Spanish Rice and Beans (Instant Pot)

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 Tbl. avocado oil or olive oil
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 yellow, green, or red pepper diced
  • 1 jalapeño, diced (optional)
  • 1 tsp. minced garlic
  • 2 cups short grain brown rice rinsed well and drained
  • 1 cup dried red beans, pinto beans, or black beans
  • 5  cups water and/or unsalted vegetable/chicken stock
  • 1 cup salsa
  • 1 Tbl. taco seasoning
  • cheese, sour cream, cilantro for serving

Directions:

  1. Turn Instant Pot to sauté mode on high and allow to heat. 
  2. Once heated, add oil, onions, and peppers and sauté for 2-3 minutes until just beginning to soften up. Add in garlic and sauté for 1 minute longer. Turn Instant Pot to OFF.
  3. Add in stock and be sure to scrape up any browned bits off bottom of inner pot.
  4. Add in beans and stir. Then add rice and gently push down with spoon to just submerge rice. DO NOT STIR! Put lid on Instant Pot. Cancel sauté function and set to high pressure on manual (or pressure cook function) and set timer for 24 minutes. 
  5. Let pressure release naturally, open lid and use a fork to fluff the rice. Stir in taco seasoning and salsa. Place lid back on pressure cooker to let ingredients warm through. Serve with desired toppings. 

Dehydrate:

  1. Spread cooked rice and beans on dehydrator trays covered with non-stick sheets, parchment paper or the liners that came with your unit.
  2. Dry the rice at 125° for approximately 5 hours. Dehydrating rice times vary with dehydrator models and humidity.
  3. Once or twice through the drying process, break up any rice that is stuck together. It’s not a problem if some rice remains stuck together since it will separate when you cook it. Rice will be hard when properly dried.

Yield: Serves 8 (weight 1 dehydrated serving = 1 ounces)

Rehydrate:

  1. Combine rice and 2/3 cup water in pot.
  2. Cover and soak for five minutes.
  3. Light stove, bring to a boil and cook for one 1 minute.
  4. Rest for 10 minutes.

Freezer bag method:

  1. Place freezer bag in cozy.
  2. Boil water.
  3. Pour water in bag to cover food.
  4. Zip bag.
  5. Set 15 minutes.
  6. Open bag carefully.
  7. Serve.

Calories: 259