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Ingredients
- 2 cups water
- 1 3/4 lbs calabaza squash or butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
- 1 teaspoon annatto seeds (optional)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 small sweet green pepper, chopped
- 1/2 chili pepper, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 6 fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped (or use culantro leaves, if you can find them)
- 1/2 cup tomato sauce
- 1 (15 ounce) can pink beans, undrained
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
- COOKED WHITE RICE
- 3 cups water
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups long-grain white rice
Preparation
Step 1
Prepare Cooked White Rice: In a heavy 4-quart saucepan or Dutch oven, heat 3 cups water, 1/4 cup olive oil, and salt to boiling over high heat.
2Reduce heat to medium; add 2 cups rice and cook uncovered until rice appears to be dry-10 to 15 minutes.
3Using a fork, bring rice on the bottom to the top, but do not mix.
4Reduce heat to low; cook 10 minutes.
5Turn rice over again and cook 10 minutes longer.
6Cover rice and keep warm until ready to serve.
7This rice dish is somewhat crunchy in texture.
8Beans: In a 1-quart saucepan, heat water and squash to boiling over high heat.
9Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until tender-10 to 15 minutes.
10Drain squash, reserving 1 1/2 cups cooking liquid in a measuring cup.
11Add annatto seeds to cooking liquid and set aside 5 minutes.
12In 4-quart saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat.
13Add onion, green pepper, garlic, chile pepper, and cilantro; saute mixture, or sofrito, 5 minutes.
14Strain liquid from annatto into sofrito, discarding seeds.
15Add tomato sauce and squash.
16Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thickened-about 20 minutes.
17Stir undrained beans, salt, and oregano into mixture and cook until beans are warmed through and sauce has thickened again-about 15 minutes.
18To serve, spoon bean mixture over Cooked White Rice on serving plate.
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