Moros y Cristianos – Moors & Christians – Black Beans & Rice Recipe

“Black beans and rice is a popular Cuban dish said to bring good luck when eaten on New Years Day.  In fact, this recipe is eaten often as a side dish.  In Spanish, the dish is called Moros y Cristianos or Christians and Moors, with the black beans representing the dark-skinned Moors and the white rice representing the lighter-skinned Christians.

Cuban Style Black Beans and Rice

Ingredients:

1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped green bell pepper (I had red pepper so used that)
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper ( I used sambal olek instead)
1 bay leaf
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 cup uncooked rice (I used brown rice and added extra liquid for its longer cooking time)
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes with green chilies
1 can (15 ounces) black beans or 1-1/2 cups cooked dry-packaged black beans rinsed, drained
2 cups water (I used vegetable stock)
1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt (optional)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Preparation:

Saute onion, bell pepper, cumin, thyme, crushed red pepper, and bay leaf in olive oil until onion is tender, about 5 minutes.

Stir in rice, tomatoes, black beans, water, vinegar, salt and pepper.

Heat to boiling.  Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until rice is tender, about 20 minutes.

Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Yield: 4 main-dish servings (about 1-1/2 cups each) or 8 side-dish servings (about 3/4 cups each) 

I served it with cilantro-sour cream …. very good.