Recipe Review: Red Beans Over Spanish Rice

Another (and I think MY favorite) in the series of Fitness Magazine's "Seven Super-Easy Suppers". This recipe worked VERY well in the slow-cooker. The meat was so soft it fell apart in my mouth, and the balance of seasonings was excellent, although I DID add some salt on mine when I ate it. Also, I am a freak for cumin so I might add more next time I make it. Regardless, this is definitely one we will make again. It was pretty cheap to make (dry beans, onions, the rice was on sale...the only pricey thing was the meat but it didn't use a lot). The beans were done by not mushy. My children all ate it (as you might remember, my 7-year-old supposedly hates beans). I had a hard time finding a boneless pork shoulder at Safeway, so I got 2 bone-in pork shoulder steaks and removed the bone. You could possibly leave the bone in during cooking and remove it later if you like to get added nutrition from the marrow. I changed the way the beans were soaked to cut down on the number of dishes I would have to wash. I soaked them in the crock pot. We got WAYYYY more than 6 servings out of this one!

--Red Beans Over Spanish Rice--

Makes 6 to 8 servings

-2 cups dry red beans or dry kidney beans

-1 Tbsp. vegetable oil (I used 2 tsp)

-3/4 pound boneless pork shoulder, cut into 1-inch pieces

-2 and 1/2 cups chopped onions

-6 garlic cloves, chopped

-1 Tbsp. ground cumin

-4 cups water

-6 and 3/4 oz. package Spanish Rice, cooked according to package directions (you may need canned tomatoes for this, so check your instructions)

-Fresh Jalapeno peppers, sliced (optional)

Sort through and rinse beans, removing any small stones or shriveled beans; drain. Place beans in slow-cooker; add enough boiling water (use a teakettle if you have one) to cover plus one inch. Cover and turn the heat on to high setting. Allow to soak for one hour. Rinse and drain. Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high. Brown pork; drain off any excess fat. Add pork to slow-cooker along with soaked and rinsed beans. Add the onions, garlic, cumin, and 4 cups water; stir. Turn temperature setting to low; cook for 10 to 11 hours. Using a slotted spoon, remove beans and pork. Serve the beans over rice, and spoon liquid over the top. Garnish with sliced jalapeno.

Nutritionals (per 1/6th of recipe) : 344 calories, 1g fat, 17g fiber, 19g protein

WW points: 6