I call this dish Mexican Fiesta and it’s rarely the same the next time I make it.
Here are the basics.
You will need:
- Black beans and rice (store-bought or follow my recipe)
- Cheese (mont. jack, cheddar, ect… any normal cheese with some flavor)
- Summer Squash (You can also use zucchini, corn, broccoli, cauliflower, peas, ect.)
- Tomatoes
- Red onion (If you like/have white onions. I would recommend browning them before you throw the rest of the veggies in)
- Garlic
- Cumin
- Chili Powder
- Salt and Pepper
Notice there aren’t measurements in my recipe. I come from a long line of step skippers. Measuring is a good idea in many circumstances. Like when you want consistency or are baking… Admittedly I never measure the flour when I bake bread. Anyway, quick skillet meals don’t call for measurements in my book. It takes away the freeform joy in them. Plus, who actually has every ingredient for a recipe?
What to do:
- Start beans and rice (wait a few minutes to cook the vegetables if you want them to be done at the same time)
- Cut the veggies (make sure they’re about the same size if you want them to cook evenly)
- Next let your pan heat up and add a little oil ( I use olive)
- Now toss your vegetables in the pan untill they’re cooked to your liking
- Add seasoning and cook about another minute
- Plate and serve with your favorite fixings (mine are avocado, sour cream, and chipotle salsa)
Easy Beans and Rice
- Dice a few cloves of garlic
- Heat a bit of oil in a medium-sized pot
- Add garlic
- Lightly brown garlic
- Add one can beans (or about a cup of pre cooked beans)
- Now the spices: Cumin, chili powder, salt
- Stir so the spices heat up before you add the water
- Add two cups water
- Add one cup rice
- Bring to a boil
- simmer for 20-30 minutes
Here’s a link to some good tips on pre soaking and cooking your own beans (it’s not as hard as it sounds) http://homecooking.about.com/od/howtocookvegetables/a/blkbeantips.htm
There are lots of things to do with one pot of beans. I’ll be posting some of my favorites soon.
Here’s my tomato chipotle salsa recipe
- One tomato (cut into manageable chunks)
- a few cloves of garlic
- chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- cilantro
- lime juice
- half a small onion (also cut into manageable chunks)
- throw it all in a blender/small food processor and blend away
- Done! Salsa forever!
What are your favorite tex mex recipes?