Beans and Rice

My husband went on his mission to Sao Paulo, Brazil and learned Brasilian. My little brother is currently serving in Rio di Janeiro. Both tell stories of living off of "Beans and Rice" much like our college students live off of Ramen and Take-out Pizza. I'll have to ask for an actual story later.

And so, this dish is my tribute to missionaries everywhere, but especially those who are going to the countries of beans and rice. It's a simple dish that still tastes good the next day and doesn't cost a lot in ingredients.

Beans and Rice with Chicken
1 ziploc bag
Frying pan & Spatula
Casserole dish
Can opener
Stirring spoon
pot with a lid (to cook rice in)
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1-2 chicken breasts, cut into chunks
2 Tbsp. flour
2 tsp. seasoned salt
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. pepper
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2 Tbsp. butter
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1 1/2 cup rice
2 cups water
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1 can diced green chiles
1 can drained and rinsed beans (black, kidney, etc)
salsa (optional)

1. In a small pot with a lid, cook the rice. Put the water and rice into the pot, cover it and turn on the burner to high. When it boils, turn down the heat to low, and set the timer for 20 minutes. DO NOT UNCOVER THE RICE UNTIL THE TIMER GOES OFF. After the timer goes off, turn off the burner and fluff (separate the grains by stirring) the rice. Scrape the rice off the bottom of the pot so it doesn't stick.
2. Open the can of beans and rinse the gooey sludge off the beans. I do it by opening the can most of the way and then pouring water into the can, pouring out the slime, pouring water into the can, pouring out the slime, etc. You don't have to get the beans completely clean, just get the goo off them. Open the can of green chiles too.
3. Lightly spray your casserole dish and dump in the beans, rice, and green chiles. Stir the beans and chiles into the rice and smooth it down into an even layer.
4. Turn on the oven to 350 degrees.
5. In a ziploc bag, mix 2 Tbsp. flour, 2 tsp. seasoned salt, 1/2 tsp. garlic powder, and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Add in the raw chicken chunks, zip the bag tightly closed, and shake the bag until the flour coats (covers) all the chicken. It's easier if there are only 2-4 pieces of chicken in the bag at a time. !WASH YOUR HANDS AFTER TOUCHING RAW CHICKEN to prevent icky diseases like salmonella!
5. In the frying pan, melt 2 Tbsp. of butter on high. When the chicken is coated, put it in the frying pan and give it a nice crust. Watch carefully! The chicken and flour burn easy! Don't worry about getting the chicken all done, it will finish in the oven. You're just giving it a nice layer of flavor on the outside. When the flour starts to turn all brown and crispy, turn off the burner.
6. Put the chicken on top of the rice and put it in the oven for 15-20 minutes or the chicken is done. Chicken is done when there isn't any pink in the middle of a chunk.
7. Eat it with salsa or as it is. It's mildly spicy. It also tastes great as a leftover - just package up what's left into little containers while the food is still hot and put them in the fridge. Reheat in the microwave, or in the oven.