Red Beans and Rice

Ingredients

1 stick MagicMix

1 pound dry red kidney beans or one 16 ounce can red kidney beans

2 teaspoons olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup yellow or red onion, finely chopped

1cup green bell pepper, finely chopped

1 cup celery, coarsely chopped

1 cup fresh tomatoes, chopped or 1 can (16 ounces) diced tomatoes

1 large pot water, + 6 cups if cooking with dry red kidney beans OR 2-3 cups if using canned beans

½ to 1 teaspoon salt to taste

Sprigs of cilantro for garnish

1 cup of raw white long grain rice +2 cups water

Directions

1. To prepare rice: bring water and rice to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
2. To get started with beans using the soaking method:  Rinse beans and soak in a large pot of water overnight. Once tender, drain water and transfer beans to a large pot with 6 cups of water to start cooking. Cover and simmer on low heat for about 1 ½ hours or until tender. Once tender, turn off the stove and let sit, covered. Use canned beans straight from the can.
3. Heat oil in a separate non-stick, deep cooking pot. Add onion, celery, bell pepper and garlic to the olive oil in pan and sauté for 2-4 minutes.
4. Add MagicMix to the onion-pepper-celery mix. Also add tomatoes and salt to the pan. Sauté for another 2-3 minutes.
5. Add beans to the spice and vegetable mix in the pot, stir well and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover with a lid and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally to make sure nothing sticks to the pan.
6. Adjust the seasoning if needed.
7. Spoon cooked rice onto dinner plates, followed by a generous serving of MagicMix-flavored red kidney beans. Top with sprigs of fresh cilantro and serve.