Mexican Cauliflower Rice and Black Beans
I hate to say it, but most of the time when I eat Mexican food I feel guilty like I am eating something “not so healthy” for me. Don’t get me wrong…I LOVE pretty much all Mexican food! It’s just that I have a difficult time finding my balance with eating it. We pretty much do some sort of taco or other Mexican dish every Tuesday (makes for easy meal planning!) and usually don’t need much for side dishes. However, the other night we were having our leftover tamales and I needed something to go with them. That’s when I decided to use the cauliflower rice I had picked up fpr something else and turn it into a tasty beans and rice dish. This did not disappoint! The best part? It’s loaded with veggies so I don’t feel as bad when I eat my cheese and chorizo tamale along with it and its super easy to make!
Mexican Cauliflower Rice and Black Beans
If you are looking for a tasty go-to side dish that is loaded with veggies and will pretty much go with any Mexican dish, this is it!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 large sides 1x
Ingredients
- 1 small head of cauliflower, riced or 1 10oz bag of already riced cauliflower
- 1 TBL olive oil
- 1/2 of a medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 jalapeno, ribs removed and chopped (remove the seeds if you want less heat)
- 1/2 large orange or yellow bell pepper, diced
- 1 10oz can of Rotel (diced tomatoes with green chilies) I like the Mexican Style or the Fire Roasted. Depending on what flavor you choose, you can adjust your seasonings to fit your liking.
- 1 15.5oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
- These are the seasonings I add – cumin, smoked paprika, cayenne and a little dash of salt. Be creative here and add what and however much you’d like based on your Rotel that you use.
- You can also add some fresh lime juice and cilantro
Instructions
If you are making your own cauliflower rice, cut the cauliflower into florets and place in your food processor. Pulse until the cauliflower gets to a rice consistency.
Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the onion, pepper and jalapeno and saute until they are almost soft, but not quite (about 4 minutes). Add the garlic and saute another minute. Next, add in the cauliflower and the Rotel and continue sauteing until the rice has reached the consistency of your liking. You can even cover it for a bit to let the juices soak in. Once it is pretty much cooked to your liking, add in the black beans and season with the cumin, smoked paprika, cayenne and salt. Once the beans are heated through it is ready to be served. Top with some fresh lime juice or cilantro if you’d like.
Notes
Play with the seasonings. You may want to add some chili powder as well. Skip the cayenne if you don’t want to heat. You do you!
Keywords: cauliflower rice, Mexican rice, Rotel, vegetable side
