Mexican rice and beans

​​A really simple meal that utilises leftover ingredients (rice) and pantry staples. In fact, did you know that leftover rice is great for your gut health? This is because when rice is cooked and then cooled, it develops resistant starch - food for the good bacteria in your gut. When you reheat the rice, the resistant starch remains in the rice. Pretty cool hey?!

Here's the recipe. It’s a quick one which makes it great for a mid week dinner or a work from home lunch.

Ingredients

1 tbl extra virgin olive oil

1 red onion, finely diced

Salt

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 large tomato, diced (or a punnet of cherry tomatoes, quartered)

1/2 red capsicum, diced

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp cumin

1 1/2 cups leftover rice*

1 x 400 g tin black beans or red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

To serve - fresh coriander, chili flakes, guacamole, grated cheese, corn chips, fried egg

Method

Heat a large fry pan over low heat, add the olive oil, then add the onion with a decent pinch of salt.

Sauté for 5 minutes, add the garlic and stir.

Turn the heat up to medium, add the tomatoes and capsicum, sauté for 2 minutes, then stir through the paprika and cumin.

Add the rice and beans and cook, stirring, for a further 5 minutes or until heated through.

Serve with your choice of sides (or eat it just as it comes!).

*I cook my rice in homemade bone broth for extra nutrients and flavour (bone broth recipe can be found in my book - Nurture the Seed)