Monday, March 26, 2012

Chipotle Doesn't Have Anything on Me

As you all know by now, I am a sucker for Tex-Mex and Mexican food. It is always my go to when I am out of ideas for dinner time, I not-so-jokingly kid that I could eat my weight in chips and fresh salsa, and it is the only way I have found to stomach avocados (I am still on uneasy ground with them... see here.) That being said, my weekend was filled with nothing but writing my business plan (not joking, that's all it was - I need to go back to school to get a break!) but was interrupted briefly to make this yummy bowl of comfort.

I think I should go ahead and put my two cents in there when it comes to the burrito fast food debate. Qboda, Chipotle, Pollo Loco, Taco Del Mar, Taco Bell (shudders)... so many to choose from, essentially offering the same things, and shamelessly overpricing their product. I mean come now, how expensive is rice, beans, grilled vegetables, and lettuce? Not. Very. But I have a special weakness for Moe's: http://www.moes.com/. But really, Moe's salsa. I buy it by the cup full and ask for it as a birthday and Christmas present, not joking. Seriously, if you aren't lucky enough to have a Moe's by you, drive to the nearest one, tell them Katelyn sent you, and I'm sure they will give you a discount.

And I am now following them on Twitter... I'm such a dork...

To avoid paying too much for rice and beans, plus saving the time to walk there, I decided to make my own rice bowl this weekend. It turned our scrumptious, I could use brown rice (which Mexican restaurants won't jump on board with,) and I saved eight bucks. Win-win-win!






Cilantro Lime Rice Vegetable Bowl

Cilantro Lime Rice:
1 cup cooked brown rice
1/4 cup finely minced fresh cilantro (I used the paste that comes in the produce section of the grocery)
juice of half a lime
salt and pepper to taste

Cumin Scented Black Beans:
1 can black beans, un-drained
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 TB minced cilantro

Toppings:
diced avocado
salsa/pico de gallo
shredded lettuce/spinach
shredded cheese (I used pepper jack!)


Mix rice ingredients together and place in your serving bowl. Warm your beans in a saucepan, bring to a hard simmer, then take off the heat and spoon your desired amount over your rice (making sure to get some of that yummy, spicy, cumin-scented juice too.) Top that with your sauteed veggies of choice (I used onions and red bell pepper) or meat for you carnivores out there. And finally, top off your bowl with all the toppings your heart desires.


5 comments:

  1. This looks really good. I want to start exploring Mexican food more. For some reason I've never been a fan but I think that's primarily because my experience with Mexican Food as been limited to Taco Bell! I want to try "real" Mexican food and I'm sure I'd love it. Great post! Now I'm hungry again lol

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  2. OMG MOES! I've been craving moes for days! This just made me crave it more! THanks for sharing

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    1. I am go glad to hear that someone is as wonderfully obsessed as I am! Seriously, Moe's is where it's at!

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  3. Mmmmm definitely going to have to make this soon! One of those things easy to make at home but you always forget too!

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    1. For sure! A lot of these things can be made with items from your pantry too - canned beans, salsa, rice, tortillas... easy!

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