by Mona Gallagher

Created on: July 10, 2008

I discovered this delightful rice and bean dish on a business trip to Puerto Rico in 1995. I've modified the recipe slightly, but the sofrito is the unique ingredient that gives the dish a distinct Puerto Rican flavor. Although the beans (habichuelas) are pink at the start, they turn red after cooking.

I use canned beans, but if you prefer, you can purchase and cook the beans from scratch. Ingredients may be found in the Hispanic section of your grocer.

2 cans of habichuelas (pink beans)
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 rounded tablespoons of sofrito
1 packet of Sazon seasoning
1 half can of tomato sauce
1 half cup of water
Salt and pepper to taste

3 1/2 cups of cooked rice cooked separately.

Directions:

Combine all the ingredients, except the rice, in a medium cooking pot, bring to a boil, and turn down the heat. Allow beans to simmer for 45 minutes. While the beans are cooking, prepare the rice and hold on the side until the beans are cooked.

Serve the beans over rice.

Preparation time is 5 minutes and cooking time is 45 minutes. Serves 6.

Optional: some people add cubed beef to the dish for an extra satisfying main meal. If you choose this meal, brown a quarter pound of beef cubes in the olive oil before adding the other ingredients. You can also add potatoes for variation.

You can substitute beans, but for an authentic taste, use the habichuelas.

In Puerto Rico the rice is packed into small oval bowls and when the rice is served it retains its oval shape. The beans are in individual bowls and have a rich thick sauce. When served over the rice, they produce a wonderful mouth pleasing taste bouquet. This meal is economical, low fat, heart healthy, and almost foolproof to make.

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