Monday’s Money Saving Recipe – Spicy Black Beans and Coconut Rice

Thanks to Ruth at Living Well, Spending Less for providing us with recipe this week!

I am vegetarian but my family is not, so I am used to cooking both ways.  My non-vegetarian friends and family, however, often panic at the thought of cooking something vegetarian for me.  Inevitably, their minds go blank, and they give me salad.  And I have a confession:  I am a vegetarian who doesn’t really like salad all that much. I’ll skip the pious lecture about the horrors of meat versus the virtues of vegetarianism.  The truth is that I don’t really care that much whether someone eats meat or not.  I personally don’t like the taste, and never have.  But from simply a cost standpoint alone, there are some very cheap, great tasting vegetarian recipes that are worth trying whether you are a charter member of PETA or whether you prefer your beef still mooing.This one is probably my favorite.  
Rice, coconut, vegetable stock, beans, butter, salsa, and sour cream are all great staples to stock up on when they are on sale, and the remaining produce ingredients–onion, cilantro, and lime–are super cheap, even when they’re not on sale.  It is equally delicious on its own for a simple, cost-effective meal, or paired with marinated then grilled vegetable and/or chicken skewers.  I have even made a vegan version by substituting the butter for olive oil.  If you prefer a milder dish, just skip the cayenne pepper.