Prepare rice, using coconut milk for the bulk of your liquid, and then a small amount of water, if needed, to balance the proportions for desired amount of rice. The end result is rice that’s wonderfully rich and flavorful, and that doesn’t need to be re-heated to work as leftovers. So next time I’d use 2 cans coconut milk and the appropriate portion of rice (~2-1/2 c.) instead of the just 1-1.4 c. of rice we cooked with 1 can. Give me coconut rice!Plantains: Heat oil (~1/4” deep) in a large sauté pan or saucepan, and place plantain coins in heated oil. The recipe that inspired this estimated that each side should be cooked about 3-4 min., and we think this estimate was pretty right on. Best to not add plantain slices gradually, but in quick succession, so you can time it and turn them all at about the same time (rather than playing guessing games about which ones are ready). If it’s been long enough, the side in oil will have browned to a nice caramelized look. They should cook long enough to be soft, almost creamy in texture.
Heat black beans, preserving the sauce (plantains are wonderful drizzled with sauce).
Salsa: The recipe we loosely followed called for quickly pureeing ingredients in a blender, but we prefer chunky salsa… and have no love for cleaning more accessories than necessary, so just gave all the ingredients a good chopping, then mixed together with a spoon.
Items can be arranged separately on plates, or mixed together for a yummy rice salad.
Sustenance
- rice
- 3+ ripe plantains, peeled and sliced into generous 1/4″ thick coins
- oil (we used grapeseed, dressed up with a splash of peanut oil)
- basmati rice (3 standard rice-cooker cups)
- 1-2 thirteen-ounce cans of coconut milk (depending on rice quantity)
- 1 can black beans, perhaps heated up with garlic, or salt, or onions, or epazote?
Salsa
- 2 mangos
- 1-2 jalapeno or serrano pepper(s), seeded and chopped
- 1+ clove garlic, sliced
- ½+ of a red onion, finely diced
- 1 handful cilantro
- 1 ripe avocado, sliced
- lime juice
- salt