Black Beans and Rice
(Moros y Cristianos)

Ingredients:


½ pounds of black beans
5 cups of water
1 bay leaf
½ italian pepper (in one piece)
olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 italian pepper diced
2 garlic cloves (minced)
½ teaspoon oregano
1 pound white rice
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 garlic cloves, unpeeled and crushed
4 tablespoons olive oil
Vinegar to taste


Preparation: Soak beans in water overnight. Then bring beans, bay leaf, and the piece of italian pepper to a full boil. Simmer until beans are soft. Strain and remove the pepper. Reserve the water (in necessary, add water to make 4 cups). In olive oil, sauté the onion, diced pepper, minced garlic and oregano until light brown. Add the uncooked rice and vinegar to the beans and water and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Reduce heat and cook covered until rice is soft. Sauté garlic in 4 tablespoons of olive oil until grown. Remove the garlic and add the oil to the rice and beans. If used for stuffing, let stand until cool.