Cranberry Beans with Tequila, Green Chiles, Quick Pickled Onions, and Mexican Rice
 
 
This is Mexican comfort food at its most delicious. Hearty cranberry beans cooked in tequila and green chiles are served atop a bed of Mexican rice and then topped with queso fresco and quick-pickled onions.
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients
For the cranberry beans
  • 1 lb dried cranberry (or pinto) beans, soaked in cold water overnight
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tbsp paprika
  • ½ tsp cumin seeds
  • ½ tsp dried oregano
  • ¼ cup tequila
  • 5 cups water
  • 1 tbsp packed brown sugar
  • 1 bay leaf
  • ½ cup canned chopped green chiles
  • ½ cup crumbled queso fresco
  • 1 recipe for quick pickled onions
For the quick pickled onions
  • 1 medium onion, very thinly sliced
  • ¼ cup lime juice (about 2 limes)
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • ⅛ tsp salt
For the Mexican rice
  • 2 large ripe tomatoes, cored and quartered
  • 1 onion, trimmed and quartered
  • ⅓ cup vegetable oil
  • 2 cups long-grain white rice
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 jalapeno chiles, stemmed, seeded, and minced
  • 2 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1½ tsp salt
  • lime wedges, to serve
Instructions
For the cranberry beans
  1. Drain and rinse the soaked cranberry beans.
  2. Heat oven to 350F. In a large cast iron pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and 1 tsp of salt to the pot. Cook for 5 minutes, or until the onion is softened, stirring occasionally. Stir in the garlic, paprika, cumin seeds, and oregano. Saute for 1 minute, or until fragrant. Stir in the tequila and let simmer for 30 seconds or until mostly evaporated. Add in the water, sugar, bay leaf, and beans. Bring to a simmer, then cover the pot and and transfer it to the oven. Cook until the beans are tender, about 75 minutes, stirring once halfway through cooking.
  3. Add the green chiles to the pot and stir to combine. Remove the cover and place the pot back in the oven. Cook for another 15 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened slightly. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Serve over rice and top with queso fresco and pickled onions.
For the quick pickled onions
  1. While the beans cook, make the onions. Combined all of the ingredients in a bowl, tossing to combine. Allow to sit while the beans cook, at least an hour. These can also be prepped ahead of time and stored in the fridge.
For the Mexican rice
  1. Heat oven to 350F.
  2. Combine the tomatoes and onion in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth. Transfer to a measuring cup and spoon off any extra liquid until the mixture is only 2 cups. Set aside.
  3. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Add the rice to the pot and cook, stirring frequently, until golden and translucent, about 6 minutes.
  4. Lower the heat to medium and stir in the garlic and jalapenos. Cook until fragrant, stirring constantly, about 2 minutes. Pour in the pureed tomato-onion mixture, vegetable broth, tomato paste, and salt. Increase heat to high and bring to a simmer.
  5. Once simmering, cover the post and transfer to the oven. Cook for 30 minutes, stirring once halfway through. Remove from the oven and let the pot sit, covered, for 5 minutes before serving. Serve with lime wedges to flavor.
Notes
Recipes from The Complete Vegetarian Cookbook
Recipe by Joanne Eats Well With Others at https://joanne-eatswellwithothers.com/2018/05/cranberry-beans-tequila-green-chiles-queso-fresco-mexican-rice.html