Mexican Beans and Rice

I love this one for a meat free night- it's filling but very easy on the budget and the belly! It also makes a decent recipe for building your three month food storage on, considering you will make your own tortillas and substitute frozen corn with canned, fresh cilantro with dried.

Ingredients:

1 lb bag pinto beans

1/4 Medium onion- un-chopped

2 whole garlic cloves

1 1/2 tsp canola oil

1 T finely chopped onion

1 C uncooked long grain rice or calrose rice(available in the Asian section)

1/2 tsp Salt

2/3 C frozen corn, thawed

1/4 C fresh cilantro, chopped

1/2 C tomato sauce

2 C water

12 Corn or taco size tortillas

sour cream

fresh salsa

Directions:

*Rinse beans well and soak over night. Drain and discard water

Put the drained beans in a soup pot ans add fresh water to cover pot about 2 inches. Add the whole 1/4 onion and whole garlic cloves to the pot. Bring to full boil and then reduce, simmer 3 hours. ( I have also put this in my small crock pot half the day when I know I am not going to be home to watch the stove all day long- easier

*Check to make sure beans are always covered with water through.

*Remove onion and garlic after beans are cooked, season generously with salt

*About 40 minutes until serving time, heat oil in saucepan over med heat ans cook the 1T chopped onion until soft. Add rice and stir for a min. Add the alt, corn, cilantro, tomato sauce and water and bring to a boil, decrease heat and sinner 15-20 min. or until rice is fully cooked

warm up tortillas over stove- We love the corn tortillas brushed with olive oil and fried in the pan until a little crunchy.

*Serve beans and rice in separate bowl and pass the tortillas around with the salsa and sour cream.