Ok I need to add a disclaimer here, I in no way guarantee that this recipe will result in a dish that you will enjoy. For me I loved them, but maybe you will have a different take on them. Also, I have a very low pantry right now, so I had to make some substitutes for what I was lacking, but I rarely use recipes, so I am just going to outline what I did to the best of my memory. One last thing, because I have a teenager that likes things spicy and babies who don't like the heat, I made this like a base, where different flavors can be added depending upon taste. Also it might get a bit wordy, sorry.
Beans, I used about two cups of black beans, I didn't measure just tossed in what was left of the bag I had on hand. So about half of a small bag of beans. I rinsed and drained them,added enough water about an inch over the top of the beans, put them on to boil on a medium high heat uncovered, as the water was absorbed I added more water to it. Just use water, don't add anything else at this point or else your beans won't get soft. It took about 90 minutes to get them soft, you can tell by the sound they make when you stir them. They will sound hollow at first, then more dense as they take on more water. Also some will start to crack. But taste them, you may want them softer so you will need to keep boiling them until you like the texture of them. Once soft turn off the heat and let them sit until you add them to the celery mix.
While the beans cooked I made the rice, I used brown jasmine rice, I bought in bulk at Winco. I love this type of rice. It is much better tasting them other brown rices I have tried and cooks up softer. To make my brown rice, I heat oil in a large pot, about one to two table spoons depending on the amount of rice you are using, It just needs to cover the bottom of the pan. I added salt and coriander, I eye balled both,Just a few shakes of the coriander, a little more of the salt, all depends on your preference. (If you haven't used coriander, it is a citrus smelling spice, I used grounded type. I add it to all sorts of things, pies, soups, roasts.) Once the oil is hot I add the rice, 2 cups, I stir the rice frequently, until you can start to smell it, and you will, this is when the rice blossoms. Then I added 4 cups of water, I let the rice boil covered for 20 minutes on med high heat, resist the urge to lift the lid until the 20 minutes is up. Then, I turned it down to simmer for another 10, but watch your water, if you think it is all out you will want to reduce this time, but brown rice always takes a bit longer than white rice. Once it has simmered, I remove it from the heat for another ten minutes leaving it covered. This is how I always make my brown rice, for white rice, I just reduce the cooking time and leave out the coriander, and use less water, instead of two cups of water to one cup if rice, I do a cup and a half of water. I will simmer it for 20 minutes, then remove it from the heat for ten minutes, then it is perfect and fluffy.
While the rice was finished, and sitting in the pot waiting for the beans to finish, I got the rest of it ready. I chopped about a cup and half of celery, and put it in a bowl, I added about a table spoon of dried garlic slices, (I crushed up a bit) to the celery to help reconstitute it. I also smashed up three beef bouillon cubes and added them, along with some diced pickled jalapenos, which I left big so I can make sure the babies don't get them. Once I knew the beans were soft, I heated up a little oil in a frying pan, added the celery mix, I then added about a tablespoon of deli honey mustard, (no reason for the honey, just didn't have regular) with a 1/3 cup of water, to soften the bouillon further . I let them cook just a few minutes because they are for color and texture, so you don't want the celery to be super mushy. I then added the beans. I didn't strain them, I used a slotted spoon to move them into the bowl, so the water they were cooked in, was left in the original pan. I mixed the beans into the celery mix, then I added the rice. I also think beans need a bit of fat to help them out, so I added 4 tablespoons of butter, Once it is all mixed, it is ready to serve. If you noticed the only salt I added was when I cooked the rice, since I added the beef bouillon, and that can be very salty. But you may want to add salt and pepper to taste.
For my teenager, he added a LOT more hot sauce, and who knows what else, sometimes I am afraid to ask.
For the babies I made sure they didn't have any jalapenos, and added sugar. They are eating black beans and brown rice, so a little sugar isn't going to hurt them.
For me, I added juice from a fresh lime, man, really limes are the trick if you want to boast up the flavor of your latin food. I add them to all sorts of things. I also added sugar to mine, not much, but I think it brings out the flavor of the beans. I also added a touch of hot sauce.
If I had more stocked in my pantry I would have used onions instead of celery. But I liked the celery. I also would have added cumin, which is a must for any mexican food. It may take a few times to get used to it, but it is the flavor that makes it earthy tasting, if that makes sense. You could also chop up fresh cilantro to add at the end. You can also add cayenne pepper to the celery mix, or red pepper flakes if you like a lot of heat. You can also add mexican oregano, that would add another level of flavor. If you don't have limes, lemons would do. A bit of acid makes things pop, so in a real pinch you could add a dash of vinegar to the celery mix. I would have also used fresh jalapenos. You could also add diced tomatoes, canned or fresh. Or get real crazy and add diced green olives.
If you want it to be lower in fat, leave out the butter, and just use the water when you cook the celery mix. I think the oil really helps with the brown rice though. My husband hates brown rice, but when I made it like this before, he said it was much better than the rice he had growing up.
I hope you got through this long recipe, maybe if I had to write them out more often I would be more concise. If you think I am not clear, or maybe left something out, or if you think something I did sounds whack, let me know.
Beans, I used about two cups of black beans, I didn't measure just tossed in what was left of the bag I had on hand. So about half of a small bag of beans. I rinsed and drained them,added enough water about an inch over the top of the beans, put them on to boil on a medium high heat uncovered, as the water was absorbed I added more water to it. Just use water, don't add anything else at this point or else your beans won't get soft. It took about 90 minutes to get them soft, you can tell by the sound they make when you stir them. They will sound hollow at first, then more dense as they take on more water. Also some will start to crack. But taste them, you may want them softer so you will need to keep boiling them until you like the texture of them. Once soft turn off the heat and let them sit until you add them to the celery mix.
While the rice was finished, and sitting in the pot waiting for the beans to finish, I got the rest of it ready. I chopped about a cup and half of celery, and put it in a bowl, I added about a table spoon of dried garlic slices, (I crushed up a bit) to the celery to help reconstitute it. I also smashed up three beef bouillon cubes and added them, along with some diced pickled jalapenos, which I left big so I can make sure the babies don't get them. Once I knew the beans were soft, I heated up a little oil in a frying pan, added the celery mix, I then added about a tablespoon of deli honey mustard, (no reason for the honey, just didn't have regular) with a 1/3 cup of water, to soften the bouillon further . I let them cook just a few minutes because they are for color and texture, so you don't want the celery to be super mushy. I then added the beans. I didn't strain them, I used a slotted spoon to move them into the bowl, so the water they were cooked in, was left in the original pan. I mixed the beans into the celery mix, then I added the rice. I also think beans need a bit of fat to help them out, so I added 4 tablespoons of butter, Once it is all mixed, it is ready to serve. If you noticed the only salt I added was when I cooked the rice, since I added the beef bouillon, and that can be very salty. But you may want to add salt and pepper to taste.
For my teenager, he added a LOT more hot sauce, and who knows what else, sometimes I am afraid to ask.
For the babies I made sure they didn't have any jalapenos, and added sugar. They are eating black beans and brown rice, so a little sugar isn't going to hurt them.
For me, I added juice from a fresh lime, man, really limes are the trick if you want to boast up the flavor of your latin food. I add them to all sorts of things. I also added sugar to mine, not much, but I think it brings out the flavor of the beans. I also added a touch of hot sauce.
If I had more stocked in my pantry I would have used onions instead of celery. But I liked the celery. I also would have added cumin, which is a must for any mexican food. It may take a few times to get used to it, but it is the flavor that makes it earthy tasting, if that makes sense. You could also chop up fresh cilantro to add at the end. You can also add cayenne pepper to the celery mix, or red pepper flakes if you like a lot of heat. You can also add mexican oregano, that would add another level of flavor. If you don't have limes, lemons would do. A bit of acid makes things pop, so in a real pinch you could add a dash of vinegar to the celery mix. I would have also used fresh jalapenos. You could also add diced tomatoes, canned or fresh. Or get real crazy and add diced green olives.
If you want it to be lower in fat, leave out the butter, and just use the water when you cook the celery mix. I think the oil really helps with the brown rice though. My husband hates brown rice, but when I made it like this before, he said it was much better than the rice he had growing up.
I hope you got through this long recipe, maybe if I had to write them out more often I would be more concise. If you think I am not clear, or maybe left something out, or if you think something I did sounds whack, let me know.
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