Black Beans and Rice!

After many requests for recipes after posting pictures of a WONDERFUL (and carb-tastic) dinner, I decided to share :) This was from the Betty Crocker Vegetarian book and can also be found online, but here it is again (with a couple additional suggestions).  Enjoy!!

What you need:

1 lb dried black beans, sorted and rinsed
1 large onion, chopped (I like red onions for this)
1 large bell pepper chopped (again, red is my favorite color!)
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 dried bay leaves
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
5 cups water
2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
4 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons (or one small) chopped jalapeno
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups hot cooked rice

What to do:

Combine all ingredients except for the rice into a slow cooker.  Cook on high heat 6-7 hours (Mine were perfectly cooked in 6).  Serve over hot cooked rice.  A couple of little things I added that made it even better: I sprinkled some Tony Chachere's cajun seasoning over the rice before serving the beans on top.  This gave the rice its own little kick :)  I also topped the whole thing off with a little chopped cilantro, which made the dish pretty and added a wonderful flavor.  This is the closest I have been able to get to replicating the fabulous rice and beans I had in Central America, and it's super easy and quick! For those of us on a budget, this whole crock pot of beans cost less than $4, and it definitely feeds a LOT of people.  I hope you enjoy this as much as Michael and I did... Happy cooking!