Yep, that’s Chicken and Rice with black beans… this recipe is based on one in Rick Bayless’s Mexican Everyday cookbook and was a nice smoky twist on the usual. What really elevated the dish was a quick homemade chipotle-tomatillo salsa that we spooned on; as our dishes emptied we proceeded to just consume the salsa straight out of the bowl. 😉

Lisa says:

Spic- hey, this isn’t spicy!

Chris says:

See? It’s your dream come true, a dish that I don’t make too spicy for you, so that you can actually add salsa.

Lisa says:

Hey, I like a little spice…

Chris says:

That’s what I’m saying… add as much as you want. This salsa rules.

Lisa says:

Yeah it does! I like the smoky taste of this dish.

Chris says:

It’s mighty tasty. We could make this into a party dish, maybe for the — hey, where are you going?

Lisa says:

I’m getting more bites!

Chicken and Rice with Black Beans
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2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
salt
2 1/2 tbsp ancho chile powder
1 medium white onion, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1 cup rice
5 garlic cloves
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 15-oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup chopped green onions
cilantro to garnish
smoky chipotle salsa (see below)

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Salt the chicken breasts, then sprinkle both sides with 1 tablespoon of the ancho chile powder. Lay them in the hot oil to brown, about 3 minutes on each side. Remove from the pot and set aside. Leave the oil in the pan. Add the rice and onion, and stir for 4-5 minutes or until the rice starts to look dry and opaque. Add the garlic and the remaining chile powder and stir for another minute. Add the broth and up to a teaspoon of salt, and stir well. Bring to a boil, lower the heat to medium-low, cover, and let cook for 10 minutes.
Cut the chicken breasts into 1-inch cubes, uncover the pot, and add the chicken and beans. Re-cover the pot and cook for an additional 12 minutes.
Uncover, stir in the green onions, then remove from the heat and let sit, covered, for 5 to 10 minutes.
Garnish with cilantro, and serve with smoky chipotle salsa.

Smoky Chipotle Salsa
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4 garlic cloves
4 medium tomatillos, husked, rinsed, and cut in half
2 canned chipotle peppers
salt

Set a large skillet over medium-high heat, and add the garlic and tomatillos, cut-side down. When the tomatillos are browned, after 3-4 minutes, turn everything over and brown the other side.
Add the garlic, tomatillos, chipotle peppers, and 1/4 cup water to a blender and puree. Add salt to taste.