Rice and beans recipes

So, I would REALLY like to start cooking Latin American food, I don't mean Mexican (although I love it) but more 'rice and beans' type dishes that are popular in the Caribbean as well as Brazil. Usually something like a chicken fillet with rice and black beans - absolutely delicious and comforting. Does anyone have any of these type of recipes that don't require 20 million ingredients and are reasonably easy to make? I live in London so should be able to get my hands on most ingredients.

schemingbohemia

These two are both variations of Paul Prudhomme's recipe which is Louisiana style - the latter is vegan though so might not be up your street though the spicing should help

http://blackirondude.blogspot.com/2010/02/red-beans-and-rice-adapted-from-chef.html

http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2006/02/real-louisiana-red-beans-and-rice.html

Magic Monkey

There's a meaty Brazilian dish with black beans called Feijoada, recipe here. Never made it, but it sounds like nice comfort food and good with rice.

That website has many popular dishes from a lot of cuisines, plus videos too.

longshanks

try googling some of the gallo pinto recipes, popular in costa rica. damn tasty too

The Sweeper

Recently made christianos y moros, a cuban dish of white rice and black beans (the white rice being the christians, the black beans being the moors).

It's basically onion, garlic, bell peppers and chilis cooked with black beans and rice, flavoured with chili powder, cumin dried thyme, and bay leaves. Cook it with chicken stock for good flavour, and season liberally with salt and pepper. You can also add other vegetables, like celery, finely diced carrots, so on.

Said this on another thread, but the difference in flavour in using good quality dried pulses, rehydrating them and cooking them, rather than using tinned, makes for good eating. Tinned are just fine - cooked from dry have a more intense flavour.

Minder

[quote=[Deleted User];66817908]So, I would REALLY like to start cooking Latin American food, I don't mean Mexican (although I love it) but more 'rice and beans' type dishes that are popular in the Caribbean as well as Brazil. Usually something like a chicken fillet with rice and black beans - absolutely delicious and comforting. Does anyone have any of these type of recipes that don't require 20 million ingredients and are reasonably easy to make? I live in London so should be able to get my hands on most ingredients.[/QUOTE]

On the theme of rice and beans, Jollof rice is excellent. African origin rather than West Indian or Latin American, but it uses the same techniques - rice cooked in a spicy broth with vegetables or pulses, by the absorption method.

I have occasionally bought from http://www.clarascc.co.uk/products.php
Postage tends to be very expensive, but Clara does some farmers markets in Surrey and Brighton, she also does the West Dean Gardens Chilli Festival in Midhurst, Hampshire. The Jolof Rice paste she sells is delicious and the jerk paste is the best I've tasted.

simonj

More a mild Italian dish, but quick n' easy

This risotto is really easy-peasy-lemon squeezy

Ingredients
350g (12 oz) broad beans
Salt and pepper
15g (1 tbsp) butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
200g (7 oz) arborio (risotto) rice
1 litre (1¾ pints) hot vegetable stock
Grated rind and juice of 1 lemon

Optional, Grated Parmesan

Optional, to give it a spanish flavour you could add sme prawns and saffron - maybe a tiny dash of sherry vinegar.
Method

1.Cook the broad beans in a large pan of boiling salted water for 3-5 minutes or until just tender. Plunge into ice-cold water to cool. Drain, peel off the outer skin, if wished, and set aside.

2.Melt the butter in a large saucepan, add the onion and cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes or until beginning to soften. Add the rice and continue to cook, stirring for 1-2 minutes.

3.Pour in a ladleful of the hot stock and simmer gently, stirring frequently until the rice has absorbed most of it. Keep adding the stock I nthis way until the rice is tender but still has bite to it; this will take about 15-20 minutes. The risotto should look creamy and soft when cooked.

4.Add the broad beans, lemon rind and juice and warm through.

5.Serve the risotto immediately, garnished with grated Parmesan and lemon rind.

I did this to go with a Mackerel and orange peas dish