West Indian rice and beans

This is real voyaging on a small income food: dirt cheap and from food you have in the lockers.  It's filling and easy to cook.  I love kidney beans, but when I was voyaging, found myself cooking them too often as Chilli sin carne, but this recipe makes a pleasant change and is particularly good in areas where fresh vegetables are limited.  You can also use black beans - they are very popular in the West Indies.  

 

Don't be put off by the amount of thyme - it is meant to season the food quite strongly.  Cream of coconut - like a hard slab of butter - isn't always easy to obtain.  Use coconut milk or cream instead.

Serves 2

 

Ingredients

 

1/2 cup kidney or black beans, soaked and cooked

1/2 cup rice

1 cup water

2 tbsp oil

1 onion

1 garlic clove

1 1/2 tsp thyme

salt and pepper

 

Method:

• Cook the beans.  Drain black beans carefully so that the meal doesn't turn out grey! Put the rice in the water, add salt and cook in the usual way.
• About ten minutes before the rice is cooked, heat the oil in a saucepan and add the chopped onion and diced garlic. Cook them until they’re softened then add the thyme.  
• When the rice is cooked, turn it out of the pan onto the vegetables and add the beans, salt and pepper.
• Carefully combine everything, ensuring that the rice and beans don’t get mashed. Cover and cook until everything is piping hot.
• Serve with a green vegetable.

Variations:

• A chilli pepper, fresh or dried go well in this recipe - indeed I'd recommend it.
• 1/2 tsp dried chilli flakes also works. 
• If you can't get cream of coconut, substitute a small can of coconut cream (or use dried coconut milk anda little extra water, if you have it).
• Traditionally, a sliced carrot was also added. 
• You could add some allspice for a Jamaican flavour!

You will find many more rice recipes here