Never doubt the power of vegetables. 

Dominican moro relies on the flavorful punch of several veggies. Moro isn’t unique to the Dominican culture, but the ways of cooking it differ; Cubans use more water and veggies, while Puerto Ricans tend to grind up the vegetables into a sauce called sofrito. Nevertheless, there’s something about the Dominican moro that leaves the tongue craving more as the mind forgets how to count carbs.
THE PROCESS: My slight obsession with Goya products took over while making this. I used Goya canned beans, a Goya chicken bouillon cube, a dash of Goya Adobo, and one packet of Goya sazón with achiote. These all elevated the flavor already provided by the veggies. To avoid chunks of vegetables, I took the Puerto Rican route and ground them in a blender.

EXPERIENCE: Expect the smell to fill your entire kitchen almost immediately. Despite the peppers used, the yellow rice is mild in spice. The beans are tender with a strong taste of the sautéed mixture.  The ingredients blend together to create a salty taste that isn’t overwhelming. The oil used prevents the rice from being too dry or mushy.

ADVICE: This meal should be eaten during the late afternoon or earlier evening because it can be a little heavy on the stomach. Pair it with baked chicken breasts, which can also be seasoned with sofrito, and fried plantains for a full meal. I promise it’ll be just as good re-heated, if not better.

DIRECTIONS

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat and add garlic, onions, oregano, pepper, parsley, and salt. Sautée for a minute, then add bouillon. Stir until dissolved. Add tomato paste and stir until heated.

Add beans. Heat for about a minute, stirring constantly. Don’t let it stick or burn. Increase heat to maximum and carefully add one cup of water. When it starts to simmer, add rice, stir and add the rest of the water. (At this point you should test for salt; it should be a bit saltier than you’d prefer, because the beans and rice will absorb most of it.) Bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to the lowest possible, and cover with a lid for 15 minutes until most of the water is reduced.

Throw in the whole spring of cilantro and give everything a good stir from bottom to top. Cover and let it cook for 10 to 15 more minutes.

• INGREDIENTS (5 servings)
• 2 cups rice
• 4 cups water
• 1 cup canned Goya black beans
• 3 TBS vegetable oil
• 1 TBS tomato paste
• 1/4 cup Cubanel green peppers or green bell peppers, finely chopped
• 1/2 medium red onion, chopped
• 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
• 2 fresh garlic cloves, mashed
• 1 spring fresh cilantro, with stem
• 1 tsp. fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 1 chicken bouillon cube