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Menu Plan for Spring II: Week 2, Tuesday

Cuban Beef and Black Beans
Brown Rice

Cooking time:   35 minutes for menu     Cooking schedule: see below for instructions

     I used red beans... Because I can't find black beans.  When we lived in the US, I always used black.  As usual, make this as hot as you like, add hot sauce to taste.

Cuban Beef and Beans

Total time: 35 minutes
     Red beans and rice have gotten to be a popular item, recently. I added a bit of beef for a full dinner. Make it as hot or not as suits you. Use black beans or red kidney beans.

 Ingredients:

• 1 onion
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/2 green pepper
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 15oz (450gr) whole tomatoes
• 12oz ground beef (360gr mince)
• 15oz (450gr) black beans or red beans
• 1 tbs Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbs Balsamic vinegar
• 4oz (120gr) green chiles
• 1 tbs chili powder
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 bay leaf (laurel)
• anything else you would like to add to make it hotter - jalapeños, banana peppers?
• Brown Rice:
• 1/2 cup (3.3oz, 95gr) brown rice, quick-cooking
• 1 cup (8oz, 240ml) beef stock

 Ingredients:

• Chop onion and pepper.  
• Finely chop garlic. 
• Drain tomatoes, reserving juices, and roughly chop. 
• Drain and rinse beans. 
• Heat oil in large, nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Add chili powder and sauté 1 minute. 
• Add onions, pepper, garlic and sauté 7 - 8 minutes. 
• Add beef and sauté, breaking it up as it browns. 
• Add tomatoes, juices, beans, Worcestershire, vinegar and herbs. 
• Cover and simmer 15 minutes. 
• Drain green chilies, chop if whole.  Add to skillet, simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes longer. 
• Taste, adjust heat, remove bay leaf and serve over rice.
• Brown Rice:
• Cook rice according to package instructions.

Cooking schedule: 35 minutes Assemble all food, utensils and serving dishes Utensils : measuring cups, spoons, knives, large skillet with lid, small saucepan with lid Chop onion, pepper Mince garlic Sauté chili powder Add onion, pepper, garlic, sauté Start to cook rice Open and drain tomatoes, reserve juices

Roughly chop tomatoes Add beef to skillet, brown, breaking up Open, drain, rinse beans Add tomatoes, juices, beans, et all, to skillet Cover and simmer      10 minute break Drain chilies, chop if needed Add chilies to skillet, simmer, uncovered Fluff rice Serve

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Need help planning dinner?  Do you have a garden?   A CSA for fresh veggies?

Try our Weekly Menu Plans: Healthy Gourmet Dinners;  Quick, Easy Recipes.
Each week carefully planned to reduce waste and use a lots of fresh, seasonal veggies. 

By Katie Zeller

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