A hearty vegetarian meal or snack

I love Chipotle. I especially love their rice and whatever it is they do to their veggies that make them taste so tangy and spicy. I've been fooling around with rice dishes for a while, trying to get somewhere close to replicating the flavor. I think lime juice is a key factor.

On Saturday I threw together this dish after reading a few recipes and getting spice ideas.

Spicy Lime Rice with Black Beans
2 to 3 cups cooked white rice
Water
Canola oil
2 limes
Cumin
Crushed red pepper flakes
Garlic powder
Salt
1 can of black beans
Greek yogurt (can substitute sour cream or maybe plain yogurt)

Time: Under 20 min, start to finish, if you start with cooked rice.
Yield: About 3 main course portions or 5-6 side helpings

Directions: Spoon the cooked rice into a frying pan or skillet (I used a nonstick pan). Gently break up any clumps. If your cooked rice has dried out in the fridge like mine had, add some water so you can see a bit of water in the pan below the rice. Pour a bit of canola oil on the rice and mix it in (a couple tablespoons). Cut two limes in half and juice them over the rice. You can leave the lime halves on top of the rice while you cook if you like (I'd take them out once you add the beans). Open the beans, drain and wash them using a colander. Set aside for now.

Sprinkle the cumin, crushed red pepper flakes, garlic powder, and salt onto the rice. Mix the rice and turn on the heat to medium. Give it a couple of minutes to warm up, then mix it and taste to gauge if you want more spices. I made it a little spicier than I'd want because the beans will take up some of the spices. Once it tastes citrusy and spicy, add the beans. Stir them in and let them heat up with the rice. I don't like to stir the beans too much because they can mush. As the beans get hot, taste the mixture once more then either add more spices and repeat or kill the heat.

Serve piping hot on a plate. Spoon a hearty dollop of Greek yogurt on the side (we like Fage Total 0%). I like to grab a bit of rice and beans and a bit of yogurt on my fork at the same time. The hot and cool contrast (in both temperature and spiciness) is very enjoyable. Have fun and enjoy this dish!

Additional notes: I already had cooked rice on hand, so I don't know about proportions. Just play around with the flavors. They go together pretty well so as long as you add the cumin/red pepper/garlic in semi-even amounts, they should blend well. The dish doesn't really need a lot of salt; just a little salt tastes so good with the lime flavor.

This recipe is vegetarian and rich in protein and fiber. It's also almost as tasty as a microwaved leftover as it is straight from the frying pan. So you can make a bunch and save it for lunches or a hearty snack. If it dries in the fridge, just add a bit of water before microwaving to perk it up a bit.