Chipotle Rice and Black Beans

Remember those leftover chipotles in adobo I threw in the fridge?  Well, here they are, making yet another appearance.

I have grown to LOVE these things. I remember a few years ago, I used a recipe that called for chipotles in adobo for the first time. I had such a hard time finding them that I asked my friend Elvia to pick up a can for me the next time she went to her local Mexican market. Elvia and I work for the same organization (but in different locations) so she interofficed a can of chipotles to me. 🙂 I must say, it was probably the best piece of “work” mail I’ve received.  Now,  chipotles in adobo are quite popular so I have no problem finding them at my local grocery store.

I actually made a similar one-dish version of this meal with pork chops a couple weeks ago. I really liked the taste of the rice/beans, but I wasn’t crazy about the way the pork chop turned out (I used boneless chops and seared them  but they were a little dry/overcooked by the time the rice finished cooking). So this time around I just made the chipotle rice and beans as a side (and adjusted the seasonings a bit). We had this with creole broiled pork chops and a salad.  This is one of my new favorite sides!

Even with just one chipotle in adobo, this still has a decent amount of kick.  If you aren’t into spicier foods you may want to just use half of one. A dollop of sour cream (or Greek yogurt) would also be a nice addition and cool it down a bit. A  half cup of beans is around 1/3 of the can so if you want to use up the whole can, just triple the recipe below. I  had some leftover beans in the fridge, which was how this originally came about.

Chipotle Beans and Rice

Serves 2 as a (hearty) side
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1/2 Tbsp. canola oil
1/2 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 chipotle in adobo, minced
1 bay leaf
1/3 cup uncooked rice
2/3 cup water or broth
1/2 cup black beans
1/2 tsp. oregano
salt and pepper

Heat the oil in a shallow pot/saucepan that has a tight-fitting lid. Add the onion and cook until tender. Stir in the garlic, chipotle, and bay leaf, sauteing an additional minute. Stir in the rice, and toast it until just a little golden.  Add the water (or broth), black beans, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, cover, and then turn the heat down to low. Simmer for about 15 minutes. Remove from heat (but keep the lid on) and let sit for about 5 minutes before fluffing with a fork.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 192 / Fat: 4g / Saturated Fat:  0.4g / Carbs: 32.9g / Fiber: 4.3g / Protein: 6g