Black Beans and Coconut-Lime Rice

My mom and dad are always keeping their eyes open for recipes for us.  They made a salad that was in Southern Living and scanned the recipe for us.  This recipe was on the same page and I thought it sounded fantastic!  My brother tried it out first and confirmed that it was good, so we gave it a whirl!  Yum!!  We all enjoyed it, and Abigail ate a very large portion of it.  She really liked all of the spices. 

Black Beans and Coconut-Lime Rice

From Southern Living, May 2010
Makes: 6 Servings
Hands-on Time: 35 Min.
Total Time: 48 min.


1 cup flaked coconut
1 ½ cups chicken broth
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
3 Tbsp. butter, divided

1 ¼ cups uncooked basmati rice

1 small onion, chopped

1 poblano pepper, diced

2 (15-oz) cans black beans, drained and rinsed

2 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 lime
2 green onions, thinly sliced
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro


Toppings: lime wedges, diced mango, sliced radishes, sliced fresh jalapeno peppers, sour cream


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake coconut in a single layer on a making sheet 8-10 minutes or until toasted.
2. Bring broth, next 2 ingredients, 2 Tbsp. butter and 1 cup water to a boil in a 2-qt. saucepan. Stir in rice. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook 15-20 minutes or until rice is tender and water is absorbed.

3. Meanwhile, melt remaining 1 Tbsp. butter in a medium saucepan over med-high heat; add onion and poblano pepper, and sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in black beans, chili powder, cumin and ¾ cup water. Cook over med-low heat, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes.

4. Grate zest from lime, avoiding pale bitter pith, into a bowl; squeeze juice from lime into bowl.

5. Fluff rice with a fork. Fold lime zest and juice, coconut, green onions and cilantro into hot cooked rice. Serve bean mixture over rice with desired toppings.

Next time I make it, I think I'll make some fresh tortillas to go along with it.  Super tasty!