Rice with Black Beans, Cilantro, and Lime

I had an epiphany the other day. My husband and I were trying to come up with a dinner idea and all I could think about was a margarita…and then my mind traveled to all sorts of delicious Tex Mex/Mexican dishes. That’s when my mouth began to water. We stopped by the grocery store and I couldn’t get the Mexican-inspired dishes out of my head. So, what did we do? We went all out. We grabbed queso and salsa dip, tortilla chips, pork and fajita seasoning, beans, cilantro, limes, peppers, refried beans, and of course margarita mix.

When we were headed to our car to pack up our groceries, I looked at my husband and said, “You know what? I love Mexican food. In fact, over the past year, I think I’ve come to realize that it’s probably my favorite type of food.” Can you believe it?! After professing my love for Italian food left and right, I backstabbed the pasta right then and there. How could I cheat on Italian food, especially since it’s been so kind to me over the years? I’ll tell you how. There’s just something about the spices, zest, ingredients, and flavors of Mexican/Tex Mex that keep me wanting more…and more…and more.

My husband couldn’t agree more with me and we both determined that our second favorite love is Italian. See? We’re not that mean to pasta. At least we didn’t drop it to the bottom of the list.

The next stop was Tequila Town. That’s right, what is a margarita without a little bit of tequila? That would just be blasphemy. Upon arrival at our home, we quickly got to work creating margaritas and our Mexican Fiesta. The weather was perfect in D.C. for a BBQ so we turned up the music and sat outside enjoying each other’s company, as well as the good eats and delicious drinks that we created.

Rice with Black Beans, Cilantro, and Lime

Ingredients:

• 1 cup white rice
• 2 cups water
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 pablano pepper
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 – 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/4 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon Chipotle seasoning
• Juice from one lime
• Salt and pepper (to taste)

Directions:

1. Pour white rice and water into a 2-qt bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Place into the mircrowave and cook on high for 5 minutes. Keep the bowl in the microwave and cook for 15 minutes at 50%. Remove from the microwave and fluff with fork and mix with butter. Set aside.
2. Char the pablano pepper by either placing it on the grill or over a burner on your gas stove. Make sure the outside of the pepper becomes blackened. Rub the blackened exterior by rubbing the pepper with a paper towel. Remove the seeds of the pepper and chop.
3. In a large saute pan, combine the rice, pepper, and the rest of the ingredients and keep over medium heat until warm. Constantly toss the mixture to make sure everything is combined.

What is your favorite type of food?