Black Beans and Dirty Green Rice

I tried coming up with a simpler, more benign sounding name for this dish, such as “Jade Rice,” but in the end, I thought “Black Beans and Dirty Green Rice” was much more fun. And by addressing the fact that it does look like dirty green rice from the get go, I can say to my dinner guests, “well, what did you EXPECT it to look like?” The avocado adds a creamy texture to the rice while providing healthy monounsaturated fats and fiber. The brown rice, spinach, and black beans add B vitamins, especially folate, making this dish one of the tastiest vitamin pills you will ever eat.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup raw spinach leaves
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• ½ cup water
• 1 cup long grain brown rice
• 15-oz can (3/4 cup) black beans, rinsed
• 4 green onions, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, pressed
• 1-2 teaspoons olive oil
• ½ ripe avocado
• ½ teaspoon chili powder

In a blender, mix the spinach, broth, and water to make a slurry. Add the rice to the liquid, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Although the rice may take 40-50 minutes to cook, check after 30 minutes to make sure rice is not burning. Remove rice from heat and let stand uncovered for about five minutes.

In a small frying pan, sauté the onions and garlic until slightly brown. Set aside.

Smash avocado with the back of a fork or a potato masher until smooth. Stir avocado, onions, garlic, and chili powder into rice with a fork until just blended. Add black beans and stir gently.