Friday Night's Dinner: Black Beans and Rice

I made another quick vegetarian dinner last night, since daughter was off to a friend's later that night. On Friday's I clean out the refrigerator, using whatever leftover vegys and cheese bits are left. This dish uses up all the non starchy vegys left.

Black Beans and Rice. I first learned of this dish under the probably pollitically incorrect name of Moros and Christianos when I lived in Spain. The black beans and white rice make a stark, moderne image on the serving plate. It's a very filling dish that can stand up to hot flavors and strong spices. Feel free to add more and different vegs to the bean mix. Add more hot peppers if you like them( I don't)
The basic recipe for 2 very large dinner servings or 4 side dish servings:

• Boil 2 cups water with lemon peel and 1/2 tsp salt
• in frying pan or largish pot, heat 1 TSP olive oil on medium and add 1 clove garlic, some spring onions, 1 tsp turmeric powder, red pepper flakes, 1/2 small diced zucchini, yellow squash or handful of spinach. You want a quick cooking veg here that will absorb the yellow color. Cover and cok until garlic is cooked.
• Add 1 cup rice to boiling water, lover heat and set timer for 13 minutes
• remove garlic turmeric mix to a small bowl, Set aside
• Into the frying pan, place one can rinsed black beans, and a cup of quick cooking vegs such as 1/2 of a small zucchini, yellow squash or spinach cut into large chunks, or 1 cup of cherry tomatoes,or 1 can of rinsed peeled tomatoes, or 1 cup of corn. Cover and lower heat to cook vegies and heat beans through.

Make a ring out of the rice on a serving plate. Spoon the black beans and veg in the middle or the ring. Top with the bright yellow turmeric and minced vegs.

Snazzier versions:

Sausage

Cook strong flavored chopped sausage or baked ham chunks in low heat. Add chopped red, green and yellow peppers. Add some hot peppers as well. Add the black beans to this mix. Add cherry tomatoes. Heat through and serve over rice with the turmeric sauce.