Brazilian Rice and Beans Recipe

Brazilian Beans Directions Part 1:

1. Sort your beans carefully, throw away any stones or beans that do not look good,
2. Place the beans in a sieve or colander and rinse under running water.
3. Transfer the grains to a large bowl and cover them with cold water - discard any beans that float.
4. Let the beans soak for  +-12 hours.
5. Change the water once during this period - soaking reduces the cooking time and eliminates substances that make the beans hard to digest.

Brazilian Beans Part 2:

1. Discard the soaking water.
2. Transfer the beans to the pressure cooker/instant pot, cover with water, and add the bay leaves.
3. Close the cooker and heat on high pressure for 10 minutes. (if your beans are fresh, if they are older, say closer to a year old, then pressure cook it for 25 min)
4. Then let the pressure release naturally for at least 5 minutes, before you manually release the pressure, so it doesn't splatter all over your kitchen.

While the beans are cooking:

1. Peel and finely chop the onion and mince garlic.
2. Heat a skillet over medium heat, drizzle with olive oil, add the onion, and season with a pinch of salt.
3. Sauté for about 3 minutes until softened, add the garlic, and stir for an additional 1 minute or until fragrant.
4. Add 2 ladles of the cooked beans to your skillet, mix, and mash the beans with the spatula - this puree helps thicken your beans. Add you sazon or sazon replacement seasonings.
5. Transfer the sautéed mixture with mashed beans to the pot with the cooked beans.
6. Season with salt and pepper to taste, mix, and let it cook, uncovered, for another 10 minutes or until the broth thickens - the time may vary depending on the desired consistency, whether thinner or creamier. (If using and instant pot you can use the saute function for this)
7. Add parsley and green onions if using
8. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking to the bottom of the pot.
9. Remove bay leaf
10. Turn off the heat and serve.

Brazilian Rice Instructions

1. Heat up the oil in a medium saucepan.
2. Sautee the onions (if using) for about 2 minutes until translucent, then add garlic and sautee for 2 minutes or until fragrant.
3. Add rice, season with salt, and stir for about a minute.
4. Pour in boiling water, reduce to a simmer, cover, and let it simmer until water is absorbed.
5. When done, turn off the heat, and let it sit covered for 10 minutes, then fluff with a fork and serve!