Heavenly Blossoms: Let's Make Puerto Rican Food: Arroz con Habichuelas (Rice and Beans) Tutorial

Bear with me guys, I am making

MY version of....

ARROZ CON HABICHUELAS!

aka

RICE with BEANS!

WITH RIBS ON THE SIDE!

I am no Daisy Martinez, nor am I my own mother, but I have to say its pretty darn YUMMY.

Its the way I like it, flavor texture, and then some!

It's always easier to take all the ingredients you need at the same time! (mise en place)

Thanks Rachael Ray!

(Pictured above: Adobo - without pepper, Sofrito, Apple Cider Vingar, EVOO, chopped garlic and country style ribs!)

In a small bowl or container, mix about one tablespoon each of the garlic, sofrito and about three tablespoons of EVOO. Add a splash of Apple Cider Vinegar to that. and just enough adobo so that you can smell it!

Just like Bob Marley says, "STIR IT UP!"

and throw it in the ziploc with the rib(s) and leave in the fridge to marinate for AT LEAST a half hour!

After marinating, set your oven to 350. Place the ribs on a foiled pan (easy clean-up) and slide those babies in for about 1 and a half hour or until nicely browned!This all depends on how much you put in the oven! Follow usual guidelines!!! I'm just telling you what works for me :)

Ok here I put the oil in and I eyeball it so I already know how much I need.

HOWEVER

for those first-timers out there, what you are shooting for is glossy rice! Yes, when you first put the rice into the oil there should be enough oil so that not a single dry grain is found!!! This is a little more tricky when the rice is the last ingredient to go in.

SOOOO

with that said, I suggest you practice making white rice first to get better acquainted! Now that I think about it I will make that a blog post for you all!

The above picture is for 2 cups of rice!

Ingredients for the rice and beans are as follows:

Goya Sazon (1 packet some use less some use more depending on how much rice is made (again I had 2-3 cups).
one 8oz can of tomato sauce,
adobo to sprinkle in some sabor (flavor),
some cumin (a dash or two),
two bay leaves,
some salt(leave for later)
some manzanilla olives (pitted olives with pimiento inside chillin in some brine!)
One can of pink kidney beans!
I USE: Canilla Long Grain white rice (2 cups in this recipe)

when the oil warms up throw in a tsp and a half of sofrito and garlic!

add the sazon

add the sazon, tomate sauce, beans and one can of water, THEN add enough HOT water for the two finger test....

1.add water

2. stir to settle the rice

3. dip handle of wooden spoon straight into the water STOPPING AS SOON as you touch rice! (DO NOT GO THROUGH THE RICE) then..

4. pull it out and match the water level to two fingers (index and middle side by side) (kinda like an oil check)

5. adjust water accordingly (its always better to add too little than too much!)

This little trick ensures that your rice is the perfect texture every time (not too mushy, not to hard) I like it on the mushier side so I tend to add a BIT more water.

stir baby stir

and add the olives (optional)

Bring up to a boil, leave uncovered, do ONE taste test for seasoning and salt.

Dont add too much salt because when the water evaporates it may be too salty!

Its hard to tell between these two pictures but when the water evaporates you will see these little funnels where the bubbles come out and when the water level is flush with the rice it is time for the next step!