Cuban Red Beans and Rice

Another one of my kids' favorite dishes. You can use red beans or kidney beans.

1 large sweet or yellow onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, finely diced

3 T dried bell pepper (or 1/2 fresh bell pepper, diced)

4 T tomato paste

1 can red or kidney beans, drained but not rinsed

1 cup uncooked white rice

2 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth (or water and bouillon cubes)

1 tsp cumin

salt to taste

olive oil

Saute onions, garlic, and peppers (if using fresh) in 2-3 T olive oil over medium heat until very soft. Add rice and continue cooking and stirring for 2 minutes. Add all other ingredients except beans and and bring to a simmer. Simmer until rice is cooked through and liquid is mostly absorbed. You want the rice to be very soft and to have something of a thick tomato gravy rather than being very dry, so if it needs more liquid, add chicken or vegetable broth 1/4 c. at a time. Stir in beans and continue cooking until beans are heated through. Salt to taste.