Caribbean Spiced Pork with Black Beans and Rice

What's a girl to do when she wants to go to the islands but can't afford to?  Bring it to her on a plate!  The end of summer has got me itching for some tropical fun...you know that I mean - fruity drinks, warm beaches, crashing waves, and some palm trees.  Unfortunately, all of that cannot be found up here in Montana so I decided to bring it to me with last night's dinner.

Caribbean Spiced Pork with Black Beans and Rice

Serves 4

• 8 boneless pork chops (Mine were thin cut)
• 2 - 3 tbsp Caribbean spice mix (@ Fine Cooking)
• 2 cups hot cooked rice
• 8oz black beans, drained
• 1/2 c tomato, chopped
• 1/4 c parsley, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• salt/pepper, to taste
• 1 lime, sliced into wedges

1. Rub the spice mix over the pork chops and cook in a skillet over med-high heat until done ( Mine cooked quickly since they were thin but the cooking time will be longer with thicker chops)
2. In a bowl, mix together the rice and the next 5 ingredients. Just mix until it is all combined since over mixing can turn your rice to mush.
3. Plate up 1 cup of the beans and rice and two chops, garnish with lime slice to sprinkle of the top.

Oh man was it good!!  To be honest I was going to just make the pork and put it in a sandwich (because anything can go between two slices of bread, right?!), but figured that I should make a rounded-out meal with some sort of side.  I am so glad that I did.  It was a filling meal that allowed me to sneak a few tomato pieces onto Mini's plate with little hassle.