Finely chop garlic and onion. Heat vegetable oil in a heavy bottomed saucepan on medium heat. Add prepared garlic and onion, and stir well.
Finely chop celery and add it to the cooking onions, along with oregano, seasoning salt, and optional cayenne pepper. Stir well, and cook gently until the carrots and celery start to soften. Use the lid for a few minutes to speed the cooking process.
Rinse the rice once in cold water. Drain, and add to the saucepan. Open kidney beans and drain half the water. Transfer to a 2-cup measuring cup, and fill with extra water until you reach the 2 cup line. Add beans and water to the saucepan. Stir well.
Taste the liquid for salt, and add a little more if needed. Turn up the heat and bring to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, reduce to a very low simmer and cover with a lid. Set a timer for 15 minutes. The rice should be soft. Let it stand an additional 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
Add more vegetables
Feel free to add extra vegetables when you add the celery, such as carrots, bell peppers, cabbage, yams, sweet potatoes, etc. Just keep in mind that the rice and beans will cook for 15 minutes, so whatever you add needs to finish cooking in that time.
Substitutions for kidney beans
What type of canned bean or lentil do you have that you also enjoy. Any canned bean will do for this recipe. Think black bean, chickpeas, adzuki beans, etc.
Substitutions for seasoning Salt
I used Trader Joe’s seasoning salt, and it is not very salty. The ingredients are granulated onion, granulated garlic, sea salt, celery seed, paprika, ground nutmeg, and dry mustard. Substitute with a total of 1 teaspoon granulated garlic and/or onion, and pinches of any of the other spices in this list that you have on hand. Another option is to use Mexican chili powder, which is very mild and flavorful. Use one teaspoon.