Mexican Tomato Rice and Beans- Sandra Myers

Ingredients:
1 cup of white rice
2 cups of water
1 15 oz can of diced tomatoes
1-2 tsp olive oil
5-6 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped finely
1 15 oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp oregano
Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
1/4 cup of fresh cilantro, chopped finely

Directions:

Bring the water to boil in a large sauce pan over medium high heat, add the rice, cover with lid and simmer on low for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for another 5 minutes.
While the rice steams, set a fine sieve in a large measuring cup and drain the tomatoes. Add enough water to the tomato juice to equal 1 cup. Chop the tomatoes very finely.
Heat the olive oil a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and jalapeno to the skillet and sauté for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add the black beans, cumin, chili powder, oregano, sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Stir in the tomato juice mixture and bring to a boil. Adjust the heat to maintain a gentle boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until the beans absorb much of the liquid, 5-7 minutes. Add the tomatoes, cilantro and cooked rice then cook, stirring occasionally, until the rice is warm, 1-2 minutes. Serve immediately. Enjoy.