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Arroz y Frijoles Pintos (Rice & Pinto Beans)

Arroz y Frijoles - rice and beans, a staple in many of our Hispanic homes. My earliest memories as a toddler are of a big plate of my Mom's Mexican red rice with chopped bananas. Really chopped bananas! I never had a chance to ask my Mom why she served it to us that way. The only thing I could imagine is that was her way of getting us to eat the rice and not just the banana, lol... And the beans, well who wouldn't love freshly blended or mashed beans with a homemade, warm flour tortilla? To die for! I know every Hispanic home has their own version on how to prepare rice and beans, but this was just one of the many ways that my Mom prepared them.

Yields up to 6 servings

Ingredients:

For rice:
1 cup long-grain rice (I like to use Jasmine rice for all my recipes)
½ cup diced white onions
2 cloves garlic
1 serrano pepper, minced
3 Roma tomatoes, diced
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 teaspoons "Knorr" brand tomato bouillon with chicken flavor
Salt and pepper
1¾ cups water
2 tablespoon olive oil

For beans:
4 cups cooked pinto beans
½ cup white onions, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon cumin
Salt
3 tablespoons olive oil

Queso fresco, crumbled (optional garnish)

For Chile Colorado Sauce

3 chile ancho

1/2 cup water

Pinch of salt

Directions:

1. Start with the rice, in a medium pan, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and heat to medium heat. Add the rice and cook until rice becomes aromatic and starts to toast, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the onion, serrano, and garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients, stirring well to combine.Taste for salt, bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and cook for 15 to 20 minutes.

2. To make the chile colorado(red) sauce, remove the stems and seeds from chile ancho peppers. Transfer them to a glass bowl, cover with water and cook in the microwave for 6 to 7 minutes. Stir them halfway through cooking time, remove from oven, cover and let steep for 10 minutes. Drain the peppers and transfer them to the blender. Add a pinch of salt, and just enough water to blend, about 1/2 cup. Blend on high until smooth, set aside.

3.While the rice is cooking, in another pan, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil to medium heat, add the onions and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add all remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook for another 5 minutes. Taste for salt, then transfer the beans to a blender with the chile colorado sauce. Secure the lid and hold down with kitchen towel, blend beans until smooth. Return to pan and continue cooking for 3 or 4 minutes, add a little water if they get too thick.

4. Before serving the rice, fluff with fork and gently fold in the tomatoes, onions, and garlic. I like to garnish my beans with a little queso fresco. If you like your beans to have more texture, just mash with a potato masher while they are simmering. Both yield up to 6 servings.

Notes: Alot of people ask why I drain the water from the chile ancho peppers after cooking. The chile water tends to taste a little bitter and may transfer that to your recipe. So it's best to just drain them completely and use fresh water or chicken broth to blend for a sauce.

Rice and beans complement Red Chile Tamales perfectly. I added a garnish of queso fresco on the beans as the finishing touch...

Other recipes by Sonia:

Mexican Red Rice
Annatto-Citrus Marinated Chicken
Chile Relleno with Serrano Shrimp
Crab Cakes with Habanero Slaw
Cheesy Chorizo Bread
Flank Steak Tacos
Frijoles Borrachos con Chorizo
Buffalo Chicken Flautas
Chile Garlic Shrimp Kabobs
Avocado Fries
Chicken Enchilada Soup with Chayotes
Dulce de Leche and Chocolate Chip Chimichangas

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Arroz y Frijoles Pintos (Rice & Pinto Beans)

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