Sometimes this is all I want for dinner...

Rice-and-beans. Yup, one of my favorite meals. And like pasta (which is my other favorite) the variations are seemingly endless. I had been away for the past few days and had eaten in restaurants the entire time. So today--after an 8 hour train ride that stretched into 11 hrs--I was famished when I came home and all I wanted was comfort food. So this is what I made. I ate a big plate of it with an apple on the side (yum). The only difference between this and the basic recipe below is that in the recipe pictured I also added green bell pepper and a couple tablespoons of curry powder.

Brown Rice-and-Beans

Serves four

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 small onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup brown rice

2 ½ cups broth

½ teaspoon salt

1 (15 oz.) can beans, rinsed

Heat the oil in a small sauce pot. Add the onion and sauté for a few minutes, then add the garlic and cook it for another minute or two. Stir in the rice, then the broth and salt. Bring to a boil then lower to a slow simmer. Cover the pot and simmer simmer the rice for about 30 minutes. Add the beans (just lay them on top of the rice; do not stir at this point). If it looks as if too much liquid has evaporated add more. Cover the pot and simmer for another 10 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat—leaving it covered—and allow it to rest for another 5 minutes or so. Remove the lid and gently fold in the beans.

Urban Simplicity.