Brazilian Sweet Banana and Rice Dish

Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 110 min
Servings: 6
Yield: 6 servings

Description

In this Brazilian recipe, brown rice is topped with black beans, tomatoes, sausage, and served alongside sweet and sticky baked bananas.

Ingredients

2 cups lemon juice
1 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon rum
6 ripe bananas, halved lengthwise
7 cups water
3 1/2 cups brown rice
2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, drained
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 (4 ounce) links sausage
2 pinches dried dill
2 pinches dried basil

Directions

1 Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
2 Combine lemon juice, sugar, butter, and rum in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved and sauce thickens slightly, about 10 minutes.
3 Arrange bananas cut-side down in the baking dish. Pour enough sauce over bananas to cover, reserving any extra sauce for serving.
4 Bake in the preheated oven until bananas are soft and sticky, about 30 minutes.
5 Bring water and brown rice to a boil in another saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until rice is tender and liquid has been absorbed, 45 to 50 minutes.
6 Combine black beans and diced tomatoes in a skillet over low heat; heat until warmed through, about 10 minutes.
7 Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sausage links; cook, flipping often, until no longer pink in the center, about 10 minutes. Slice sausage into small pieces.
8 Scoop rice into a large bowl. Pour black beans on top. Sprinkle dill and basil on top. Add sausage; mix gently to combine. Serve bananas alongside.