Shelter in Place Plan

One-Pot Rice and Beans

Instant rice, black beans and salsa in one pot. The rice cooks off the heat, so it is one of the lowest-fuel hot meals here.

  • Serves 4 servings
  • Time 15 min
  • Heat Outdoor stove
A pot of rice with black beans and salsa on a camp stove outdoors

Rice and canned beans is a dinner in my 14-day meal list. Switching to instant rice means the pot only has to boil once, which saves both fuel and stored water.

Ingredients

  • 1½ cups (380 mL) safe drinking water, or the amount on your rice box
  • 1 can (15 oz / 425 g) black beans, drained
  • ½ cup (130 mL) jarred salsa
  • 1 tbsp (15 mL) vegetable oil
  • 1 tsp (5 mL) ground cumin
  • 1½ cups (140 g) instant rice
  • salt, to taste

Equipment

  • Camp stove or barbecue side burner, outdoors only
  • Pot with a tight lid
  • Manual can opener
  • Spoon

Fuel used

About 5 to 8 minutes of burner time to reach a boil, then the stove is off while the rice stands. Instant rice is the fuel saver; regular rice needs far longer on the flame.

Steps

  1. Set the stove up outdoors on a flat, stable surface, at least 20 feet (6 m) from doors, windows and vents.
  2. Check the cans, wipe the lids and open them. Drain the beans.
  3. Put the water, beans, salsa, oil, cumin and a pinch of salt in the pot. Cover and bring to a boil.
  4. Stir in the rice, put the lid back on and turn the stove off.
  5. Let it stand, covered, for about 5 minutes or as your rice box says, then fluff with a fork.
  6. Serve straight away. Cooked rice left out more than 2 hours should be thrown out, so make only what you will eat.

Swaps from the pantry

  • Pinto or kidney beans, or a drained can of chicken.
  • Diced tomatoes with green chiles instead of salsa.
  • Ready-to-heat rice pouches: heat with the beans and salsa, no water needed.
  • Regular long-grain rice works but needs more water and a much longer simmer. Check the bag.

Allergens

None of the main allergens in the base recipe. Check the salsa label.

Ingredients vary by brand, so read every label for your household's allergies.

Food safety

  • Check every can before you open it. Do not use food from cans that are leaking, bulging or badly dented, or that have a deep dent on a seam.
  • Once opened, eat it within 2 hours, or 1 hour when it is above 90°F (32°C). If your fridge is working and at or below 40°F (4°C), put leftovers in a covered container and refrigerate them. If not, throw leftovers out. See food safety when the fridge fails.
  • Use safe drinking water for everything here, and especially for water that is not cooked: bottled, or boiled or treated as in treating water.
  • When in doubt, throw it out. Do not taste food to test it.

Where to buy

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  • Rice, pasta or oats

    Long-grain white rice, 20 lb (9 kg) bag

    Plain white rice in a large bag; USDA FSIS lists rice and dried pasta at 2 years in a cool, dry place.

    Check prices and optionsat Amazon.comCheck prices and optionsat Amazon.ca

  • Rice, pasta or oats

    Old-fashioned rolled oats, large bag

    Rolled oats can be soaked instead of cooked, as in the soaked oats recipe on this site.

    Check prices and optionsat Amazon.comCheck prices and optionsat Amazon.ca

  • Rice, pasta or oats

    Dried pasta, multi-pack

    USDA FSIS lists dried pasta at 2 years in a cool, dry place.

    Check prices and optionsat Amazon.comCheck prices and optionsat Amazon.ca

  • Canned beans, tuna, chicken or stew

    Canned chunk chicken breast, multi-pack

    Fully cooked and ready to eat from the can; USDA FSIS lists canned meat and poultry at 2 to 5 years.

    Check prices and optionsat Amazon.comCheck prices and optionsat Amazon.ca

  • Camp stove, outdoor use only

    Coleman: Coleman Classic 2-Burner Propane Camp Stove

    A two-burner propane stove for cooking through an outage; use it outdoors only, never indoors or in a garage, because it produces carbon monoxide.

    Check prices and optionsat Amazon.comCheck prices and optionsat Amazon.ca

  • Battery-operated carbon monoxide alarm

    Kidde: Kidde KN-COB-B-LP Nighthawk Carbon Monoxide Alarm, Battery Operated

    Kidde lists it as UL Listed with an electrochemical sensor, and it runs on 3 AA batteries so it keeps working in a power outage.

    Check prices and optionsat Amazon.comCanadian link coming soon

  • Battery-operated carbon monoxide alarm

    Kidde: Kidde C3010 Worry-Free Carbon Monoxide Alarm, 10-Year Sealed Battery

    Kidde lists its Canadian C3010-CA as CSA Listed with an electrochemical sensor and a sealed lithium battery, so it keeps working in an outage; check the listing shows the CSA mark before buying.

    US link coming soonCheck prices and optionsat Amazon.ca

Sources

Updated