Black Beans And Rice

I find that most Mexican foods are very hard to change into foods that go with our allergies, but I have been able to make a few recipes over. :-) My husband spent a lot of his growing up years in Mexico and we have traveled quite a bit there. Also, we lived in Venezuela for 6 months shortly after we were married. We love the flavors of those countries. Here is a recipe for Black Beans and Rice that we first had in the Yucatan Peninsula. I have had to leave out the green pepper and ham, but I have added cilantro for an extra flavor boost. When we had this many years ago they served more toppings than this recipe calls for, so I went looking to see what toppings other cooks added. Next time I make this I will be sure to get some radishes to try as I think they would add a kick to it that is missing with not having green peppers.
I usually make this recipe into a soup by adding more water. Just follow the recipe down through the salt and add 8 cups of water for a great soup that we serve with tortilla chips or tortillas. A dollop of sour cream and/or cheese, if you can have them, on the top make the soup extra yummy.
I always cut the salt in half in my recipes and usually the pepper also. Please salt and pepper to taste.

Adapted from Woman's Day Encyclopedia of Cookery Vol. 2

Black Beans And Rice

Ingredients:

1 lb. dried black beans
6 cups water (start with 8 cups water for soup)
1 cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 bay leaves
1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper (or regular)
3-4 sprigs cilantro (optional)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup rice vinegar (optional)

Serve over rice.

Garnish with your choice of the following:

Avocado           Onion slices

Radishes           Lime Slices

Cheese             Sour Cream
Hard-boiled eggs

Directions:

Cover beans with water, bring to a boil, and boil for 2 minutes. Cover pan and let stand for 1 hour.
Saute chopped onion and garlic in olive oil for 5 minutes. (May be added to beans without sauteing if you want to save time and number of pans you are using) Add to beans with bay leaves, pepper and cilantro.
Bring to a boil and simmer, covered, for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, adding more water if necessary. Add salt after beans are soft.
Add rice vinegar and let cook just a bit before serving.
Serve with rice. Garnish with toppings.
Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Tips:

Vinegar helps with cutting down on the gaseous effect from beans.
Salt can keep beans from turning soft, so it is best to add salt after beans have fully cooked.
If beans do not have enough water in the pan, they will not soften, so make sure beans are always covered.