Recipe of the Week: Easy Black Beans and Rice

I make black beans and rice occasionally but this was the first time I used an actual recipe.  I'm going to keep using this recipe from my favorite food blog Simply Recipes. It's much better :)  I noticed too late that we didn't actually have any bell peppers, but it tasted just fine anyway.  Next time I'm going to try it with the peppers.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup uncooked white rice
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1/2 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced (for added flavor you can substitute roasted red bell peppers or some chopped pimentos)
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 2 16-ounce cans of black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 Tbsp white vinegar
• 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

Directions: 

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.

Serves 6.