Fajita Rice Bowl
Growing up with a mother who knows her way around a kitchen has pluses and minuses. The pluses of course would be that you are well fed and develop a joy of cooking. The minuses would be that you hardly went out to eat because mom always believed she “could make it better than any restaurant.” Just like Eddie Murphy explains in his 1987 standup movie RAW: “Ma, I wanna stop and get some McDonald’s…I’ll make you a hamburger better than McDonald’s.” “You cook better than McDonald’s?” “That’s right.” So, I grew up thinking that my mom could make food better than any restaurant.
Fast-forward to my formative high-school years, and like any good teenager, I didn’t believe or trust anything that she had said or would say. Yes, upon my entrance into high-school, I was gifted with an infinite wisdom and understanding about everything. And when it came to food, I knew in my heart of hearts that much better fare awaited me outside my mother’s kitchen. There were great places to try like Bennigan’s, Shoney’s, and Casa Gallardo.
Now, don’t get me started about the Monte Cristo sandwich at Bennigan’s or the chocolate fudge brownie sundae at Shoney’s. I mean mom never battered and deep fried an entire sandwich much less covered a brownie with heaping scoops of ice cream and chocolate sauce. But the fajitas at Casa Gallardo were a masterpiece. Sizzling plates of goodness were brought directly to your table so hot that a silver protective sleeve had to be put on the cast iron plate handle. We never got protective sleeves at home.
But, I soon found out that all that sizzle covered up the fact that Casa Gallardo was just serving me cheap Mexican food. That is probably why the restaurant didn’t last very long. Maybe mom knew something after all? However, that first introduction to fajitas gave me the inspiration for my next dish. I give you my version of the FAJITA RICE BOWL. No sizzling plates are needed in this recipe because the food and flavors speak for themselves. OLE!!
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Basmati Rice
- 3 ½ Cup Vegetable Stock (divided use)
- 2 15oz. Cans of Black Beans
- ¼ Cup Onion (diced)
- 2 Garlic Cloves (minced)
- 1 Tsp. Chili Powder
- 1 Tsp. Cumin
- 1 Tsp. Dried Oregano
- ½ Cup Beer
- 1 Tbs. Fresh Cilantro (chopped)
- 2 Ears of Corn
- 2 Bell Peppers (1-red, 1-yellow)
- 1 Med. Red Onion (sliced thick)
- 1 Pint Cherry Tomatoes
- Cooking Spray
- ½ Avocado
- ¼ Cup Lime Juice
- 2 Tbs. Fresh Cilantro
- 1 Garlic Clove
- 1 Tsp. Cumin
- 1 Tsp. Smoked Paprika
- 1 Tsp. Agave Nectar
- Salt and Pepper to Taste
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Place your tomatoes on a cookie sheet coated with cooking spray. Once the oven is hot, roast the tomatoes for about 20 minutes or until browned on the edges. Also, wrap your ears of corn along with 1 tablespoon of water in foil. Roast these for 20 minutes as well. As the tomatoes and corn cook, add your rice and 1 ½ cups of vegetable broth to a saucepan. Cook according to the directions on the package. You can use brown rice or quinoa for this dish but I happened to have some basmati in the pantry.
With the rice, corn, and tomatoes cooking away, in a separate saucepan, add the beans, onions, garlic, spices, beer and remaining vegetable broth. Bring this mix to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cook uncovered until most of the liquid has evaporated (about 20 minutes). Finish the beans with a tablespoon of chopped cilantro, and remove your tomatoes and corn from the oven. They should all be done by now. Then head outside to fire up the grill.
While the grill heats up, put your tomatoes in a blender or food processor. Add in your avocado (for creaminess) lime juice, cilantro, garlic, cumin, paprika, and agave. Blend or puree this mix until smooth. Now adjust the taste to your liking with salt and pepper. Set this dressing aside, grab the rest of your beer (you can’t let it go to waste), grab your bell peppers, onion, and corn, and head out to the grill.
Cook the onions over medium high heat first for about 3 minutes a side or until they have nice dark grill marks. Flip and cook for another 3 minutes then place them on a cool part of the grill. Let the onions bake for about 5 minutes then add your pepper slices. Cook the peppers about 3 minutes a side as well. Then place these near the onions and add your corn. The corn is cooked but cooking them about 2 minutes a side will add some nice color and allow some of the sugars in the kernels to caramelize. Finish the beer and head back in the house.
https://www.grassfedcarnivore.com/vegetable-fajitas/
Veggies on the Grill
Cut your onions and peppers into long strips like you would see on a fajita platter. Run a sharp knife down each ear of corn removing the kernels. Now grab a big bowl and place a heaping spoonful of rice on the plate. Top with beans and arrange the chopped veggies around this mix. Then drizzle your tomato vinaigrette over the entire dish. Finish the dish with a sprinkle of cilantro and a squeeze of fresh lime juice. And voila, all the flavor without any of the sizzle. No need to go out because you CAN cook better than any restaurant. Longer Letter Later.
A Bowl of Fajita Love
Love, Bob aka The Grassfed Carnivore
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