Black Beans & Rice Pilaf

Black Beans & Rice Pilaf

This week's IHCC is about cooking Ellie Krieger's healthy recipes to start our new year and/or day. I have made this delicious Blueberry Stuffed French Toast for breakfast. So, it'd be fitting to make a rice dish for lunch. A pilaf would be great. As an Asian, it's almost impossible not to have rice for lunch or dinner or both. Hehe.

Recipe adapted from Ellie Krieger's Rice and Black Bean Pilaf.

Ingredients:

(Serves 2)

1 cup brown rice, uncooked

2 & 1/4 cups hot water + 1 chicken bouillon cube
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 yellow onion, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/2 cup bacon bits
1 stalk celery, finely diced
1 large carrot, finely diced
2 cups black beans, soaked for at least 12 hours, drained, rinsed & boiled for 10 minutes

How to:

1. Place rice, hot water, and chicken bouillon cube in a deep pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and cover. Let the rice cook until all liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat, fluff the rice, and set aside.

2. Heat up vegetable oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until soft. Add garlic, bacon, celery, carrot and black beans. Cook until the vegetables are soft, about 8 minutes.

3. Combine the black bean mixture with rice. Toss to combine and serve.

I will make this dish again. I might substitute bacon with ham for a milder-tasting pilaf. Canned black beans will do just as great but they might be too salty even after drained. If I use canned black beans, I will use low-sodium chicken broth to tame the dish. Overall, this is a great recipe by Ellie!