Black Bean and Cilantro Lime Rice

I love, love, love Chipotle. They're my go-to when I need a quick, healthy, gluten-free meal. The salad is awesome (I could drink the dressing with a straw) and the tacos are good (though not super filling); the burrito bowl is my "usual" - with rice, beans, chicken, salsa and guacamole - it always hits the spot.

But sometimes it's good to branch out, and by branch out I mean make it yourself and dare I say, make it more delicious? The "secret sauce" to this meal is the chorizo (from here): fatty, spicy pork which gets balanced out by the mild cilantro rice and creamy, chunky avocado.

If I were on that show "The Taste," I think my spoonful for the judges would be the chorizo, rice, avocado triple-threat. But I digress.
 
Here's what our burrito bowl consisted of: black bean and cilantro lime rice, pan fried chorizo and a topping of fresh tomato and avocado with another squeeze of lime. It was simple and despite being the dead of winter, it was a nice fresh meal that made me think of warmer days.

Since the latter two layers are pretty self explanatory, I'll share with you how I made the black bean and cilantro lime rice.

Gluten-free, Dairy-free Black Bean and Cilantro Lime Rice

1 cup cooked long grain rice
2 cups water
1 lime
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
salt to taste
1 large bunch cilantro, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups cooked black beans (can or dried, soaked and cooked - your choice)

Cook the rice according to package directions (I cooked mine in a rice cooker). Meanwhile, add one tablespoon of olive oil to a small saucepan over medium low heat, add the beans and cook until thoroughly heated through. In a large bowl add the rice, the cooked beans, the juice of one lime, one tablespoon of olive oil, the cilantro, and the salt. Toss gently with a spoon. 

Serve with the chorizo, tomato and avocado or eat on its own. Mixing rice and beans makes a complete protein and therefore a pretty filling dish in itself. 

*Can you spot the one-year-old in the photo above?

Turkey Taco Casserole

When I was a kid, it was a big deal when Taco Bell opened near us. Their advertising campaign made me drool: crunchy shell, ground "meat" and cheese = super kid friendly.

Even my dad was pretty excited, "A whole box of tacos for five bucks!" You bet that looked appealing for a family of four.

And now as a mom I totally get that. Spending five bucks on dinner for the family is awesome!

But, now we know that what's in those tacos isn't exactly awesome...

"... Taco Bell states that its beef recipe is 88% beef and 12% seasonings, spices, water and other ingredients. Some of those "other ingredients" aren't things you are likely to add to your own beef for family taco night..."

And certainly not gluten free.

(Slightly on topic - did anyone else see that Chipotle commercial last night during the Grammy's? It's nice to see a chain focus on the quality of food they use.)

But the point of this post isn't to rag on Taco Bell or get all judgmental on fast food; it's to share with you a taco recipe I made last night. This isn't something you'll find in Mexico or the southwest. But it's something you'll find on our table at least once a month. It's simple, relatively inexpensive and features one of my favorite Mexican (or Spanish) imports: chorizo.

Ground Turkey Taco Casserole

1 medium onion, chopped

1/2 cup crumbled chorizo (chopped if it is Spanish chorizo)

1 lb ground turkey

1 tablespoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon each of: garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, dried oregano, hot paprika

1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper

16 oz can of ranchero style refried beans

1 jar of your favorite salsa (I like Green Mountain Gringo)

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

10 corn tortillas

Preheat oven to 350 F and lightly oil a 9x13 casserole dish. Saute the onion and chorizo over medium-low heat until fragrant (you may not need oil on the pan if the chorizo is fatty enough). Add the ground turkey and all of the spices. Cook until the turkey is no longer pink. Layer 5 of the corn tortillas on the bottom of the casserole dish. Spoon half of the ground turkey mixture over that and half of the salsa on top of that. Then add a cup of the shredded cheese.

Layer the next five corn tortillas on top and continue with the other layers. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes.

Serve with salsa and sour cream on the side. I also put together a salad of romaine lettuce, tomato and avocado and whisked together a quick salad dressing of mayonnaise, agave and lime juice - add chili powder, cumin and salt and pepper to taste.