The first time I had this, I wanted to eat it and eat it, and eat it, and eat it.  I made my mouth sing and my belly way too full (after 3 bowls!!).  The recipe comes from my ex-Father-In-Law, who was born in Cuba.  This is his recipe, and one I used to make quite often.  I made this last evening for some friends, and literally, there was almost nothing left.

Enjoy!

Cuban Black Beans and Rice

2 15 Ounce Cans of Black Beans (or about 3 1/2 cups of beans, soaked overnight)
4 Cups Chicken Stock
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large green pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
3-4 cloved garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt, to taste
Rice (See recipe below)

In a medium sized pot, heat the olive oil until fragarant and hot.  Add in the peppers and onions, and saute until onions are slightly translucent.  Add in the garlic and saute a minute longer.  Add in the 2 cans of beans, and the 4 cups of chicken stock and stir well.  Lower heat to a simmer, cover and allow to simmer for about 40 minutes.

After about 20 minutes, prepare the rice.

2 Cups rice
1 3/4 cups water
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 tablespoon butter (optional)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
a bit of Tumeric or Saffron for color, if you wish

In a small pot, add water, chicken stock, butter, salt, garlic and optional tumeric or saffron.  Bring the water/stock to a boil.  Add in the rice and stir to remove any lumps (don’t overstir it, or it can become too sticky).  Bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat to the lowest setting, or a low simmer for about 18 minutes. Remove from the heat.

To serve, I usually grab the soup bowls,and place a serving of rice into the bowl, and ladle the black bean mixture over the rice.

Sprinkle with a bit of freshly ground pepper.