INGREDIENTS

500g black eye beans (dry)
5 cups of  cold water
1 cup easy cook rice
¼ bunch of thyme or 1 tbs dried thyme (I used lemon thyme but any other time will be good)
3-5 red and orange bell peppers
vegetable salt such as Adobo or some salt and garlic powder
black peppercorns
25g unsalted butter or 3-4 tbs olive oil
3-4 small ripe avocados (cubed) – optional
6 tbs cream cheese or thick cream – optional
6 lettuce leaves to serve – optional

EQUIPMENT

tongs
container with lid, plastic bag or bowl and a plate
two pots with the lids
gas cooker

METHOD

Place beans in about 3 cups of cold water and cook rapidly for at least 10 minutes from the time water is boiling, then cover and cook couple minutes more until soft but not mushy.

In meantime cook rice with 2 cups of water and thyme in separate pot with lid. Once rice is ready discard thyme stems.

Burn peppers over gas until each side is black. Place in container, cover with lid, let them steam for about 10-15 minutes. Rub of with your hands some burned skin, but not all. Deseed, cube, leave aside.

When beans and rice are ready, combine them in one pot, add also roasted peppers, butter or olive oil and season to taste with vegetable salt (such as Adobo) or salt and garlic powder.  Stir in also cubed avocado if using.  Share to the plates topping with a spoon of cream cheese or thick cream and freshly cracked pepper.

Serve 6 people as a side dish or snack.

• I served it once on the bed of lettuce but without avocado or cream cheese, next time I served this salad with avocado and cream cheese but without the lettuce.