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Baked Black Beans With Rice

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 medium red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 3/4 cup dried black beans, rinsed and picked over
• 1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves for garnish

Directions

1. Put the oil in a large ovenproof pot over medium heat.
2. When hot, add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft, 5 minutes.
3. Stir in the beans, add enough water to cover them by 2 inches, and raise the heat to high.
4. Bring to a boil, then adjust the heat so the mixture bubbles.
5. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally and adding water if necessary to keep the beans submerged, until the beans are softening but still hard in the middle, 45 to 60 minutes.
6. Heat the oven to 350 F.
7. Roughly mash some of the beans in the pot, the back of a spoon, or a potato masher; leave at least half of them intact.
8. Add the rice and a good sprinkling of salt and pepper and stir well to combine.
9. Let the beans and rice settle back to the bottom of the pot.
10. They should be covered by 1 inch of liquid; if not, add enough water so they are.
11. Transfer the pot - uncovered - to the oven and cook until the rice and beans are tender, 1 hour, adding water 1/4 cup at a time if the mixture becomes dry before the rice and beans are done.
12. Taste and adjust the seasoning, fluff, and serve garnished with the cilantro.

Attribution