Somehow it’s almost been a year since my husband and I went on our honeymoon in Brazil. We’d actually planned our wedding date around the World Cup, making sure we got married in late May so that we could head down to the tournament in June. We started in cosmopolitan Rio and ended in a beautiful beach town, but in between we made a stop off the beaten path to the Pantanal, Brazil’s wetlands. The Pantanal is home to an amazing array of wildlife and beautiful scenery, but it’s certainly not your typical honeymoon spot. We were constantly surrounded by caiman (a kind of crocodile) and capybaras (the largest rodents in the world…) and seemed to go through a bottle of bug spray every day. Despite feeling like I was on a camping trip rather than a glamorous honeymoon, it turned out to be a lot of fun. And although the food was the most basic we had on the honeymoon, I ended up falling in love with the amazing simplicity of one dish: rice and beans. Its the kind of dish that everyone – vegetarians and meat-eaters alike – should have in their repertoire. This version, in which the beans are spiced with chipotle peppers and the rice is sweetened with coconut milk, is now my favorite way to have it.
This dish owes a lot to canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. Have you used them before? Equal parts spicy, sweet and smoky, it adds such incredible flavor to the beans in this dish. The spicy beans are tempered by the sweet rice and creamy avocado, and some fresh cilantro brightens everything up. With just a bit of chopping and some can-opening, you’ve got a filling and healthy meal on your hands.
I love using red kidney beans and pinto beans for a nice contrast in color, but feel free to use whatever you have on hand. The same goes for your choice of grain: I personally enjoy brown rice with the beans, but any sort of grain would be delicious. If you’re willing to peel fresh tomatoes, great – but if not, simply buy canned tomatoes. Really, this recipe is more of a blueprint that welcomes experimentation.
- For the rice:
- 1 cup brown rice
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 1 cup water
- Pinch salt
- For the beans:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or coconut oil
- 1 red onion, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 4 medium tomatoes, peeled and roughly chopped (or 1 15 oz. can of peeled tomatoes, roughly chopped)
- 1 15 oz. can red kidney beans
- 1 15 oz. can pinto beans
- 1-2 slices of chipotle pepper from a can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce + 1-2 teaspoons of the sauce (depending on your spice tolerance)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 avocado, sliced
- About 4 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
- Combine the rice, coconut milk, water and salt in a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until all of the liquid is absorbed.
- In the meantime, sautee the onion in the oil in a pot over medium heat. Cook for about five minutes, then add the garlic and tomatoes. Cook for about ten more minutes, or until the tomatoes are starting to soften and fall apart. Smash the tomatoes with the back of a spoon to break them up.
- Add the beans, chipotle pepper, adobo sauce and salt, starting with a small amount of pepper and sauce and then tasting the spice level. Add more until you have reached your desired level of spice. Cook for about 10 more minutes, until the beans are heated through and the tomatoes have become a sauce.
- Serve the rice and beans together with the avocado slices and fresh cilantro. Serve immediately.
That is so cool that you made sure you would be in Brazil during the World Cup! Brian is an avid soccer player and he would have loved to have been there. I’ve always wanted to get to that country, maybe someday.
Such a great idea to use coconut milk when making the rice. And I am a big fan of canned chiles in adobo as well. I have a Smoky Kabocha Squash Soup in the cookbook that uses them and I’ve made it countless times. They give such deep flavor! xo
Amanda, I think you would love Brazil! It’s such a fascinating and diverse country. And I highly recommend going to a World Cup – it’s so fun to be with soccer fans from around the world. Maybe you guys can go to the next one! And your smoky kabocha squash soup sounds amazing – I am sure the creamy squash would go so well with the chipotle.
This is another case where I count myself lucky to have been a taste tester. You’re so right that the adobo sauce was the star of the show. What a great way to add flavor! It was a delicious reminder that where there’s smoke, there’s fire. The coconut milk in the rice gave it a very pleasant offset, too.
I’m glad you’re an adobo fan! We’ll have to figure out a way to use the rest of the can. And I am happy to hear that you still enjoy your role as a taste tester!
It’s the simplest meals that get me really excited, and this just happens to be one of them! Two things I love and use all the time – chipotle in adobo and coconut rice. But I haven’t thought to pair the two. I will definitely be making this in the next week or so and will report back. Lovely, lovely meal. 🙂
I am right there with you on the excitement of simple meals – I love finding recipes that are easy enough yet delicious enough to become staples. It’s a fun challenge! I’m so glad you’re an adobo and coconut rice fan too. I can’t wait to hear what you think of the dish!
Loved how this meal turned out. Delicious, smoky, spicy, sweet and creamy all in one go. Thanks for the wonderful recipe Julia!
I’m really excited to hear that, Katie! It’s always so fun to hear when someone enjoyed your recipe.
What an adventurous honeymoon! I’d be more excited about seeing all the wild life in the Pantanal.. (save the bugs and spray); what a unique experience and probably once in a lifetime! Wow, Julia! Happy anniversary to you two, too! You blinked and it was here?! Right?
Love this recipe! I keep my pantry stocked with chipotle in adobo sauce! It is absolutely, hands down, a most versatile ingredient! I whip up a few cans in my food processor to make a paste, then freeze most of that and keep the rest in the fridge for chilis, veg burgers, salsas and things like this, beans!! Rob loves beans and rice, and I make it pretty regularly, but I’ve not tried a coconut milk/rice combo with beans. This sounds absolutely delicious! And it’s quick too… perfect for a weeknight! Thank you for this, Julia! Have a beautiful weekend! Oh, and I’m wondering about your taste tester. He always leaves very thoughtful comments…. 😀
Oh yeah, it was definitely an adventurous and unique honeymoon! I really can’t believe it was a year ago…you’re right, it all goes by in the blink of an eye. I’m so glad you’re an adobo fan too! I love your idea to make a paste and freeze it – I’m definitely going to do that. Oh, and that mysterious taste tester who always leaves comments is my dad! I cook for my parents quite often, and they are always willing to try my new creations 🙂
What an adventurous honeymoon you had, Julia – good for you – what a great memory. I’m a huge rice and beans fan – so simple but you can dress them up so many ways. Looking forward to trying your version!
Hi Geraldine! Yes, it definitely was an adventurous trip that we’ll never forget. I’m glad you’re a fan of beans and rice, too. I think you’ll like the coconut rice quite a bit, since it provides a nice sweet contrast!
Happy Anniversary Julia… that does sound like quite a bit of nature for a honeymoon 😉 but also inspiring and definitely memorable. Do either you or your husband play soccer? (our eldest is heavily into soccer — such a great sport!). Food does not have to be complicated to be extraordinary. I know exactly what you mean about falling in love with the simplicity of a dish and yes, rice and beans is (another) match made in heaven [insert heart :)]. I love the medley of flavors in this dish — the coolness of the coconut contrasting the heat of the smokey chipotle and the freshness of the avocado in tandem with the delightful cilantro. Beautiful!
It’s exciting to hear that you’re a soccer fan too, Kelly! Both my husband and I played growing up. He’s half Spanish and half Argentine – so soccer is in his blood! I’m sure you’re quite busy with all the soccer practices and games 😉
I’m so glad you like the flavors in this dish! I really loved the contrast too – sweet, spicy, creamy…the dish has it all!
I loved reading about your honeymoon (isn’t it absolutely crazy how quickly time passes?!). Recreating dishes from my own honeymoon always brings back lots of memories. I love adding special touches to simple dishes, and both the coconut milk in your rice and the adobo sauce in the beans sound so perfect. Love!
Thanks so much, Christine! I love elevating simple dishes too, especially in such easy ways like adding a bit of coconut milk. Isn’t it fun to make dishes from past trips? I love the challenge of trying to recreate it perfectly or adding my own twist.
Your honeymoon sounds absolutely perfect, totally my kind of holiday! I love love love the idea of pairing spicy beans with coconut rice. I’m going to try this next week, yummy!
Thanks, Emma! Yes, it was a wonderful honeymoon filled with so much adventure. I hope you enjoy the dish, let me know what you think of it!
Yummy!
Happy Anniversary, your honeymoon sounds so unique, I love it!
Thank you, Louise! It was definitely a unique honeymoon!