GOURMET RICE & BEANS (Simple)

• cooked brown rice or corn pasta, or warmed tortillas
• 16-ounce can black beans
• 1 tablespoon olive oil (0.4 oz.wt.)
• chopped onion (1.4 oz.wt.)
• Garlic clove, crushed
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin
• 1/6 cup dry red wine (1.4 oz.)
• 1/3 pound tomatoes (5.4 oz.wt.)
• 5 black olives, rinsed, stones removed, & quartered
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 teaspoon chilpotle purée (optional)
• Water, if needed
• Chopped fresh cilantro (if available)
• slivered Cheddar or Jack cheese (1 oz.wt.)

If you cook brown rice in a large pot of salted water, it will take 25 minutes.

Drain and rinse the black beans thoroughly. Set aside.

Cook the onion and garlic in oil until soft. Stir in cumin and heat. Add red wine and let bubble up. Add tomatoes, chopped black olives, salt, and stir in chilpotle purée. Add beans and, if necessary, enough water to make a nice sloppy consistency. Heat through.

[Stir in about 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro and heat until wilted.]

Serve brown rice on plates. Sprinkle the cheese over the rice. Ladle the black bean mixture over all. The cheese will melt under the heat of the beans.

Serves 2