rice & beans...sort of

Hi all,

Again, I was traveling earlier this week (this is a theme that will likely continue till May), but made some yummy lunch today. After reading this post on skinny taste, I got a hankering for rice & beans. Warning: I am a white girl from Long Island. I don't know the first thing about latin cuisine, so this recipe that follows is certainly not authentic at all.

I also was averse to leaving the house this morning/afternoon, so I used what I had in the closet & fridge. I'm normally a huge fan of fresh veggies, but sometimes I have frozen on hand. Today, I used frozen bell peppers I bought a while back to use in a crock pot chili. When things are cooked for a really long time, the freshness doesn't matter quite as much. Also, in the recipe below, I threw in extra veggies to increase the volume.

skinny gringo rice & beans--6 servings at 4 points plus each

1 large yellow onion, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

1/3 bag frozen bell peppers

1 c brown basmati rice

1 14.5 oz can fire roasted tomatoes

1 14.5 oz can black beans

1 c water

1 beef bouillon cube (could use any flavor)

2 c loosely chopped fresh spinach (could sub in frozen)

4 green onions, chopped (white parts only)

1/2 tsp dry thyme

1/2 tsp cumin

1 bay leaf

salt & pepper (black & red) to taste

Coat a large dutch oven with nonstick cooking spray, and cook onions and garlic over medium heat. Once softened, add peppers. Once peppers defrost, add rice, and stir for a few minutes to coat. Add remaining ingredients, stir, and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook on very low for about 40 minutes.

The end result, pictured here was quite yummy. I topped it with 1/2 oz light cheddar cheese & 1 tbsp light sour cream for a very delicious 5 point lunch. Enjoy!