Shalom Shalom!
Here is another one of my pantry raid recipes. This recipe definitely came out of necessity and as a means of improvisation. For two years (2016-2018), I was my Ish's home health aide. As a result, I was getting paid to take care of him. Unfortunately, the powers that be said that his fixed income was too much, and thus the home health aide services cut...hence my income source being dried up. The timing of this was around Passover, and we were planning to host the feast at our home with another family. I had the menu and everything planned, but because of the halt in my income, those plans were no longer. Of course, the menu during Passover would include lamb or goat, bitter herbs, and unleavened bread, but with my unexpected cut in income, and my main job in our home was to buy the groceries, majority of that was off the list. We wanted to observe the feast, so we acknowledged the day and read scripture. Since I couldn't afford lamb or goat or even the bitter herbs (when I say we were broke, we were BA-ROKE!!), I had to utilize whatever provisions we had in the house. So, searching the cupboards and considering good flavor combinations, this dish was born. I call it Fiesta Rice because it looks like a party with the various colors. Suffice the say, the dish was a success. My Ish LOVED it, and along with some unleavened bread (that I made from scratch, of course), we still had our version of a Passover meal. Since then, this dish has become a staple in our home. My Ish LOVES rice, so this gave me another opportunity to create another preparation of one of his favorite foods. Topped with guacamole, this Fiesta Rice is indeed a party in your mouth! Here's how to make it:
As you can see, the ingredients are quite simple. And again, this is the perfect "pantry raid" dish. The ingredients include:
*1 cup black beans
*1 red bell pepper
*1 large onion
*5 garlic cloves (not sure why they're not in the picture, but oh well)
*Frozen corn (about 1/2 to 3/4 cup)
*3-4 cups vegetable stock or broth
*2 cups rice (we use Brown Basmati Rice)
*Adobo Seasoning
First things first, soak your beans. These beans soaked overnight.This helps prevent the gasiness that one would expect from eating beans.
If you don't have time, add the dry beans in a pot--along with about 3 cups of water. Allow to boil for about an hour for a "quick soak".
Next, chop up your pepper, onion, and garlic. Add the corn to the mixture as well.
Next, it's time to prep your rice. For this preparation, you'll want to parboil your rice--which means that it's being partially cooked, and then finished with the rest of the dish. How I prep my rice is to give it a nice washing. Washing the rice removes a lot of the starch. In turn, this keeps your rice from sticking. Simply pour cold water over your rice...
...and scrunch and move it with your hands until the water becomes cloudy. Once you see the cloudy water, drain off the water, and rinse again until the water becomes clear. I washed my rice at least three times (the most I washed it was seven, but three is the minimum).
Once your rice is washed, it's time to fry your rice. Frying it gives the rice a nice flavor, AND it has a nice aroma by the way. If you have been following this blog for ANY period of time, you would know that my oil of choice for cooking is coconut oil. I like to use refined coconut oil for most of my cooking because it has a neutral flavor.
In a medium pot, heat up about 1 tablespoon of oil on medium heat...
...and add your rice. Stir the rice until it is covered in the oil, and let it fry for about 2-3 minutes or until it becomes aromatic.
When the rice is ready for the next step, it will start to stick slightly to the pan. Once this happens...
...add 4 cups of water to the pot and bring to a boil.
Once at a boil, turn the heat down to low and allow to simmer for about 20 minutes. The reason I say 20 minutes is because it usually takes about 40 minutes for the rice to fully cook. As I said above, parboiling is partial cooking. There will be a time in the making of the dish in which the rice will be fully cooked.
20 minutes are up...
...and now drain the rice and set it aside.
In a large pot, heat up about 2 tablespoons of oil...
...and add your vegetables. And stir so that all is covered with the oil.
Next, add a little seasoning. Again, if you have been following this blog, you would need that I season little by little throughout the duration of creating a dish. This is homemade Adobo Seasoning. Giving credit where it is due, I got this recipe from a book called "NYC Vegan" by Michael Suchman and Ethan Ciment. The recipe for the Adobo Seasoning is: 2 tablespoons salt, 2 tablespoons garlic powder, 1 tablespoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon black powder, 1 teaspoon ground turmeric, and 1 teaspoon onion powder. Mix together, and you got Adobo seasoning that tastes just as good as, if not better, than what you can buy from the store.
Add a bit of seasoning, stir well, and allow to cook until soft, about 3-5 minutes.
Next, drain your beans...
...and add to the vegetables...
...and mix. Add a little more seasoning.
Once all has been mixed together, add about half of the vegetable stock...
...add a little more seasoning, and allow to cook for about 20 minutes.
Once 20 minutes is up, add the rice and the remaining stock (or enough until the rice has been moistened with it)...
...add a little more seasoning, and allow to cook for another 20 minutes. Check periodically during this time to see if there is enough liquid. If the liquid is looks too low, add a little more stock or water (if you don't have any more stock).
After 20 minutes, your Fiesta Rice is done...
...and ready to be served. You can either eat it as is, or you can top it with guacamole to add an extra depth of flavor. I happen to have had some guacamole left over from the day before (which was Taco Tuesday. Please refer to my Taco Tuesday entry for my homemade guacamole recipe), so it was topped onto the dish--so that it wouldn't go to waste (waste not, want not). Absolutely delicious!!!
I hope that you will make this for your family. Again this is the perfect "panty raid" dish--for when you don't know what to make for dinner, or if your rations are low and need something to make until your next food shop. If you do, please let me know how it turned out for you--as well as any feedback or suggestions for the dish.
I appreciate your taking the time and stopping by. Until then, shalom shalom!
Bathshua
