island rice and beans (gf, df, v)
Thank you so much for your lovely support on our good news. We are really thrilled and continue to keep our fingers crossed that all goes well.
Cooking has been hit and miss this first trimester, as is common with pregnancy. You may have noticed a lack in new recipes, and Michael can tell you, there haven’t been nearly as many new culinary adventures during the last several weeks as there usually are.
Luckily, my appetite is starting to come back and I can look at cookbooks and blogs again!
During my birthday weekend, Michael took me on a fun trip out of town that was filled with shopping at kitchen and home stores and a LOT of good eating. One of our favorite places to eat for lunch is a place called Rumbi Island Grill and it was a big treat to eat there for the first time since we moved (we don’t have one close by anymore). The food is really fresh-tasting and isn’t too heavy for the most part. I usually get one of their amazing salads (chock full of goodies) and Michael is a big fan of their rice bowls.
Our favorite rice bowl–the Jamaican jerk rice bowl–has small diced chicken, lots of veggies, Jamaican jerk sauce on the side, and Rumbi rice.
Oh…the rice.
Rumbi rice has a subtle coconut flavor and is mixed with kidney beans. It’s delicious! We decided after our weekend away that we needed to figure out how to make these rice bowls at home.
While I in NO WAY claim to have found a spot-on copycat recipe, I think that this coconut island rice with beans comes close enough to satisfy the craving in between visits. It’s a great base for rice bowls.
Island Rice and Beans
Ingredients
- 2c white rice, uncooked
- 3c water
- 1c lite coconut milk
- 1/4tsp salt
- 1 (14.5oz) can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
Instructions
- In a large saucepan, combine rice, water, coconut milk, and salt. Stir to combine. Cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. When the rice reaches a boil, reduce heat to low and allow to cook until all liquid is absorbed and rice is tender (15-30 minutes, depending on your rice). Stir in kidney beans. Taste and add additional salt if necessary.
- Makes 4-5c rice.
I’ve never added coconut milk to rice, but I bet it tastes fantastic! Again, congratulations on your little bun in the oven, and thanks for sharing such a simple recipe!
I love making hot coconut rice with mangoes and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Yummmmmmmmm! Kidney beans are a little more healthy, I’m sure 🙂