Cuban Rice and Beans, A Side of Spice

Cuban Rice and Beans, a wet, sticky rice and beans side dish with a solid base of spice, garlic and ginger.  Beside a chop, chunk of chicken or as a meal with grilled vegetables, this is big Cuban flavour.

Rice and black beans make a mean side.   Heavy spicing without a whole lot of heat and you’re tasting Cuba, omit the ginger, add chilies, a hint of lime zest and more chili powder and you’re leaning more Mexico.  Keep the ginger, double the spice, brown it well, add a layer of heat and you’re closer to the West Indies in flavour and internal heat.

That’s what I love about the global kitchen, you can go anywhere in the world with the right combination of ingredients,without ever leaving home.

Cuban Rice and Beans Recipe

prep time: 15 minutes
cooking time: 20 minutes
serves: six

1 1/2 cups rice (medium grain prefered)
3 cups water
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1 tablespoon ginger, minced
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 large tomato, chopped
3 – 4 green onions, sliced fine
1 – 14 ounce can of black beans (rinsed well)
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped (plus some to finish)
salt & pepper to taste

Method:

1) Use a good sized saucepan with a tight fitting lid. Heat pan over medium heat, add 2 tablespoon olive oil then add garlic and ginger and saute lightly for about 2 minutes. Add dry spices to coking ginger and garlic and stir to create paste and keep spices from burning then add rice and stir, cooking slightly for about 3 minutes. Then add water, stir and increase heat to bring to a boil before covering and reducing heat to minimum for 10 minutes to cook.
2) At the ten minute mark add tomato, green onion and black beans. Stir to combine well, return to heat, covered for another 6 to 8 minutes until rice is tender. Remove from heat, season with salt & pepper to taste.

Finish with remaining olive oil and chopped cilantro and let stand, off the heat for 2 or 3 minutes before serving with a little cilantro to give it a hit of green on the plate.

Live, Love, Eat WELL!