Black Bean and Cauliflower Rice
/I’ve said it before. In fact- I’ve said it multiple times before. I FRICKin love Mexican food.
Okay, if you want to really be honest- I love ethnic food in general. However, Mexican/Tex-Mex style food is SO QUICK AND EASY to make at home, it’s one of my go-tos when I’m short on time (always), or need an extra meal in my menu for the week.
But the problem with many of these dishes (other than a taco salad) is that they don’t innately come with lots of veggies. And if you’ve been around me for any length of time, you know how I feel about veggies. They’re kinda important.
Often, I’ll make a Nica Salad, which is a Nicaraguan dish my sister discovered while she was living in Managua. But while I love it (and it’s SUPER easy to make if you buy the pre-cut mix), the hubs isn’t super into cabbage. I mean, he’ll eat it, it’s just not his favorite. So I wanted to figure out a way to add more veggies to my repertoire when it came to serving Mexican food. Oh, and it needed to be quick and easy (because, obviously).
Enter this Easy Cheesy Black Bean and Cauliflower Rice.
The first time I made this we were eating this for LEFTOVERS and I commented about how good the cauliflower turned out and Rob was like, what cauliflower? Oh, you shouldn’t have told me.
He legit didn’t even notice that it was cauliflower and not rice.
Okay, to be fair- he was working crazy hours and had a lot on his mind, but FRIENDS! This recipe is a winner. And because I created it in desperation with the things I had in my freezer, fridge and pantry, it’s ridiculously easy.
Trust me. Try it. You can thank me later.
Cheesy Black Bean and Cauliflower Rice
1 TBSP avocado or olive oil (plus more if needed)
1 pkg Cauliflower Rice (I used Trader Joe’s Frozen. You could also rice your own cauliflower if you really want to)
.5-1 medium onion (use what you got)
2-4 cloves garlic
1 tsp dried oregano
½ tsp ground cumin
Salt
Pepper
1 can (15oz) Black Beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (15oz) diced tomatoes, rinsed and drained
1 jalapeño (optional)
.5- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat.
Add onion and cook until soft (approx. 5 minutes)
Add garlic, oregano, and cumin. Cook until fragrant (approx. 1 minute)
Add cauliflower and season with salt and pepper adding more oil if needed (you probably won’t have to add oil if you are using frozen, you may need to add if you are using fresh). Cook until tender, stirring occasionally (approx. 5 minutes)
Add black beans, tomatoes, and jalapeños. Stir until combined.
Top with cheese and cover with lid until melted (approx. 2 minutes)
BONUS RESOURCES
Taco Salad Bar
Easy Cinco de Mayo Fiesta
Guilt Free Cinco de Mayo
Skinny Margaritas (Fresh)
Guacamole – Super (Bowl) Snack
Cinco de Mayo