Have you found yourself spending more time in the kitchen this year? I have been cooking more often lately. Maybe it’s the fact that all restaurants were closed for a few months, allowing me to spend more time at home cooking. Anyhow, I have come to enjoy making different meals. I do not use recipes for rice because I learned by watching other family members, but I have attempted to convert my by-eye measurement to actual measurements.
Learning to cook rice can be tough. I have made burnt rice, rice with too much water, rice with not enough water, and many others. But the more I cook, the easier it gets. This is to say that you should not give up just because you are not good at something. With practice, you will get better.
I am from Puerto Rico, this means we eat a LOT of rice. I have had many years to practice, but it wasn’t until I actually enjoyed cooking, that I began to notice a difference in texture and taste.
Disclaimer:
There are many ways to cook rice and it really varies by household. I will be showing you the way we cook it in our house.
In the following recipe (like any other recipes) I have outlined the steps I took to make this simply delicious, Caribbean meal.
There are affiliate links in this post meaning I may earn a small commission if you decide to purchase any item through my links. This is at no extra cost to you.
Rice with Black Beans
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes
Yields: 8
Serving size: 1 cup
Ingredients:
- 4 cups long-grain white rice
- 2 1/2 cups of water
- 2 16oz cans black beans
- 1 tsp dry oregano
- 2 tbsp sofrito (recipe-minute 1:47)
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 pack Sazon Goya for color (Substitute: paprika, annatto seed powder, turmeric)
- 1 tsp caldo con sabor a pollo powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups vegetable stock
- 1/2 cup tomato sauce
Instructions:
- Gather all ingredients before you begin. This will make the recipe easier.
- Turn stove on to medium-low heat. In a rice pot add the oil, oregano, sofrito, Sazon, caldo con sabor a pollo, and salt. Stir for about 1 minute.
- Add in the tomato sauce and stir until a paste is formed. This will allow the sofrito to be cooked.
- Mix in the black beans.
- Next, add the vegetable stock and water. Set stove to high and let water come to a boil.
- Wash rice and add it to the water. Mix all ingredients.
- Set stove to medium heat and cover rice pot. Let cook for about 15 minutes or until all water has been completely absorbed by rice.
- Lift lid and fluff. You can use a wooden, plastic, or stainless steal spoon.
- Form into a teepee shape and place lid back on. The teepee shape will help the rice cook thoroughly and evenly.
- Allow 15 more minutes or until rice is fluffy and you can see the grains opened.
Serve with salad, fried green plantain (tostones) and avocado. Enjoy.
I have included a slideshow below to serve as a guide. Please follow the instructions as they have more cooking details than the slideshow.
I hope you enjoyed this recipe and that I have made this simple enough to follow through. Let me know if it worked for you as well as other tips you may have for cooking rice.
Please share if you found this recipe helpful and let me know which dishes you would like me to share next.
Sincerely,
Oh this looks good!!! Thank you so much for sharing! 😊
I’m glad you liked it!