First, chop onions and garlic. Separate out onto two different plates.

Start water boiling for the rice. Boil 2 cups of water. Once boiling, add rice and follow instructions on the bag. As you're cooking beans and chicken, check the rice and mix as needed as well as add more water along the way...a couple of times. I add 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup depending on how much I need. If I add all of the water the bag calls for, it seems to come out too mushy for me.

Heat 1 Tbsp of olive oil at medium high heat. Add chopped onion and garlic to large sauce pan or dutch oven. Cook until translucent (don't burn the garlic) for about 5 minutes.

Lower to medium heat and drop in 1 can of undrained black beans along with bay leaf and 1/2 tsp of cumin. Cook for 5-7 minutes. Use a potato masher to mash the beans.

While the beans are cooking, prepare the chicken and add salt and pepper to taste as well as drizzle olive oil over chicken.

Heat a seasoned cast iron skillet (or non-stick skillet, be sure to add a little olive oil and heat for only 1-2 minutes) on medium to medium high heat (for the chicken) for about 3-4 minutes.

Add the 2nd can of beans and heat on low for about 10 minutes.

Add chicken to cast iron skillet and cook for about 4 minutes on each side on medium heat.

When the chicken is about ready to come off the skillet, add the raw onions and garlic chopped for the chicken. Using tongs, move the chicken to one side of the skillet and mix the onions around to get cooked. Be sure not to burn the garlic.

Remove chicken, onions and garlic after about 2 minutes and allow chicken to rest for at least 5 minutes.