Black Beans and Rice with 'Cheese'

My cooking magazine called this dish a side recipe, but double the portion and it makes a pretty complete vegan meal.

Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add 1/2 a cup chopped onion and 1/2 a cup chopped red bell pepper - cook for five minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 3 minced garlic cloves and cook an additional minute.

Add 1/2 a cup water, along with 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1/4 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. cumin, 1/2 tsp. oregano, 1/4 tsp. coriander, 1/4 tsp. ground red pepper, and one 15-ounce can of black beans (rinsed and drained). Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce heat and simmer for ten minutes.

In the meantime, cook enough basmati rice (or other long-grain rice) according to package directions to equal one cup cooked rice.

Place 1/2 a cup of cooked rice on each of two plates. Top each serving with one cup of the black bean mixture. Sprinkle each with a 2 tablespoons of shredded vegan cheddar cheese (such as the Cheddar block from Galaxy Foods). Each main dish serving is 320 calories. As I mentioned, you can also halve each of these servings and instead have 4 side portions of 160 calories.

Cost:
red bell pepper $1.01
cumin $5.49
black beans $1.79
long-grain rice $2.12
'cheddar cheese' $3.39