1 1/2 cups of dried red kidney beans, soaked overnight and drained
2 cloves of chopped garlic
1/2 cup of coconut milk
3 green onions, thinly sliced, plus more for garnish
1 Scotch bonnet or habanero pepper, FINELY chopped (I wear gloves when chopping. These little guys are HOT!)
3 sprigs fresh thyme (dried works fine)
1 1/2 cups long grain rice
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Place beans and garlic in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a simmer and cook until the beans are tender, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. When the beans are tender, stir in the coconut milk, green onions, Scotch bonnet, and thyme, and increase the heat to a boil. Stir in the rice, cover the pot, and cook until the rice is tender and has absorbed most of the liquid. Transfer to a large serving bowl and garnish with sliced green onions.

Recipe courtesy of Sara Charbonneau. The original recipe came from chef Bobby Flay’s show, Hot off the Grill on the Food Network. Sara uses black beans instead of red kidney beans, which I’m sure would work just as well.

Notes: This is a surprisingly easy dish to make. I made it for our 6th Anniversary party and it was a huge hit, although I made way too much! It wasn’t too spicy (which I was a little worried about) and is extremely affordable to put together. I’d say you can make two batches for under $5, easily. I’ve frozen a ton of leftovers, so I will let you know what it tastes like after being frozen and reheated.