Rice and Beans

CHEAP, the one word that twenty-something's secretly love.  If I could find all my jeans on sale, my coffee half-price, and a good tap beer for under $3 I would be a happy woman.  The truth is I can't always find the bargains I want and my student loans don't always allow for indulgences.  This is why I make rice and beans at least once every two weeks.

Rice and beans is a classic and healthy dish that doesn't require a lot of labor or cash.  You can play around with the type of vegetables and beans you like the best but my roommate and I have become addicted to black beans and peppers.  The following recipe makes enough for 4 large servings and costs around $1.75 per serving.

  Rice and Beans

2 cups white or brown rice
2 Tbls butter
3 bell peppers (I like to use 2 green, 1 red or yellow)
1 yellow onion
2 cans of black beans (I use 1 plain can and 1 flavored, cumin is my favorite)
1 Tbls olive oil
Salt and Pepper

Heat rice and butter in a large pot over medium-high heat, coat rice with melted butter.  Add 4 cups of water and bring to a boil.  Cover and reduce to low heat.  Simmer and keep covered for 18-25 minutes for white rice or 30-40 minutes for brown rice.  Remove lid and fluff with a fork, let steam for 5-10 minutes.

While rice is cooking chop onion and pepper, add to a large frying pan with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Sauté over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until onions soften and turn translucent.

Drain and rinse the unflavored can of black beans in a colander.  Then add flavored black beans to the the colander, drain but do not rinse as you want to maintain the flavor.  Add black beans to the onion and pepper mix, lightly stir until beans are warmed through, 1-2 minutes.

Top a bowl of rice with your beans and enjoy!

Add hot sauce, sour cream, shredded cheese, cilantro, tomato, and/or avocado to add more flavor and variety.

Love from a frugal twenty-something,

Whitney