Smokey South Western Rice

Ease of preparation: Easy
Yields: 8 servings

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons of cooking oil – (30ml)
• 4 stripes of bacon cut into ¼ inch slivers
• 1 medium finely chopped onion
• 1 medium stemmed seeded and finely chopped green bell pepper
• 5 cloves of minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons of dried basil – (10ml)
• 2 teaspoons of fresh thyme – (10ml)
• Salt – to taste
• 1 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper – (5ml)
• 3 tablespoons of tomato paste – (45ml)
• ½ teaspoon of sugar – (2.5ml)
• 5 ½ cups of water (or more if needed) – (1375ml)
• 3 cups of long grained rice – (375ml)
• 2 tablespoons of fresh limejuice – (30ml)
• 1 cup of cooked Kidney Beans – (250ml)

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large heavy pot over a medium heat. Add bacon and cook until crispy. Add onion bell pepper, basil, thyme, salt, and teaspoon of black pepper and cook until onion is golden brown.
2. Stir in tomato paste and sugar and cook for approximately two more minutes.
3. Add water and bring to boil.
4. Reduce heat to low add rice and limejuice and cover and return to a boil. Cook approximately for 15 minutes or until rice is tender. If rice is uncooked and dry you may need to add a few tablespoons of water.
5. Stir in kidney beans during the last three minutes of cooking. Remove pot from heat and let stand for 5 minutes.
6. Just before serving fluff rice and beans with fork and correct seasoning, adding salt and or black pepper as needed.