What better way to save money on your budget than to make a meal with beans and rice? Not only are they cost efficient, they are very nutritious. Rice is rich in starch (excellent source of energy), iron, Vitamin B and protein. Beans contain iron and more protein so you will get your total protein requirement for the day. For the vegetarians, this serves as a great lunch or dinner and if you require a little more, you can easily add chicken or the meat of your choice.
I have found myself in the natural food aisles more and more these days to check out their new products. What was once a couple small rows has turned into 5 large aisles in my grocery store so I’m always trolling for sales. The regular prices are still outrageous but I love to scoop up the bargains when they pop up. Last week they had organic tomatoes and kidney beans on sale so I bought them without knowing what I would do with them but they are two items that you’ll always use, right?
What a great surprise the tomatoes were! They are so flavourful that I will never go back to regular. I picked up a 28 oz can for $1.29 (reg. $2.99) so that was even cheaper than the regular ones. I didn’t really notice a difference in the kidney beans but I love that there are no preservatives in the can. So when I decided to do budget meals, I immediately thought of my sales items and Mexican Beans, Tomatoes and Rice was born.
This dish has hundreds of varieties but I wanted to really bring the flavours to life and I think the addition of fresh cilantro and oregano makes this a success. If you don’t care for the heat, skip the Thai chile pepper. I loved the avocados and yogurt with this. In the picture below, I’ve added chicken and it definitely made for a filling meal. I loved this and will definitely be adding it to my regular meal rotation. Cheers!
- 1 cup uncooked brown rice
- 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- 5 cloves of fresh garlic, finely chopped (or jarred, minced)
- 5 green onions, chopped
- 1 red Thai chili pepper, seeded and diced
- 1 14 oz can of red kidney beans, rinsed and drains (or black beans)
- 1 14 oz. can of petite-cut tomatoes (organic if you can find it)
- 1 teaspoon of sea salt
- 2 teaspoons of cumin
- 1 teaspoon of chili powder
- 1/4 cup of fresh oregano, chopped
- 1/4 cup of fresh cilantro, chopped
- Cook rice according to directions and set aside.
- Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over med-high heat. Add garlic, green onions and Thai chili pepper and stir for 1 minute.
- Add the beans, salt, cumin and chili powder mixing well for 1 minute, ensuring the beans absorb the spices.
- Add tomatoes and 1/4 cup of water, turning heat down slightly to let the mixture come to a gentle boil for 5 minutes. (if you don’t like this dish saucy, eliminate the water)
- Add rice, oregano and cilantro and mix well until rice is heated through.
- Optional:
- Serve with avocado and a dollop of yogurt.
PIN IT!
34 Comments
Mindy
January 7, 2014 at 7:23 pmRobyn, you really scored with the discount on those tomatoes! I love beans, rice and tomatoes and most anything made from them. Another budget stretcher for me to consider – thanks~!
Robyn
January 8, 2014 at 8:13 amI know, Mindy! I went back later in the day and bought a dozen, lol. I can’t get over the difference in taste. I had not cooked this type of dish in a long time and now I find I want to eat it again and again! I think it’s the heat in it – love that. Have a great Wednesday!
Stephanie
January 8, 2014 at 11:09 amHi Robyn! Not sure why, but the comment thing is doing that silly thing again where it says I’m not connected to leave a comment…so strange!
Anyway, this looks delish!! I love rice and beans together for lunch and this mix sounds perfect. Will definitely be trying soon 🙂
Thanks for sharing and big hugs to you!
Robyn
January 8, 2014 at 12:11 pmHmmmm, I’m not sure what to tell you about that, Stephanie. I’ll do a search in the support forums and see if it’s a common problem. Darn thing!
Thanks for your kind words. Always so happy when you visit!
Mindy
January 10, 2014 at 9:11 pmGood for you! Always good to stock up on a sale.
simple green moms
January 8, 2014 at 11:05 amYum! We love all kinds of Mexican food and this looks delicious =) thanks for sharing!
Robyn
January 8, 2014 at 12:12 pmThanks for visiting and your kind words. Off to check out your blog 🙂
Nina
January 9, 2014 at 12:52 pmDear Robyn, we, portuguese, do love tomatoes, beans and rice!
This is the perfect meal!
beijo
Robyn
January 9, 2014 at 1:01 pmThanks Nina! I have come to love them too! So glad you like the recipe, my friend.
jugglingrealfoodandreallife
January 10, 2014 at 3:49 pmHi Robyn! I’m stopping in from Let’s Get Real today. Your budget-friendly series is great. You are right. The budget is a little tight this month. Recovering from Christmas, extra expenses with the kids, and trying to save for a small trip……..These dishes are great proof that you can eat healthy on a budget. Not only that…..that look absolutely delicious. I can’t wait to get into my kitchen to try this and the soup. I think they are made more budget friendly because I will have leftovers for another meal or two.
Miz Helen
January 10, 2014 at 4:43 pmWhat a great dish, I just love the flavors in your Mexican Beans and Rice. Thank you so much for Full Plate Thursday and have a great weekend.
Miz Helen
Kathy @ Melding Magic
January 11, 2014 at 8:28 amStopping by from Best of the Weekend to say hi! I love anything Mexican and that dish looks so fresh and appetizing. Have a great weekend.
Robyn
January 11, 2014 at 4:33 pmThanks for the visit, Kathy. I enjoyed hooking up your party.
Mami Made It
January 12, 2014 at 6:56 amLove Mexican food! Your dish looks delicious!
Robyn
January 12, 2014 at 7:13 amThanks so much, Mami. Have a great Sunday.
Karly
January 13, 2014 at 9:25 pmThis looks like something the whole family will enjoy! Thanks for linking up with What’s Cookin’ Wednesday!
Robyn
January 14, 2014 at 6:02 amThanks, Karly. I actually made this again last night. I am addicted, lol.
Diane (@SimpleLivingEat)
January 14, 2014 at 6:55 pmI try to make a bean dish once a week. It’s healthy and truly a cost saver. Thanks so much for sharing this dish with us on foodie friday.
Kathy
January 15, 2014 at 4:01 pmWow, this looks delicious! Love the combination of beans and rice! I do appreciate you sharing with Home and Garden Thursday,
Kathy
Robyn
January 16, 2014 at 8:59 amThanks, Kathy!
Adelina Priddis
January 16, 2014 at 4:44 pmSounds delicious! We love Mexican cuisine around here, so I think we’ll give it a try.
Joyce @ It's Your Life
January 16, 2014 at 7:21 pmOh my another wonderful dish you shared on Real Food Fridays. Pinned to my everything yummy board, and shared on g+.
dadriscoll
January 17, 2014 at 6:03 pmRobyn, this looks a-maz-ing! We love rice and beans over here, especially my 4 year old. Thanks for sharing at Silver Pennies Sundays. x
Robyn
January 18, 2014 at 9:16 amThanks so much, Danielle. I’ve just recently become a fan of this combo and can’t seem to get enough!
Joy @ Yesterfood
January 18, 2014 at 2:50 pmRobyn, your blog is just beautiful. I couldn’t decide what to browse through first- everything looks so inviting! 🙂 I finally decided (quickly!) on this post- I’m such a fan of Mexican food, I knew I wanted to take a look at this. Gorgeous, and I love all of the ingredients you used. I like spicy foods, so I think I would be brave and go for the Thai chili pepper! And all that fresh cilantro- yes, please! 🙂
I have recently started a new link party, Treasure Box Tuesday (6 a.m. Central Time). If you’d ever like to share some of these lovely dishes, I’d love to see you.
Hope you have a wonderful weekend!
Robyn
January 20, 2014 at 6:53 amThanks so much, Joy. I’d love to join your party. See you Tuesday!
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January 19, 2014 at 4:31 am[…] Mexican Beans, Tomatoes and Rice from Simply Fresh Dinners […]
Stacy @ Huddlenet.com
April 4, 2014 at 8:56 pmFound this on the Saturday Blog Hop .. it looks delicious. Can’t wait to serve it up to my hubby! Thanks for sharing ~Stacy @ Huddlenet.com
Robyn
April 5, 2014 at 8:27 amThanks, Stacy! I really loved this and made it several times over the winter months. I think I need to concoct a summer version now. Thanks for visiting!
Jamie H
April 8, 2014 at 11:15 pmThis sounds delicious! Rice and beans definitely makes for a filling meal, but you’ve made it into a tasty one as well! Thanks for sharing at Saturday Dishes- I’ve pinned your links, and I hope to see you back with more amazing recipes next week!
Robyn
April 9, 2014 at 7:42 amThanks so much, Jamie. See you Saturday!
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Jamie H
April 10, 2014 at 11:14 pmRobyn, I wanted to let you know that I’m featuring this recipe in a Budget Friendly Meal roundup tomorrow morning. Thanks again!
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