Black beans and Rice

Black Beans and Rice
Tuesday

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cup uncooked white rice (or use brown to add a bit more health to your dish)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
3 cloves minced garlic
1 cup of dried black beans (cook overnight in crock pot
A few dashes of Tabasco or 1/4 teaspoon cayenne powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano or 1 heaping Tbsp chopped fresh oregano
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional Lime wedges and cilantro for garnish
METHOD
1 Cook rice according to package instructions. White rice usually takes 15 minutes to cook once the water is simmering, and 10 minutes to sit.
2 Heat oil in a large skillet on medium high. Sauté onions and bell peppers for 3-4 minutes, until just beginning to soften, then add garlic and sauté a minute more. Add the black beans, vinegar and Tabasco or cayenne. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 5 minutes.
3 Stir in rice and oregano. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Yield: Serves 6.

We're going to serve this with defrosted, sauteed okra with fresh tomatoes and onion on the side.
I simply defrost the okra ahead of time, then saute the onion until translucent.  Add the okra and tomatoes and allow to cook for another 5 minutes approximately.  The trick with okra is most definitely not to over cook.  Otherwise it gets slimy and fast!