Joy's Gluten-Free Vegan Beans N' Rice

I got the idea for this dish while watching the Food Network, except their version had pork products and some other unnecessaries, so I figured this meat-free version out on my own. It's a great cold weather meal because it has the comfort factor, but you can really eat it any time. To me, it's kind of a member of the chili family.

What You Will Need
1 medium sweet onion

1 medium green bell pepper       
2 cans of red kidney beans
1 can of black beans
4 cups of vegetable stock
Cayenne Pepper (a pinch, or if you like it spicy, more than a pinch)
Paprika (1 tbsp.)
Cumin (2 tbsp)
Chili Powder (2 tbsp)
Oregano (2 tbsp)
Black Pepper (1 tsp.)
Salt to taste

Brown rice or any rice of your choice



To start, heat about 2 tbsp. of olive oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Dice your onion and green pepper and add them into your hot olive oil. Season them lightly with salt and pepper and let them cook until they are soft and slightly browned.

Next, add in the 4 cups of vegetable stock and all of the seasonings. Add in the three cans of beans, but don't drain them, as the liquid in the can helps to thicken the finished product.

Bring everything to a boil and let it reduce for about 30 minutes.

After the 30 minutes has passed, reduce the heat to low. At this point, you'll want to mash about 1/4 of the beans to further thicken the mixture. I used to do it with a fork, but having discovered the wonders of the hand blender, that is now my preferred method. You could also put the beans into a blender or food processor and then add them back into the rest of the sauce.

Stir everything until the mashed beans are incorporated and the mixture is thicker. If you want it thicker still, you can bring it back up to a boil and reduce it further, but the beans should have the consistency of a thick gravy.

Finally, serve it over the rice of your choice and enjoy! We typically use long grain brown rice and just cook it plain in our rice cooker, but you can by all means use whatever kind of rice you prefer. Just follow the directions on the bag or box and eat it along side your Beans N' Rice.

And if you have left-overs, they can be used in tomorrow night's dinner: Tortilla Casserole!