Spanish rice is an easy and nutritious recipe that only takes a little longer than the time it takes to cook rice.

It makes a great balanced one pot meal, complete with protein, veggies, fiber and complex carbohydrates.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 2 cups rice
• 1 cup of beans (black, pinto or kidney), soaked and cooked the night before (or in a pinch, just use a can)
• 1 onion
• 1 bell pepper
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 lime
• 1 tbsp oregano, dried
• 2 tbsp olive oil

To start, mince the garlic and add to the bottom of a pot with the olive oil. Place on a burner with the heat on high. Finely chop the onion, and dice the bell pepper. Add both to the pot and let it sizzle for a moment or two. Then add in your two cups of rice. Stir it around to let the rice become coated in the oil and start to toast. Then add the water (this should be about 3-4 cups depending on what kind of rice you are using). Add in the tomato paste and dissolve it in the boiling water. Let it all boil until the water is almost absorbed by the rice. Add the already cooked beans and the oregano, and then top it all off with the juice of one lime. Let the water absorb completely, and there you have it! A simple, tasty vegan meal.

Enjoy!

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~Apprentice Editor: Kathryn Muyskens / Editor: Renée Picard

Photo: Wikimedia Commons