Saffron Rice and Black Beans

On Saturday, T and I went to our first neighborhood party since we've moved.   One of the reasons we picked our neighborhood was because we already know several couples that live there.  As dorky as it sounds, I was so excited that we got an invite!  While we do know people there, I wasn't sure if they'd remember to add us to the invite list since we are so new.

The party was Mexican themed, and we were all asked to bring a Mexican side dish.  At first my mind went to the typical Mexican side dishes, Seven Layer Dip, Guacamole, Bean Dip, etc.  But I wanted to bring something that was a little bit different than the usual suspects.  I found a recipe for Saffron Rice and Black Beans that didn't call for too many ingredients, and went together pretty quickly.  T and I were painting ALL DAY Saturday, so I had very little time to prepare something.

Saffron Rice and Black Beans
(serves 4- I doubled the recipe for the party)

1 (5 oz) package saffron rice mix
1 (15 oz) can black beans
1 lime, juiced
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro, divided
1 Tbsp chopped green onions (optional)

Cook rice according to package directions.  Once cooked, reduce heat to medium.

While the rice is cooking, drain beans, reserving 2 Tbsp of the liquid.

Combine beans, reserved liquid, lime juice, chili powder, and cumin in the sauce pan with the cooked rice.

Stir until combined and thoroughly heated.  Add 1 tbsp cilantro.

Garnish with remaining cilantro and green onions.

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I've had a few other yellow rice and black bean dishes before, but this one blew them out of the water.  T and I both love lime juice, and this recipe called for a lot of it. In all honesty, I didn't add the cilantro this time, our grocery store just happened to be out of it.  T liked it without, but I can't wait to make it again to see how the cilantro adds to the dish.  I plan for us to have tacos next week and give it another go.