rice. Fluff with a fork.
This recipe will yield about 10 servings.
NORA MARTINEZ DEBENEDETTO may be reached at noradebe42@gmail.com. Comment at nj.com/jjournal/thedish.
