Savory Slow Cooker Beans with Rice

Let this savory bean dish cook all day and have dinner ready when you get home from work. If you want to skip the first step, you can soak dry beans overnight in a large pot of water. These beans get great flavor from celery, garlic, and diced green chiles.
Total Time: 11 hrs. 25 min.
Prep Time: 5 min.
Cooking Time: 10 hrs. 10 min.
Yield: 6 servings, about 1 cup of beans each
Ingredients:
1¼ cups dry red beans (or dry red kidney beans), rinsed
Water
1 medium onion, chopped
2 medium celery stalks, sliced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp. dried basil, crushed
1 bay leaf
2 cups low-sodium organic vegetable broth
1 cups water
1 (14.5-oz.) can stewed tomatoes
1 (4-oz.) can diced green chiles, undrained
Hot sauce (like Tabasco) (to taste; optional)
3 cups cooked brown rice, warm
Preparation:
1. Place beans in large saucepan. Add enough water to cover beans by two inches. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat; gently boil for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand for one hour.
2. Place beans, onion, celery, garlic, basil, bay leaf, broth, water, and tomatoes in 4-quart slow cooker. Cover; cook on low heat for 9 to 10 hours (or on high heat for 4 to 5 hours), or until beans are tender.
3. Remove bay leaf. Add chiles and hot sauce (if desired); cook for an additional 30 minutes.
4. Place ½ cup rice in each of six serving bowls. Top evenly with bean mixture.
Nutritional Information (per serving):
Calories: 279
Total Fat: 1 g
Saturated Fat: 0 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 281 mg
Carbohydrates: 55 g
Fiber: 10 g
Sugar: 5 g
Protein: 12 g
P90X/P90X2 Portions
1½ Vegetable
½ Tuber/Legume Carb
½ Grain Carb
P90X3 Portions
½ Protein
3 Carbs
Body Beast Portions
1 Vegetable
1 Protein
1 Legume
1 Starch
Containers
1 Green
2 Yellows

Copycat Chipotle Steak Bowls

Copycat Chipotle Steak Bowls

My daughter is a HUGE Chipotle fan.  She would eat there every day if she could.  So, we’ve been experimenting with some of their recipes at home.  They are pretty easy, and good for you as well.  We substitute Greek yogurt for sour cream to make them even healthier.   You can make your own chipotle taco/burrito bar at home using the following recipes.  We added salsa, greek yogurt, romaine lettuce and queso fresco to ours as well.

Copycat Chipotle Corn Salsa

12 oz. bag frozen corn, thawed
2 jalapeños, seeded and chopped finely
1/2 red onion, chopped finely
3/4 C. cilantro, chopped
1 Tbsp. lime juice
1/2 tsp. salt
Combine all ingredients and chill well.

Black Beans #1 (salsa)

1 15-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. cumin
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar

Black Beans #2 (warm)

2 15-oz. cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
½ C. chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. oregano
½ tsp. pepper
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. lime juice
Sautee onions and garlic in olive oil until translucent. Add beans and spices. Heat until warm.

Copycat Chipotle Cilantro Lime Rice

1 C. uncooked basmati rice
1 1/2 Tbsp. lime juice
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 C. fresh chopped cilantro
1/2 tsp. salt

In a medium saucepan, heat olive oil on medium.  Add uncooked rice and sauté until it begins to brown slightly.  Add lime juice. Toss to coat.  Add 2 C. water and reduce heat to low.  Cover.  Cook until rice is done, season with salt and cilantro.

Steak Rub

1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. cumin 
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. onion powder
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 pound skirt steak
Combine spices in a small bowl.  Rub steak with the spice combination on both sides before cooking in vegetable oil.