Rice and Beans Cooked in Coconut Milk with Fish

I was talking with a coworker the other day and somehow the conversation turned to food - chili peppers in particular, and how to best use them - we were both fans of controlled heat! She is from Jamaica and told me how she makes beans and rice. The key is cooking the rice in coconut milk. Ingredients included red beans, thyme, garlic, chili pepper and green onions. She also said she liked serving it with cod fish.

Lisa and I talked it over and decided to give it a try but with a few changes - using fresh field peas instead of red beans and tilapia instead of cod. It turned out great. I know you will love it.

For the rice and beans:

Ingredients

2 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 yellow onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 cup jasmine rice

1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

1 cup water

1 can coconut milk  (14 oz)

1 cup shelled field peas

1 teaspoons dried thyme

1 whole fresh chili pepper

Juice of 1 lime

Directions

Heat the oil in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions and sauté for 4-5 minutes, until they begin to brown on the edges.

Add the garlic and rice, stir well and cook for another 2-3 minutes, stirring often.

Add the grated ginger, salt, water and coconut milk and stir well. Add the field peas and sprinkle the thyme over everything. 

Add the whole chile; it will season the rice much like a bay leaf would. Bring to a simmer, then turn the heat to low and cover.

The rice should be done in about 15-20 minutes, depending on the type of rice you are using (some long grained rice takes longer to cook). Check after 15 minutes. 

Once done, remove from heat and cover for 10 minutes. To serve, fluff with a fork. Sprinkle with a little lime juice. Discard the pepper (or eat it, if you dare!)

For the Fish:

4 Tilapia filets
Juice of one lemon
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Green onions sliced in rings

Cut the tilapia filets in half lengthwise and remove the red bloodline. Drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Saute and brown in a pan. Give them a squeeze of lemon juice.

Serve on top of the rice and beans and add the green onions