How do you spice up beans and rice?

Garlic, onions, cayenne pepper and possibly a little cumin . The nice thing about any beans and rice dish is how versatile they are, and how easy it is to flavor with minimal ingredients and spices.

How to spice up your rice?

6 Add-ins to Upgrade White Rice Alternative Cooking Liquid. For an effortless yet dramatic difference, infuse your rice with flavored cooking water or use more aromatic liquid like broth or juice. ... Cheese. ... Vegetables. ... Avocado. ... Herbs and Seasonings. ... Nopalitos or Cactus Pads.

What makes rice and beans taste better?

By using aromatics like onions, garlic, bay leaves, and spices , you can add extra flavor to your beans.

How can I spice up my beans?

You can add crushed whole seeds (coriander, cumin, fennel, mustard, etc.), woodsy herbs (thyme, oregano, rosemary, sage), red pepper flakes, crushed garlic cloves, and of course salt and pepper .

How can I make my beans more flavorful?

Add Aromatics (and Some Salt) We're talking onions, shallots, garlic, and chiles. Or maybe some fresh herbs like rosemary, sage, bay leaves, and thyme. This is where the flavor really starts to build. Salt the liquid again (lightly) after about an hour of simmering.

Why do restaurant beans taste better?

While lard has been replaced with vegetable oil or shortening in many households, the distinct richness and velvety texture it imparts to a skillet of refried beans is hard to beat . The closest substitute for lard is bacon grease, which is another form of rendered pork fat that's arguably even more flavorful.

How to dress up rice and beans?

"I recommend adding a fresh mango avocado salsa made with red onion, cilantro, jalapeño, lime juice, and a pinch of salt to brighten up the dish. Because the beans and rice have so much earthiness, the fruit and acidity will lighten the plate. A margarita is always great, as well."

What are the healthiest beans to eat with rice?

Colorful beans—such as black, red kidney, pinto, or black-eyed peas (the types most commonly cooked with rice)—are also packed with antioxidants. These compounds protect against the kind of cell damage that may lead to heart disease, cancer, and other chronic diseases.

What is the 555 rice method?

Finally, Cho uses the “10-5-5 rule.” That means bringing the rice to medium-high heat for 10 minutes, followed by low heat for 5 minutes, then he turns the heat off to let the rice steam for 5 minutes . And your perfect rice is complete!

Why do Filipinos wash their rice?

Traditionally rice was washed to rinse off dust, insects, little stones and bits of husk left from the rice hulling process .

How do you dress up rice and beans?

"I recommend adding a fresh mango avocado salsa made with red onion, cilantro, jalapeño, lime juice, and a pinch of salt to brighten up the dish. Because the beans and rice have so much earthiness, the fruit and acidity will lighten the plate. A margarita is always great, as well."

How to level up beans and rice?

Scoop beans on top of rice, and top with diced avocado. Squirt with more lime juice, and top with fresh cilantro and ground black pepper .

Do you season beans before or after cooking?

There's a myth out regarding beans and salt — specifically, that you should never salt your beans before cooking because the salt keeps them from cooking through. That's just not true. You can add salt to your bean pot at the beginning of cooking , and your beans will be better seasoned for it.

How do you get the most flavor out of beans?

Bump up the flavor with tomato paste Remember your old friend tomato paste? It's great to add into beans. Throw in a dollop or two to the aromatics once they've cooked, and sauté in the hot fat for a minute or two, just to cook out the tinny flavor. Harissa paste also works nicely for this.

5 Chefs on How They'd Spice Up Weeknight Rice and Beans (2024)

Rice and beans: It’s the weeknight, budget-friendly, bulk-bin staple meal that even the most timid home cook can attempt with a certain level of confidence. Rice and beans is there for us when budgets are tight and pantries are bare, and it’s even a nutritionally complete meal. But rice and beans can get a little boring, even when we lean on egregious amounts of hot sauce to spice things up. So we’ve turned to a few chefs, asking their advice on how to keep our rice-and-bean dinners from driving us towards insanity, or boredom, or takeout.

Ashley Christensen, Poole’s Diner, Death & Taxes, and more

Michael Solomonov, Zahav

"Definitely fermented harif, which is the hebrew word for harissa that literally means "spicy." Harif brings that good punch of heat, making it the perfect compliment to dishes that are more mild in flavor—like a dish of rice and beans. Harif is a combination of some of my favorite spices that are essential to my cooking. It’s a blend of sharp and peppery coriander, caraway, and cumin. Fermenting the harif actually brings out the garlic notes, which makes it even more delicious. At Zahav, we coat our eggplant in harif before it's grilled al ha'esh. The smoke from the coals combined with the nuances of spicy harif tastes to me, like Israel."

Amanda Cohen, Dirt Candy

Blend up a gremolata.

"I’d make some sort of gremolata, some sort of parsley-garlic-chili pepper thing. Just really fast easy get it in the blender or the food processor or just pour it on top. Because it’s rice and beans, you need something peppy in there. I’d probably add a lot of Thai green chile peppers. So I’d cut some of those, add olive oil, and then because it’s so green, instead of lemon I would actually do lime. And then really whatever herbs we have—I love cilantro and parsley. We don’t do a lot of rice at the restaurant, but it’s what we eat a lot for family meal!"

5 Chefs on How They'd Spice Up Weeknight Rice and Beans (2024)

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