Mexican Rice & Black Beans

This is one of my favorite Mexican side dishes!  It is spicy, garlicy and very flavorful.  I made Chipotle Shrimp Tacos for my family the other night and it was the perfect complement to them.  If you're a vegetarian, you can serve this as a main dish.  A word of caution:  A little bit goes a long way - it is very filling!  

Ingredients:
Adapted from Fine Cooking

• 1 c uncooked instant rice 
• 1 1/2 c water, divided 
• 2 tbsp olive oil 
• 3 large cloves garlic, minced 
• 1 tbsp green chilies, minced
• 1 (14 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained 
• 2 tsp sea salt 
• 2 tsp ground cumin 
• 1 tsp chili powder 
• 1/4 c fresh cilantro, minced 
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano 
• 1 (14 oz) can fired roasted diced tomatoes, undrained

Directions:

In a medium sauce pan, bring 1 c of the water to a boil.  Stir in the rice, cover and remove it from the heat.  Allow it to sit until the rice is tender and all of the water is absorbed, about 5 minutes.  Set aside until ready to use. 

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the garlic and green chilies.  Cook until the garlic just starts to brown, about 1 minute.   Stir in the black beans and sprinkle with the salt, cumin, chili powder, cilantro and oregano.  Add the tomatoes and 1/2 c of the water.  Bring the mixture to a boil and turn the heat down to medium.  

Add the rice to the contents of the skillet and stir well to combine.  Continue to cook and stir until the beans and rice absorb most of the liquid, about 5 minutes.

Garnish with cilantro and enjoy!