Recipe: Black Beans & Rice

I'm lucky here to stay with a family that has a housekeeper who comes for a few hours, 5 days a week.  She cleans the house and makes delicious, delicious food.  (Most families who can afford it have a housekeeper).  Rather than paying for an expensive cooking class here in Madrid, I'm just going to start learning from her while she's cooking!

I took notes and it makes sense to record the recipe here, where it has a 0% chance of getting lost, instead of a piece of paper that has a 70% chance.  So, here is today's lesson: Black Beans and Rice

Overnight: soak black beans in water

1) In a huge pot, boil beans and chopped potatoes in water (the amount of water depends on your preference)

2) Saute in skillet: plenty of oil (the only oil used here is olive oil), onions cut into rings, chunks of red and green peppers, chunks of tomato, and garlic.  It's done when everything is soft.

3) In another pot, start the rice - first heat oil and garlic cloves, then add rice and salt to saute for a bit.  After a few minutes, add water (double the amount of rice).

4) When sauteed veggies are soft, blend them (an immersion blender works).  If you need more liquid, you can grab some right from the Huge Bean Pot.  Strain the mixture over the bean pot right on the stove, using a spoon to help push it through the strainer.

5) Now add the lid to the beans.  If you're using a pressure lid, they need 30-45 more minutes on high heat.  If you're using a regular lid, they need like 3 hours!

6) That's it!  The rice will be done when the liquid is gone (about 30 mins total).  Enjoy!