Beans and Rice

Let me start by saying that I was raised in a Texas border town, in a family of 8 with a "lower than average" income. In other words, beans and rice were a staple at our dinner table, lol. I have come to acquire a taste for the simple "quick" meals that are based on those two ingredients.
My husband works shift work, and we no longer have a child at home, so several nights a week, I am alone for dinner. Because of my husbands job, it isn't convenient for him to have "reheatable" leftovers for his dinner, so I make him salads and/or sandwichs/wraps, fresh each day.

While I really enjoy cooking, I have no intention of preparing a 3 course meal for just little ole me, so I opt for simple, quick throw together bites. One of the easiest things to throw together is "beans and rice" and they can easily be "tweaked" to change them up from Tex-Mex to Mediterranean, to just plain ole tasty. Easy for just one or two people as well as for a family of 8.

I'll try over the next couple of weeks to post a few of my favorite bean and rice dishes.
As a note, I always like to make a big batch of Organic Brown Basmati rice and keep it in the fridge for a few days. When hubby needs a snack, it's a great little thing to heat up. It's also good to toss into salads and have ready for side dishes, etc..

Tonight I decided on a basic Tex-Mex dish. These instructions are so basic, so you can alter the amounts and ingredients to fit your family.

Preheat oven to 375.

Drop into a baking dish the following:

Cooked Organic Brown Basmati Rice
Organic Refried Beans (try Amy's!)
A dollop or two of softened Cream Cheese (if you don't have that, try shredded cheese and a little sour cream)
Corn (defrost if frozen)
A couple of spoons of your favorite Salsa (I like Newman's Own)

Optional:
Want a meat? Add some precooked shredded chicken
Want some kick? Add some Texas Pete, Tabasco, or a little Adobo Sauce
More Veggies? Try some pressed garlic, chopped onion, minced jalapeno, diced bell pepper, chopped tomato

Stir it up real well and spread it into the pan evenly, check to see if you want to add more of anything. Cover and bake 20 minutes or until heated through (this will depend on if the ingredients were just cooked or came out of the fridge).

How to serve:
Wrap in warm flour tortillas for burritos, add shredded lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, etc., as desired

Serve in small bowls and dip with tortilla chips - serve a simple salad on the side or cut veggies for dipping!

Put a dollop of this directly onto a salad - YUM!

There you have it, a quick, easy, simple meal that doesn't require a meat to achieve a protein. It's filling and fun to eat. Enjoy!

Check back later this week for another bean and rice recipe...

Have a blessed day,