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Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Quick 'n Easy Mexican Bowls

I don't miss a lot of things about Rexburg, ID, especially not the weather. Or climbing over the 7-foot-tall snow mountains that American Manor Apartments would shovel in the middle of my path to campus. One thing I do miss, however, is Bajio's. Sure, they have Bajio's in other states, but not here in Colorado. We didn't go a lot, but when we did I'd always get one of their bowls, loaded with rice, beans, cheese, chicken, and all sorts of other yumminess. I know Bajio's isn't real Mexican food, and neither is my "recipe," but I'm a gringo and it's the closest thing to Mexican food you're gonna get from me.

This isn't really a recipe, it's mostly just a list of things I throw together to resemble those Bajio's bowls. I had it for dinner tonight, so it's fresh on my mind!

Chicken breasts
Salsa
Black Beans
Corn
Cooked brown rice
Reduced-fat shredded cheese

I start by placing the chicken breasts in an oven pan, then covering them with as much salsa as you want and baking for about 20 to 30 minutes at 350 degrees. The time will differ depending on the size of the chicken breasts. Once the chicken is cooked, shred it or cut it into bite-size chunks. This allows the chicken to pick up the flavors of the salsa. If you already have plain cooked chicken breast, you can use that also and just top it with some salsa.

Spoon the chicken, corn, and black beans over the brown rice in a single-serving bowl. Sprinkle a tiny bit of shredded cheese over everything, just enough to get a little cheese in every bite, but not so much that you can't see the food underneath. Microwave just long enough to melt the cheese. Repeat for each bowl.

That's it! But I don't want to hear about anyone cheating and not using brown rice. It takes longer to cook, but I just throw it in my rice cooker while the chicken is baking and it's done. I've never been sorry about my rice cooker investment. I love that thing. Once you start eating brown rice instead of white, you'll realize it's got some personality to it. It's a little nutty, and it adds a different texture too. I miss my white rice on occasion, but brown rice really is so much healthier.

If you don't over-do it on the cheese, these bowls are pretty healthy for you, and filling too. We all know that chicken breast is a wonderful lean protein, and that beans are great for us too. Salsa is an excellent low-cal topping, so add as much as you want. Corn isn't exactly the healthiest vegetable, but I like it in Mexican dishes. You can always replace it with onions, peppers, or any other vegetable you like.

Salud!

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