I did used canned beans instead of dried, which made the meal a lot faster. And due to the tiny size of my rice maker, I cut the recipe down a bit, added garlic to the mix, and used the following proportions:
* 1/4 cup olive oil
* 1/4 onion, diced
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 2 cups rice
* 1 can of black beans
* 3 cups water
* dash of salt
Juanito had a blast helping me cut the onions and add all the ingredients to the pot. And since the meal cooked in the rice maker, it was so easy!
And then I made salsa to go with it! My mum's garden is producing a ton of jalapeños and Eric loves salsa, so I thought it would go perfectly. If you don't have a good salsa recipe, here's the one I use:
* 4 cans diced tomatoes, drain the water and then process the tomatoes briefly for smaller pieces
* 8 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 sweet onion, minced
* 4-6 jalapeños, minced
* 1/2 bunch of cilantro, chopped
* juice of 2 limes
* salt & pepper to taste
Rosie and Juanito are big fans of helping with the cilantro and tearing it up… although I suspect most of it is eaten and not placed in the salsa!
We then topped our rice and beans with feta and salsa! You could also top it with sour cream and/or cheddar cheese. Our whole family loved it and this is going to become a favorite last minute meal.
Now I'm off to write to Julissa about our Nicaraguan meal night! I can't wait to hear what she thinks. If you have older kids and would like to get more involved, here are some ideas:
* Nicaraguan flag and country coloring page
* Individualized coloring page
* Time for Kids: Nicaragua
Previous Recipes
* Colombian Rice Pudding
* Indonesian Pisang Goreng
* Brazilian Baiao De Dois
* Dominican Arepa
* Quinoa P'Esque & Buñuelos
About Hannah Hinojosa...Hannah is a long time Compassion sponsor and writes about her sponsorship journey at Because of Shamim. In addition to being a wife and mother, she is a part-time math professor and loves to read.
