Dominican-inspired White Rice & Red Beans

What you’ll need

• 1½ cups uncooked long-grain white rice, rinsed and drained
• 2 cans fully cooked red kidney beans, 15 oz each, drained and rinsed
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil, divided
• 3 cups water for the rice plus ½ cup for the beans
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ¾ teaspoon salt, divided, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper, or to taste

An original recipe inspired by Dominican home cooking; not a claim of cultural authenticity.

Let’s get cooking

1. Use two separate pots: one for the rice and one for the beans. This recipe uses only canned, fully cooked beans; it does not include instructions for raw dried kidney beans.
2. In the rice pot, bring 3 cups water, 1 tablespoon oil and ½ teaspoon salt to a boil. Stir in the rice, cover and reduce to the lowest steady simmer.
3. Cook the rice for 15–18 minutes, or as directed on its package, until tender and the water is absorbed. Remove from the heat and leave covered for 10 minutes. Do not stir the beans into the rice.
4. Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in the second pot over medium heat. Soften the onion for 5 minutes. Add the garlic, tomatoes and oregano; cook for 4–5 minutes, stirring.
5. Add the drained canned beans, ½ cup water, remaining salt and pepper. Simmer gently for 10–15 minutes until hot and saucy. Mash a spoonful of beans against the pot to thicken if desired.
6. Fluff the rice with a fork. Serve four portions of white rice with the red beans beside them or spooned over them at the table. Refrigerate both promptly after the meal.