Black Beans and Rice

I have always loved black beans and rice. They are the perfect side dish to any mexican food feast. Then the next day, it makes for a great quick lunch. Get my grains and protein all in one. Since I am not a big meat eater, I put the black beans and rice inside my tacos. Yum!

Ingredients

1 cup rice, uncooked
2 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup diced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons fresh chopped oregano
1 stalk celery, finely diced
1 large carrot, finely diced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried chili flakes
1 (15.5 ounce) can low-sodium black beans, drained and rinsed
2 teaspoons finely chopped parsley leaves
Directions
Place rice and chicken broth in a saucepot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook rice, covered, until tender and all the liquid is absorbed, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from heat, uncover, and fluff with a fork.


Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, celery, carrot, cumin and chili flakes and cook, stirring occasionally, until carrots are tender but not mushy, about 6 minutes. Stir in black beans and cook until just warmed through, about 1-2 minutes.

Combine onion-black bean mixture and hot rice in a serving bowl and toss to combine. Garnish with parsley.