Rice and Black Bean Pilaf

Have you ever left your dinner on the stovetop and then forgot to put it in the fridge, on accident? Or have you left take-out or pizza sitting on the counter overnight? Isn't it one of the most disappointing things you can do? We sadly did that with this recipe, cheating ourselves out of at least one more night's food. And what a shame that was-this dish surprised us with how flavorful it ended up being! The canned pineapple added a sweetness to the rice and black beans, that really popped. I only wish that we had fresh cilantro, because then I think that would have really complimented the flavor spectrum perfectly. Ultimately, we had saved some of the pineapple juice, so we got to use it in a food mashup a few nights later (that wasn't quite worth blogging about), so at least that turned out okay. Anyways, this is pretty easy and if you're on a super tight budget, is a great option!
Cooking Notes: We barely had barely 1 cup of brown rice, so we supplemented with extra black beans. We also used fresh thyme. And we ended up cooking it for 40 minutes, since we used brown rice instead of white.

Rice and Black Bean Pilaf (adapted from Budget Bytes; serves 4)
1 cup brown rice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp fresh thyme
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper
1+ 15-oz. can black beans
1 13.5-oz. can coconut milk
1 1/2 cups water
1 20-oz. can crushed pineapple

Add the rice to a medium sauce pot and add the minced garlic, along with salt, thyme, and crushed red pepper. Drain the can of black beans and add them to the pot. Lastly, add the can of coconut milk and 1 1/2 cups of water, stirring to combine. Place the lid on the pot and bring it up to a full boil over high heat, being careful to watch it so it doesn't overflow. Once it boils, turn it down to low and let it simmer for 40 minutes.

After 40 minutes, turn off the heat and let the pot continue to sit for another 15-20 minutes, so the rice can steam. Once it has rested, remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork. Drain the pineapple (reserve the juice if you want) and mix it in the rice, then serve!

Recipe: Budget Bytes: Island Rice Pilaf