Cuban-Style Red Beans and Rice

By lovemygolden

This favorite Cuban recipe blends red beans and rice with a classic Latin sofrito—pork fat, tomato paste, onion, garlic, bell pepper, herbs, and spices—giving this dish complexity. Prepare it the night before, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate; reheat single servings in the microwave the next day. Serve with Black Pepper Corn Bread.

Ingredients

• 8 bacon slices
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
• 1 1/2 cups chopped green bell pepper (about 1 medium)
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 cups uncooked long-grain rice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cups water
• 3 (14-ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth, divided
• 3 (16-ounce) cans red beans, rinsed and drained
• Sliced green onions (optional)

Details

Servings 10
Adapted from myrecipes.com

Preparation

Step 1

Cook bacon in a Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 1 tablespoon drippings in pan; crumble bacon, and set aside. Add oil to pan. Add onion and bell pepper; sauté over medium-high heat 4 minutes or until onion is tender. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute or just until garlic begins to brown. Add tomato paste; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add rice, oregano, cumin, salt, and black pepper; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

Place reserved bacon and bay leaf in pan; stir in water and 2 cans broth. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until rice is tender. Remove from heat; discard bay leaf. Stir in remaining can of broth and beans. Cook 5 minutes over low heat or until heated through, stirring frequently. Garnish with green onions, if desired.

Cooking Light March 2006

Nutritional Information Amount per serving Calories: 287 Calories from fat: 11% Fat: 4.5g Saturated fat: 1.3g Monounsaturated fat: 1.9g Polyunsaturated fat: 0.5g Protein: 11.8g Carbohydrate: 49.3g Fiber: 7.5g Cholesterol: 7mg Iron: 2.1mg Sodium: 883mg Calcium: 25mg