Vegetarian Black Beans and Rice

I can think of all kinds of meals for which this black beans and rice dish would make the perfect side, but my favorite way to have it has actually been for lunch with a green salad.  It's filling but still has light, fresh flavors that keep me going through the afternoon.  Dave surprised me by really enjoying this as well, and he's figured out that wrapping some of this in a tortilla with a little taco sauce or salsa makes a perfect and quick burrito.  There is a bit of sweetness from the tomatoes and a gentle heat from the diced chilies, plus lots of flavor from cilantro, cumin, onion and garlic. Definitely yummy and healthy never hurt anyone.


Today is Group B's reveal day for Secret Recipe Club!  What's Secret Recipe Club?  Each Monday a group of bloggers post a recipe they've made from another blogger's repertoire.  Nobody knows who's featuring their blog until that day and it's a fun chance to visit new blogs and try something different. Visit some of the other bloggers in my group by checking out the blog hop at the bottom of this post.  To learn more about Secret Recipe Club, click here. This month I was assigned to Judee's blog, Gluten Free A-Z.  Judee has a ton of healthy, gluten free recipes that are high on flavor, so definitely go visit her blog and see for yourself.  I'd considered her Banana Peanut Butter Spread and her Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Oatmeal. But then I thought about something savory, deciding between her Mexican Bean Casserole and Simple Black Bean Butternut Squash.  But in the end it was this Quick and Easy Vegetarian Rice.  I made some minor adjustments, the first being to cut the recipe in half (which I'm so glad I did--it made a huge bowl!).  I also realized my parsley had gone bad, so I eliminated that and since I didn't have a lemon, I used lemon juice.  And I used a can of diced tomatoes with green chiles for a little extra kick.  The recipe below is how I made it, so for the original, check out Judee's version.  We like this as is, but I'd consider using a bit of chili powder for an extra kick, if that's your fancy.  Thanks Judee for a great recipe!

Vegetarian Black Beans and Rice

Ingredients

1 cup basmati rice, uncooked
10 ounces diced tomatoes with green chiles
1/2 cup diced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
29 ounces black beans, drained and rinsed
1 teaspoon cumin
pepper, to taste
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped fine

Cook rice according to package instructions.  While rice cooks, heat large skillet over medium high heat and coat with cooking spray or a bit of olive oil.  Once hot, add tomatoes, onions and garlic.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened and most of the liquid cooks off.

Add black beans, cumin and pepper.  Stir to combine, then add in lemon juice.  Continue to cook until beans are warmed.

Transfer cooked rice to a large bowl.

Remove bean mixture from heat and transfer to bowl with rice.  Stir to combine.

Add cilantro to the beans and rice and stir to distribute throughout.  Serve warm.

Makes about 8 servings.

Happy Baking,
The Cookie Princess

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