Essential Beans & Rice

This is an absolute staple in my house; quick, tasty, substantial, and open to endless variations.

• 1 box Spanish rice (I use HyVee’s, thanks Jill!)
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 2 cans black beans, rinsed & drained

1. Make the rice according to the stovetop instructions on the box.
2. You can add fresh chopped bell pepper and/or chopped onion when you add the water and tomatoes. Or crushed garlic, if you like garlic.
3. When all the liquid has cooked off, turn the heat off and add the beans. You can also add drained canned or cooked frozen or fresh corn at this point. You could even add chopped fresh mushrooms.
4. Season with cumin, hot sauce, maybe a bit of lime juice. It doesn’t really need extra salt (there’s enough in the rice’s seasoning packet and the canned tomatoes). I also strongly recommend using a hot pepper flavor (like hot sauce, cayenne, or crushed red pepper) and not using black pepper.