Costa Rican Black Beans and Rice

R ecently I was asked if I would like to review SOS! The Six O'Clock Scramble to the Rescue: Earth-Friendly, Kid-Pleasing Dinners for Busy Families by Aviva Goldfarb.

I've never accepted a request to review a cookbook until this one. The title intrigued me, and I definitely wanted to read it and cook from it.

I read some of it while I took a bath. Is that weird? I take bubble baths and read cookbooks. Very carefully.



I took a week to look over the cookbook and its recipes and I'm really impressed! I have a lot of new ideas for quick and easy dinners throughout the week, using fresh ingredients. I like that many of the recipes are vegetarian. Lately I'm feeling like I want to go back to being a vegetarian. I watched Food, Inc for the first time the other night. I mean, wow... If you haven't watched it yet, watch it. I'm definitely going to be making some changes in my diet and grocery shopping.



Anyway, other highlights of the the Six O'Clock Scramble include:

-Helping readers eat seasonally without missing their favorite foods .
-Saving money through easy, efficient planning, bulk buying, freezing and storing, and avoiding waste
Making grocery trips count with suggestions for weekly plans and shopping lists.

I chose to make Costa Rican Black Beans and Rice out of the cookbook for two reasons.


1) I had everything to make it.
2) I'm meeting Lorie of Rice and Beans and Other Fine Things today for the first time.

That's right - The biggest blogger meetup of the century is happening today.
An EPIC blogging event that no one will ever forget.

Emily
Meets
Lorie

I'm a HUGE fan of her blog and can't wait! I'll blog about our meeting soon.
I think we're hittin' up the Hemmingways buffet, right Lorie? That reminds me - I need to wash my sweat pants.

WAIT. They have a build your own burger option on the menu! This could give us some ideas for BBB. :) Oh wait - I just said I was going to be a vegetarian again.
... Right after I eat that burger.

Back to the rice and beans. They were good! I really liked this recipe. I love lime, cilantro and curry together. It made a ton though, so I froze the rest.
Nice work, Aviva! Great cookbook.


One last thing. My sister Hannah's senior prom was last Saturday night. I had to show you a picture of her in her lovely dress that my mom made, with her lovely date, Wesley. Wesley wanted to be on the blog and I was like, Sure you can!

You look beautiful, Hannah! You look beautiful, Wesley!

Then Eric took this picture of Hannah and me together... but guess who's lurking through the screen door? MOM! That is so creepy, Mom. At least you're smiling.


That's all for today! Unless you want to vote for my Avocado & Mango Lime-Grilled Shrimp Tacos in the Gorton's contest again. I know you want to! It's the last two days of voting. Thank goodness. I'll let you all know how it turns out. Thanks for voting, you guys! And if you didn't, that's okay too. Love you all!

Costa Rican Black Beans and Rice
“SOS! THE SIX O’CLOCK SCRAMBLE OF THE RESCUE. Copyright © 2010 by Aviva Goldfarb. All rights reserved.”

1 cup white rice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 green bell pepper, finely diced
1 small yellow or white onion, finely diced
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic (about 3 cloves)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1 can (15 ounces) black beans with their liquid
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons salsa
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1 lime, cut into wedges for serving

Cook the rice with 2 cups water according to the package instructions. (The rice can be made up to a day in advance.)

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat, and saute the bell peppers, onions, and garlic for about 5 minutes until they are fragrant and slightly tender. While they are cooking, stir in the cumin and curry powder. Add the beans and their liquid, the Worcestershire sauce, and salsa and bring to a boil. Let the beans simmer for about 5 more minutes. Stir in the cooked rice and continue to cook it, stirring frequently, for about 3 more minutes until heated through. Stir in the cilantro leaves and serve it with the lime wedges.

Prep + Cook = 25 minutes
6 servings