Recipes

Friday, March 8, 2013

Healthy Mexican Beans and "Rice"

Lately, I've been thinking about politics ALL the time....I mean who can't?? It's always coming at us from all angles and for whatever reason it has yet to be good news.

But...I've been wondering why as Americans we are in this predicament as a country. Now before you think I'm going to list everything that has gone wrong, I definitely am not. I know there's plenty of things to trace our problems back to and that many of these things would have happened no matter what. One thing I feel though is that we've had a few generations of complacent people who decided to leave the business of running the country up to the government instead of where it should be: in the hands of the people. No matter what side someone is for they should never sit back and just let the government happen to them. Know why you support something and be involved because this is the country your leaving to the generations to come!

Now back to the food....how does politics tie in? It ties in, don't worry. If you've read any of my other blogs posts, you know I'm a huge advocate of healthy food, exercise, and using as many natural substances as possible. I believe in being in charge of your health. Unfortunately, I feel like most of Americans, just like with politics, over the past couple of generations have become lazy with their food and health. They just sit back and let the food industry happen to them assuming that if its on the grocery shelves it can't be all that bad for them. The sad thing is that processed food and unnatural ingredients wreak as much havoc on our bodies as not paying attention to politics has wreaked on our nation. Eating unhealthy and processed foods can have such an effect on our bodies that it can affect our joints, our ability to exercise, lose weight, stress levels, can cause depression and mood swings, muscle damage, and intestinal problems. I don't know about ya'll, but people are living longer due to all the ways to sustain life now. So if I'm going to get old, I want to be as healthy as I can until I die.

Oh right, back to the recipe. So here's a simple, fast recipe to add to your healthy recipe lists!

What you Need:
1 cup Quinoa
1 can refried beans
Salsa

Garnishes (optional):
Cheese
Avocado
Lettuce
Tomatos

What to Do:  This recipe is sooooo simple and that's why I love it soooo much!
 1. Cook 1 cup quinoa according to package directions
 2. Mix in salsa to taste (I use PACE medium...it gives the best flavor)
 3. Mix in 1 can refried beans (I use Rosaritas vegetarian beans)
 4. Stir until it reaches a nice consistency. Taste and add more salsa if necessary.
 5. Garnish with whatever you like to eat with your beans and rice

Why I love this Recipe:
1. It seriously almost makes itself
2. It has great flavor, when sometimes (if you're willing to admit it) quinoa can be pretty bland; that's why it has to be mixed with stuff!
3. If you're super savvy, you can make your own refried beans or use whole pinto beans or black beans. I don't eat enough refried beans to make it worth making mine from scratch and if you find the right kind of brand it won't have all that processed junk.
4. This taste great with fajitas...try it!

Garnished with Cheese!

Put into Fajitas!