Chipotle Black Bean and Red Rice Bowl

Victory was mine in the kitchen today (technically it was yesterday, since I write these things a day in advance, but who's counting?). 1.) I discovered an awesome new food I'd never had before, and 2.) I made something new and experimental from what I had on hand that ended up tasting great. Here are the details.


Organic Red "Volcano" Rice by Lotus Foods

Both my husband and I have a long-standing loathing for Uncle Ben's Wild Rice from our childhoods. It's kept us a little in the dark about what kinds of rice (besides white) are out there, and I've been meaning to try to redevelop a taste for whole grain rices lately. As I was passing by the wild varieties I saw this new kind:

Red rice. Just 24 hours ago I didn't know it existed, and now it's vaulted to the top of my favorite grains list. It's got a unique taste that's really hard to describe. Sweet, almost cinnamony is the best way I can put it. Immediately I thought it would compliment South American cuisine, or maybe Caribbean.

That thought upon tasting the cooked rice led me to my second success. I wondered if it might also work in a Mexican-style rice bowl, but I didn't have many of the classic Hispanic ingredients around the house (no bell peppers, fresh tomatoes, sour cream, avocado, fresh cilantro, or lime, etc.), so I created an onion and black bean mélange with chipotle spices to accompany the cooked rice instead.



Chipotle Black Bean and Red Rice Bowl

Ingredients (2 servings):

• 1/2 cup cooked red rice
• 16 oz black beans, cooked and drained
• 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
• 2 lemon quarters
• 2 handfuls of greens (I used mixed salad greens because that's what I had)
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 16 oz black beans, cooked and drained
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp powdered chipotle
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup grated cheese (omit the cheese to make the dish vegan)

Preparation:
Rice: Rinse the rice with cold water and cook (if you're using a rice cooker, use the brown rice setting). Cooking will take about 15-20 minutes.

Cooking: Heat oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat, and saute the chopped onion until soft. Add the black beans, tomato paste, chipotle, cumin, paprika, and salt & pepper. Stir frequently, and let the mixture cook down until most of the liquid is gone.

Bowl Arrangment: Scoop a handful of greens into each bowl, lining the bottom. Divide the rice and bean mixture in half, and add a scoop of each on top of the greens. Garnish with the remaining 1/4 lemon (cut into 2 wedges) and grated cheese.


Gone in an instant.