Arroz Negrito... ¡Muy Delicioso!

I'm still on my Food Network binge, and last weekend I watched a few (OK, several) episodes of The Best Thing I Ever Ate.

Crazy fun! Nearly everything I watch on this network doesn't make me hungry as much as it gets me excited about cooking.

BUT.... one item did make me ravenous. One of the chefs talked about a Salvadoran burrito he ate weekly when he went to college in Amherst. The way he described it made me want to book a flight then and there (though the restaurant review I found was less than glowing... I trust the chef.)

After some googling, I figured out how to come close to the recipe. The filling is a variation on a Salvadoran dish called Arroz Negrito. It's also really similar to Gallo Pinto, if you've been to other Central American countries.

My variation is a one-pot dish that I made in my rice cooker! While the fixins were brewing in the cooker I then proceeded to make my own corn tortillas, which I profiled in an earlier blog. People, it was G-L-O-R-I-O-U-S. This would be easy to make in a big pot on the stove as well - once you get to the cooking part, just turn it on to low heat and cover it until the rice fluffs up. Enjoy.

ARROZ NEGRITO / GALLO PINTO / FAT TUMMY

Serves 4

1 cup of white or brown rice

1 tbsp of oil

1 onion, chopped

minced garlic - the more the merrier

1 can black beans - drain the liquid into a measuring cup

1 small can diced green chiles - drain off fluid and add to black bean liquid

1 chopped green pepper (leave in chunky pieces)

1 chopped zucchini

1 tsp of chicken or vegetable bouillon

1 tbsp diced cilantro

Salt to taste

Instructions:

Sauté the garlic and onion directly in the rice cooker by turning it to "cook." Continue till onion is slightly translucent.

Add rice, the bouillon, the rest of vegetables, cilantro and salt

Mix together until it all starts to clump together. At this point add the beans. Stir together.

Add enough water into measuring cup of bean & chile water until it makes 2 cups of water. Put this water into rice cooker. Stir well.

Cover and cook!

Serve warm and garnish with pico de gallo, salsa, sour cream, sliced avocado... use either as a filling for burritos or soft tacos, or just piping hot in a bowl!

Other possible vegetables to include:

1/2 can of diced tomatoes - use fluid from that to add to black bean water

corn kernels

diced cabbage

mushrooms

chard