For many people all over the world, beans and rice is a staple of their day-to-day diet. It’s not hard to see why: Rice and beans are easy and inexpensive to make, are fantastic as leftovers and are incredibly comforting. It’s also a great dish for when you’re trying to clean out your pantry or fridge, because you can throw almost anything in there and it’ll make the dish even more delicious. Our recipe calls for ham as a smoky seasoning, but you could easily leave it out and have a totally vegan dish. Throw in sauteed bell peppers, cooked zucchini or squash or leftover chicken for a completely new spin on this favorite dish. If you like it spicy, throw in a chopped jalapeno or add more hot sauce. It’s all about you and what you like and have on hand.
While our recipe calls for pinto beans, you could also incorporate almost any kind of bean. Any bean that’s meaty and will stand up to strong flavors will substitute beautifully. So go on, open that fridge, see what’s inside and dish up some rice and beans tonight.
Zesty Beans and Rice
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 cups chopped onions
- 3 large cloves garlic, minced
- 4 1/2 cups of Randall Pinto Beans, not drained
- 2 cups water
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce, (or to taste)
- Salt, to taste
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 2 cups cubed lean ham, (optional)
- 2 cups long grain white rice, cooked
- Chopped red Spanish onion, for garnish
- Extra hot sauce
Heat the oil in a heavy pot. Add the onion and garlic. Sauté, stirring for about 5 minutes. Stir in the beans, water, bay leaves, hot sauce, salt, sugar and vinegar. Cook for 20 minutes over medium-low heat. Stir in the ham, (if desired). Cook 10 minutes longer.
Taste and correct the seasonings. Remove the bay leaves. Spoon over a serving of fluffy hot rice. Sprinkle some of the chopped onion over the top.
6 to 8 servings.
Randall Beans are fully cooked and all natural. There are no preservatives, heavy seasonings or artificial additives to get in the way of this ORIGINAL recipe.
Meatless Monday is so much more appealing when incorporating this tasty dish featuring Randall Great Northern Beans.
