Arroz com Feijão (aka Rice and Beans)

A Brasilian Staple

For Beans:

-3 cups dry beans (pinto or black beans)

-water (as needed)

-2 bay leaves

-3-5 cloves of garlic, depending how much garlic you like (minced)

-1 medium onion (chopped)

-optional 1 smoked sausage, such as smoked turkey or kielbasa (chopped) or 3-4 slices thick bacon (chopped)

-salt

-3 tablespoons olive oil

For Rice:

-3 cups white rice (you can substitute brown rice but, the cooking time is longer at 40-45 minutes)

-6 cups water ( 9 cups water is needed for brown rice)

-2 tablespoons olive oil

-optional 2 cloves garlic (minced)

-optional 1/2 medium onion (chopped) optional

Sort through the beans for pebbles and other foreign materials and rinse them. Soak the beans overnight(cover them with water) in a pot.

Cook them the next day with the same water, bay leaf and an additional couple of inches of water(add more water if the beans have absorbed all the water). Bring to a boil then cook on medium heat for about an hour, until beans are tender) with a covered lid for most of the cooking. Remove the lid for the last 15-20 minutes but make sure it doesn't dry out by covering them if you think there might not be enough liquid.

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While the beans cook:

Make the rice. Heat the olive oil in a pan. Saute the onion for 5 minutes then add the garlic for another 5 minutes on medium heat. Add the rice and stir to coat with the oil, onions and garlic. Add the water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and put the lid on the pan. Cook for approximately 20 minutes. Turn off the fire and let stand covered for 5-10 minutes.

Make the "tempero" (Portuguese for seasoning) for the beans. Saute the onions and bacon (optional) or sausage (optional) with a couple of pinches of salt in the olive oil. Saute for 10 minutes then add the garlic for another 5 minutes on medium heat. Add a cup of the cooked beans into the seasoning saute mix, and smash the beans and liquid forming a paste with the softened onions, garlic and sausage/bacon. Stir this mixture into the beans to thicken the liquid. Cook under low-medium heat for another 10 minutes. Taste and add more salt to the cooked beans if necessary. Serve with the rice.

You could add a fried egg, a piece of chicken, beef or fish and your favorite vegetable to complete this traditional Brasilian meal. Variations of this meal are eaten on a daily basis throughout the country. And yes, Brasil is spelled with an S.