Rice and Beans, Beans and Rice

When our food budget is out of control, we go back to [insert sing-songy voice] "rice and beans, beans and rice." I think the first time I did it I made normal rice and heated up some cans of black beans. Then maybe added some cheese. Ate them in cheap tortillas a couple times. So boring. Now, I'm pretty happy with this meal, though it's not as simple as it started out.

Rice in the rice cooker (jasmine or a fancy kind is yummiest, of course, but we do regular and brown too)
3 rice cooker cups (perfect amount for us)
cilantro leaves, chopped
splash of lemon or lime juice
splash of olive oil or butter
chicken/vegetable broth up to the #3 line

Black beans (in all honesty, Hans still prefers them straight out of a can, but not me!)
Saute onion and garlic in olive oil/butter/broth
Add rinsed and drained canned black beans (we need 2 cans for our family)
chicken/vegetable broth or water
Let simmer for a while to make the beans nice and soft(er) and yummy

Homemade tortillas
Let's be honest, I'm such a bad roller-outer that mine are more the thickness of pita bread

Cafe Rio copycat dressing. This has become an obligation--enough that Luke will mix it up himself.

Shredded lettuce, maybe salsa or fresh tomatoes.

No one even asks for cheese.



Oh, and last time I bought cilantro I chopped the whole bunch and then froze what I wasn't using then in ice cubes to use later. Perfect for the salad dressing and rice!


Here's the beef copycat that we used for New Year's 2018 nachos (nacho sauce in #10 can from C*stco). We seared the beef before putting it in the crock pot, and we kept the onions in instead of discarding them. Oh, and then we reduced some of the liquid afterward to make it thicker.