Meatless Monday - Nomable taco beans and rice

Beans are a pretty common ingredient in our house, and not just because I got a 50 lb bag of them from the farmstand. Rather, I did that because I think we'll eat them this year! We eat chilli, we eat red beans and rice (except, er, pinto beans and rice... I am not distinguished enough to tell a flavor difference between red and pinto). 16 bean soup. Standard taco meat is about 50/50 beef and beans.

So I am Enthused about a new beans and rice recipe. This one is from the bloglady I enjoy so much, over at good cheap eats. It is indeed good, and cheap.

Taco Beans and Rice

1 lb beans
1 lb rice

seasoning:
ground cumin
salt
pepper
garlic, or garlic salt, if you'd like

toppings:
whatever you'd like on a taco. we had salsa, sour cream, and cheese. Oh, and taco shells left over from Fandamonium, crunched into chips.

Night before:
pick over beans, throwing out any that are rocks. rinse, and put in crock pot. fill with water so there is about 2" water covering. Do not turn on the crock pot.

Morning of:
Pour out beany looking water. Rinse and pour out that water too. Fill crock again to cover beans with about 1" of water. Set on low and go to work.

Evening:
Season bean pot with about 1 Tbs cumin, salt, pepper, and garlic to taste. It should taste taco-y. Cook rice. Serve with stuff.

So it's basically a taco in a bowl. It is still remarkably tasty use of beans to me! You could use canned beans and it would be much easier, but I've always found canned beans to be more acidic and, hmmm, musical, than soaked beans.