Baked Beans & Rice

This is one of the first recipes I learned when I started to cook. It’s simple, cheap, filling and nutritious. It’s also very flexible: I’m constantly riffing on this recipe, and I’ve never made a bad batch.

Ingredients

• 3 cups rice, basmati or preferred variety
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon oregano
• 1/4 cup olive oil (4 tablespoons)
• 1 jar tomato salsa (16 ounces)
• 2 cups chicken or beef broth
• 2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained (15 ounces each)
• 2 large chopped white onions

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 ℉ (175 ℃).
2. Pour rice into a casserole dish and season with salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, cayenne, and oregano. Pour in olive oil and stir until rice is thoroughly coated with oil. Add salsa, broth, onions and beans; stir until evenly combined. Cover very tightly with aluminum foil
3. Bake until rice is tender, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Remove foil, taste and adjust seasoning if necessary, and fluff with a fork. Serve hot, optionally garnish with green onion.