Belizean Rice and Beans

For my honeymoon, I went to Belize. As a vegetarian, I appreciated that every restaurant offered this dish. Besides being a complete protein, it tastes amazing and is simple to make! This version of the dish is credited to Elvi's Kitchen in Ambergris Caye.

• Ready In: 1 hr 20 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1  cup dried kidney beans
• 5  cups water
• 2  tablespoons onions, finely chopped
• 1  garlic clove, minced
•  salt and pepper
• 1  pinch thyme
• 2  cups white rice
• 1  cup coconut milk
• 1  teaspoon olive oil (to saute onion and garlic)

Directions

1. Soak the beans overnight. Cook them in a pressure cooker (or stovetop if you have patience and time), with 5 cups of water. Make sure the beans are clean, because you will need to use the cooking water when you are done.
2. In a large pot or dutch oven, saute the onion and garlic. Add the cooked beans and bean water, salt and pepper, and a pinch of thyme. Add the rice and coconut milk. Cover and cook over a low flame until rice is done. Make sure to stir it occasionally.