Cast-iron Spanish Rice and Beans

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My cast iron Spanish Rice and Beans recipe is a super easy and quick side dish that’s a great addition to any entree! This recipe is made up of mostly entirely pantry and freezer ingredients that you probably already have on hand. It just so happens that all the ingredients for this recipe were purchased from Trader Joe’s because their healthy freezer options and canned goods are endless and super affordable. Check out my blog post, "The Ultimate Healthy Trader Joe’s Shopping Guide”, for more of my favorite Trader Joe’s staples! I love to use the Trader Joe’s White Rice Freezer packs, that easily steam in the microwave, to make this recipe even faster to prepare (no one has time to wait for rice to cook from scratch). I add in a freezer bag of Trader Joe’s Roasted Corn, a can of Trader Joe’s Fire Roasted Tomatoes with green chilis, and a can of their Organic Black Beans to bulk up the recipe. Finish off with some spices and herbs, juice of a lime, and a little tomato paste and this recipe is complete! Despite this side dish being so fast and easy, it’s packed with flavor!


This side dish is a perfect pairing to an endless list of entrees. I love to pair this rice with quesadillas, fish, fajitas, tacos, burritos, nachos etc. I will also use it as a base for Chipotle style burrito bowls. It’s also great to throw into a tortilla soup or even chili to make it a more filling and satiating meal. This recipe is not only easy and quick to prepare but it’s also a really healthy carb source. It is naturally gluten-free, refined sugar-free and dairy-free. BONUS: The whole recipe is prepared in a single cast iron pan for super easy clean up!


ingredients:

-2 freezer bags of Trader Joe’s Organic Jasmine Rice (or 4 cups cooked white rice)
-1 cup Trader Joe’s Roasted Corn (or 1 cup canned corn, liquid drained)
-1/2 cup organic Black Beans (canned; drain liquid)
-1/2 can Fire Roasted Tomatoes with Green Chilis; with liquid
-1 tbsp Tomato Paste
-Juice of 1 Lime
-1/2 tsp Cumin
-1 tsp chili powder
-1/2 tsp garlic powder
-1/2 tsp onion powder
-Salt/pepper to taste
-1/4 cup chopped cilantro

instructions:

1. Heat a large cast skillet over medium-high heat. Spray with olive oil or avocado oil spray. Add one freezer bag of Trader Joe’s Roasted Corn and prepare according to package directions (If using canned corn omit this step and add in at step 3)

2. Microwave 2 freezer bags of Trader Joe’s Organic Jasmine Rice and add to cast iron (if using pre-cooked white rice add in now)

3. Add in black beans, fire roasted tomatoes, tomato paste, juice of lime, and all spices. Stir to combine

4. Reduce heat to medium-low. Stir in 1/2 of the chopped cilantro, reserving the rest. Continue to cook until everything is cooked through and warmed.

5. If the mixture is too dry and sticking to cast iron, add in 2 tbsp of water a time to prevent from burning, during cooking process in above step.

6. Remove from heat and garnish with additional cilantro.

MAKES 4; 1 cup SERVINGS / APPROX. 296 CALS PER SERVING

GLUTEN-FREE/ DAIRY-FREE/ REFINED SUGAR-FREE/ PANTRY INGREDIENTS

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