Jamaican rice and beans (quick)

My advisor is not only a scientist- but also an actor. He does community theater. I guess it is a good thing to have someone in science support having outside interests. Sometimes your life had to revolve around science, and you can never leave the lab. The environment I work in now is pretty laid back work-wise because of that - which really means I have to motivate myself.

Back to the acting, way back before I was a vegetarian - some then co-workers and I decided to go see my advisor perform in a play in a small town about an hour away. We figured we'd grab dinner out there- expecting no more than BBQ or friend chicken. Lo and behold, there was a Jamaican restaurant - right there in the middle of nowhere. The food was great, and my vegetarian coworker went nuts over the rice and beans- which were made in a thick, delicious coconut base.

Now that I am a vegetarian, I realize what a go-to rice and beans are. So simple! Following is the recipe I made, from the suggestions of both the restaurant owner and my coworker. This was easily made from all pantry food- I love emptying out my cans - and didn't have time to soak any beans.

Brown jasmine rice (enough for 4) - I stick mine in the rice cooker.
2 cans red kidney beans
1 can coconut milk
2 Tbsp jerk seasoning
Salt and Pepper

Make rice. Dump beans (juices too) into large pot. Add coconut milk and seasoning. Simmer. After about 20 minutes, I take a potato masher and mash a few of the beans to get them to break down to thicken the sauce further. It was awesome - and I am having some of the leftovers for lunch. Start to finish - 1 hour!