Recipe: Cuban Black Beans and Rice

Cuban Black Beans & Rice

serves 8

1/2 lb. uncooked black beans

10 oz. onion, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

2 oz. garlic, minced

cilantro, chopped, to garnish

1/2 small can of chopped green chiles 

Directions:

Cover black beans in water and overnight. Drain. Place black beans in a slow cooker, cover with water, cook until tender. You should be able to easily mash them between your tongue and the roof of your mouth. (Or cook beans by whatever method you prefer. You can substitute canned beans; it will be a little more expensive.)

Heat olive oil in a skillet and saute onions, green pepper, and garlic until onions and pepper begin to turn soft. 

Add sauteed onions, pepper, and garlic and stir into the beans. Add can of chiles and salt to taste. Simmer together until the onions and peppers are very soft and flavors have melded. Remove some of the cooking liquid and set aside. Mash some of the beans with a potato masher or run some of them through a food processor to thicken the soup. Add some of the cooking liquid back in to achieve desired consistency. Serve over cooked brown rice, garnish with fresh, chopped cilantro leaves.

½# black beans                   .77

10 oz. onion                        .63

1 green pepper                     .50

2 oz. garlic                          .24

2 Tablespoons olive oil       .24

½ small can chiles              .29 

1 tsp. salt                            .01

cilantro                               .10

            Total                    $2.78 for 8 servings = $.35/serving

10 oz. brown rice            .56 for 8 servings = $.07/serving

Cuban black bean soup w/rice:  $.42 per serving.


Nutritional content for 1 serving Cuban Black Beans served over 1/2 cup cooked long grain brown rice:

Calories:           276
Protein:             12 g.
Carbohydrates: 48 g.
Fiber:                11 g. 
Fat:                     5 g.