Victoria–this isn’t really authentic–I think I mentioned that I riffed off of the original recipe from Willinsky’s book–which is pretty much the way you describe.

And I love that recipe–but I just wondered what would happen if I did this, and that and ooh, what would happen here? Although, the truth is–for the longest time I have been slipping some jerk rub into the beans and rice–like probably from about the third time I made it–and I have made it hundreds of times because folks just love the stuff so much (you are so lucky to be half Jamaican–eating all that good stuff all the time!). I remember first putting some in the pot by accident–I was going to stir the beans and rice and I had jerk rub on my my hand and it fell in the pot. And I thought–oops! Then I smelled it–and I thought-hey, I wonder if it would be good if I put a little more in–so I did, and after that time, it always went in with the beans.

Its the way recipes evolve!

My family’s recipe is simply rice cooked in the bean broth with coconut milk and water if needed, along with whole green onions (usually removed before serving, although I like them), garlic, S&P, thyme and allspice/pimento. The rice comes out a very attractive light purple colour.