Cuban Black Beans and Rice

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of black beans, soaked overnight
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 cups of white rice
• 3 cups of water
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp butter
• Fresh cilantro for garnish

Instructions:

1. In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook until translucent. Then add garlic and red pepper, cook for another 2 minutes.
2. Add the soaked black beans, cumin, smoked paprika, and bay leaf to the pot. Stir to combine everything together.
3. Pour in the broth and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for 1 ½ hours.
4. In the meantime, prepare the rice by rinsing it until the water runs clear. In a small pot, combine the rice, water, salt, and butter. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to the lowest setting and cover. Let it cook for 18 minutes, then turn off the heat and let it sit for another 5 minutes.
5. Once the beans are tender, remove the bay leaf and mash some of the beans against the side of the pot to thicken the mixture.
6. Serve the beans and rice together in a