Matt Allison
Traditionally a Cuban staple made with black beans and rice. I chose to mix it up a bit by substituting red kidney beans, leaving out the traditional oregano, giving it a Moroccan twist with ground cumin and a bite with the Spanish smoked paprika.
Ingredients
Serves 4
- 6 rashers of bacon (chopped)
- 1 large onion (chopped)
- 4 garlic cloves (chopped)
- 1 red bell pepper (deseeded and chopped)
- 2 cups of long-grain rice
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tbsp of ground cumin
- 2 tbsp of smoked paprika
- 2 tbsp of tomato paste
- 1 15oz can of kidney beans (drained)
- 3 cups of water
- salt
- pepper
- handful of fresh cilantro
Step 1: Place a large saucepan over a medium-high heat, add the bacon, cook until browned, about 8 minutes. Add the onion, garlic and bell pepper, cook for a further 5 minutes.
Step 2: Add the rice to the saucepan, mix until the rice is well coated. Add the bay leaves, cumin, paprika, tomato paste and beans. Add the 3 cups of water, bring to boil, then reduce the heat and allow to simmer for 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Step 3: Once the water has been absorbed, remove from the heat, fluff up the rice with a fork and serve topped with the fresh cilantro.
Enjoy!