Cuban-Style Red Beans and Rice

A classic Latin sofrito--pork fat, tomato paste, onion, garlic, bell pepper, herbs, and spices--gives this dish complexity. Prepare it the night before, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate; reheat single servings in the microwave the next day. Serve with Black Pepper Corn Bread.

Yield: 10 servings (serving size: about 1 1/3 cups)

Ingredients

• 8  bacon slices
• 1  teaspoon  olive oil
• 1 1/2  cups  chopped onion
• 1 1/2  cups  chopped green bell pepper (about 1 medium)
• 4  garlic cloves, minced
• 2  tablespoons  tomato paste
• 2  cups  uncooked long-grain rice
• 1 1/2  teaspoons  dried oregano
• 1 1/2  teaspoons  ground cumin
• 1  teaspoon  salt
• 1/2  teaspoon  black pepper
• 1  bay leaf
• 2  cups  water
• 3  (14-ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth, divided
• 3  (16-ounce) cans red beans, rinsed and drained
• Sliced green onions (optional)

Preparation

Cook bacon in a Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 1 tablespoon drippings in pan; crumble bacon, and set aside. Add oil to pan. Add onion and bell pepper; sauté over medium-high heat 4 minutes or until onion is tender. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute or just until garlic begins to brown. Add tomato paste; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add rice, oregano, cumin, salt, and black pepper; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

Place reserved bacon and bay leaf in pan; stir in water and 2 cans broth. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until rice is tender. Remove from heat; discard bay leaf. Stir in remaining can of broth and beans. Cook 5 minutes over low heat or until heated through, stirring frequently. Garnish with green onions, if desired.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

287 (11% from fat)

Fat:

4.5g (sat 1.3g,mono 1.9g,poly 0.5g)

Protein:

11.8g

Carbohydrate:

49.3g

Fiber:

7.5g

Cholesterol:

7mg

Iron:

2.1mg

Sodium:

883mg

Calcium:

25mg