Am I the only one that normally bypasses the pile of rice plopped on my plate at Mexican restaurants?
In most places around me, that rice is an afterthought, a quick and easy way to fill up the plate. I find that most aren’t very flavorful or colorful or appealing. So I push the rice to the side and focus on the other parts of my meal, hoping the staff won’t notice the full pile of rice I hide under my napkin when I’m finished eating.
I know…it’s wasteful. But I know I won’t eat it if I bring it home with me and not every place will let you substitute that rice for something else.
My only option?
Make an amazing Mexican rice side dish myself.
Nick and I had a football date with some friends this past weekend, and our food theme was Mexican. The menu was pretty simple, but delicious:
– grilled steak tacos
– chips with salsa and homemade guacamole
– rice or bean side dish
I was in charge of the side dish and couldn’t decide between rice or beans, so I just mixed everything that I love together in one bowl!
Mexican Rice
- 3 cups cooked brown rice
- 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup corn
- 1/4 cup salsa
- 2-3 scallions, sliced
- 1 Tbsp chili powder (ancho, if you have it)
- 1 Tbsp cumin
- 1/2 Tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 Tbsp garlic powder (or 1 tsp minced garlic)
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
Thankfully, this recipe is extremely easy, too. As long as you have cooked rice, the only other step is to mix everything together – done!
I loved it with the chewy brown rice, but this would also make a great barley or wheatberry salad. In fact, any whole grain would be delicious.
This rice has it all: different textures, different colors, and bold flavors.
Just how I like it.
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