Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Southwestern Red Beans and Rice

I've had a tougher time re-adjusting to real life than I expected.  For two weeks life came to a complete standstill.  No school, no church, no real routine, just surviving.  To be completely honest it was kind of nice.  We read a lot of books, caught up on our favorite shows and enjoyed some much needed quiet time that wasn't filled with darkness.

But now school has started, life has commenced, and I'm having a hard time remembering what exactly I was doing before Sandy hit.  I'm ashamed to admit that it made me a bit lazy.  Most of our dinners were something I could quickly throw into the oven or the microwave.  No real preparation.
But now that life is back at full force, I'm grateful for recipes like this.  Warm, homemade bowls full of flavorful food, that won't weigh you down, or wear you out.  Rice and beans doesn't sound like the most exciting dinner, but believe me when I say that we all scarfed this down as if it was our last meal.  Add beef or chicken if you need a bit more protein, but I doubt you'll miss it if you don't.

Southwestern Red Beans and Rice
Adapted from Cooking Light Fresh Food Fast

Ingredients

8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
1 cup brown or white rice, prepared according to directions
1 16 oz can light red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes with zesty mild green chiles (Rotel)
salt to taste
pepper to taste
4 flour tortillas, or tortilla chips
1/2 cup reduced fat cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon fresh chopped cilantro

Directions

1.  Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; coat pan with cooking spray.  Add mushrooms to pan; cook 6 minutes, or until lightly browned, stirring occasionally.  Stir in rice and next 4 ingredients.  Cover and bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 4 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

2.  While rice mixutre cooks, warm tortillas accordingly to package directions.  Sprinkle rice mixture iwth cheese and cilantro.  Serve immediately with tortillas.

Serves 4


11 comments:

Kathleen said...

Glad to hear you're doing all right after Sandy! It looked crazy scarry!
This spin on red beans and rice looks right up my alley!

Unknown said...

so glad you're back on your feet and cooking merrily away... these beans and rice look stunning and just the ticket for these cold Autumn nights... divine!

Debbie said...

I really like this recipe...think it sounds delicious!

Velva said...

Sandy really brought to a screeching halt for many folks. I am glad that you survived it, and managed to get some down time too. When you go, go all the time it is nice to be forced into down time.

I love rice and beans. It is a great meal. Healthy too.

Cheers.
Velva

Anonymous said...

Yum! This dish looks promising. I love rice and would eat anything that comes with it. This will be an additional recipe for my collection. Thanks!
bean bag chair

Blond Duck said...

I think you answered my question about what to cook for Sunday night!

chow and chatter said...

this looks great i was thinking of making something similar this week :-) and hugs pleased your all ok

Joanne said...

I'm so glad to hear you're getting back to normal!! Although I can imagine not wanting the mini vacation to end. :P This meal sounds so healthy delicious!

Chris said...

I love this version of red beans and rice. It is so different than the NOLA style I'm used to.

Barbara Bakes said...

Looks like a great meal. I need to make more quick meals like this.

Aggie said...

I hope you and your family are enjoying your holidays! I am loving this bowl of beans & rice, I'm determined to getting my kids eating beans on a regular basis this year - looks delicious and so easy