Beans and Rice

Beans and rice are a great combination, both nutritionally and for taste. There is a world of flavors you can have with these two ingredients. Sometimes we make slightly sweetened beans to have for breakfast. This dish, however, may not make the best early morning dish. It calls for the sultry and rich black beans, plus a tangy twist provided by balsamic vinegar. Add a little avocado to calm everything down and you end up with a dish that we eat as a meal in itself. It doesn't last long in our house.

Cuban Beans and Rice

Ingredients

2 T lemon juice

2 T olive oil

1 T balsamic vinegar

1 t ground cumin

1 t salt

¼ t pepper

3 c cooked rice

1 15-oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed, or 1 c dried black beans cooked

2 medium tomatoes, cored, seeded, and chopped

2 T fresh parsley, chopped

1 firm-ripe avocado

Steps

1. In a large bowl, mix lemon juice, olive oil, vinegar, cumin, salt, and pepper. Stir in the rice, beans, tomatoes, and parsley.

2. Cut the avocado in half, pop out the pit, and carefully scoop out the insides. Cut into dice and gently stir into the bean and rice mixture.

3. Serve chilled, room temperature, or heated up.