Red Chile Rice with Black Beans and Dried Tofu

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon ancho chili powder 
• 2 cups baby spinach 
• 1 cup brown rice long-grain
• 15 ounce black beans rinsed drained well canned (or)
• 4 cloves garlic chopped
• 0.3 cup spring onion chopped
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 1 teaspoon paprika smoked spanish
• 0.5 cup salsa 
• 0.5 teaspoon salt to taste (or )
• 2 ounces spicy tofu dried
• 1 cup vegetable stock to cover
• 3 cups vegetable stock (I used No-Chicken)

Equipment

• bowl
• pot
• stove
• microwave

Directions

1. Heat on medium-high and add the onion. Cook, stirring, until the onion becomes translucent.
2. Add the rice and cook for another minute or two.
3. Add the garlic, 1 1/2 teaspoons of chile powder, and smoked paprika and cook for 1 more minute.
4. Add the broth and salt (use less if the broth is salted) and stir well. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and cover the pot. Cook for 25 minutes. While the rice is cooking, prepare the dried tofu, soy curls, or TVP if you’re using it.
5. Place the dried tofu/soy curls in a microwaveable bowl and add the 1 cup vegetable broth.
6. Add enough water to cover, and stir in 1 teaspoon of chile powder. Microwave on high power until broth boils. Stir and allow to stand until dried tofu is tender. (If you’re using large chunks of TVP, additional cooking time may be necessary.) Alternately, bring to a boil on the stove for 1 minute and let stand until tender. After the rice has cooked for 25 minutes, drain the dried tofu and add it and the black beans to the rice. Do not stir–just put them on top of the rice. Re-cover the pot and continue to cook until rice is tender and liquid is mostly absorbed, about 25 minutes.
7. Add the green onions and spinach, re-cover, and cook for 5 more minutes. Stir well to combine and serve with salsa at the table.