Cuban Black Bean Stew with Rice

I was looking through a few Everyday Food magazines today while I waited for H-Bomb to get out of 1st grade (after visiting a few local businesses for the PTA this morning and a fun lunch with friends). I wanted a recipe that was fast and for which I had all the ingredients. It's hard when we don't get home until 4:00 and try to have dinner on by 5:ish.

So this recipe was the winner today. It truly took only 30 minutes, and it was delicious to boot! You really can't beat that. I even used a yellow bell pepper from our garden in the stew! We served ours with rice and lime wedges, and the magazine suggests chips or tortillas as an alternative. Number One and I think this would be delicious for breakfast, topped with a fried egg and some salsa!


Cuban Black Bean Stew with Rice
Serves 4 Prep time: 20 minutes Total time: 30 minutes

Rice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium red onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 red bell pepper (ribs and seeds removed, chopped)
2 cans (19 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14.5 ounces) vegetable broth (all I had was beef broth; I'm sure any kind of broth would work just fine)
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
coarse salt and ground pepper
garnishes (optional): lime wedges, fresh cilantro, and sliced radishes

Prepare 4 servings of your favorite rice according to package directions. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large saucepan over medium. Add onion, garlic, and bell pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, 8 to 10 minutes.

Add beans, broth, vinegar, and oregano. Cook, mashing some beans with the back of a spoon, until slightly thickened, 6 to 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Fluff rice with a fork. Serve beans over rice, with garnishes if desired.