I basically ran out the door to pick up ingredients for this fabulous dish from our feature chef, Stephanie Ito of Nourish Personal Chef + Catering the moment I opened her email. Here's what Stephanie has to share about her favorite dish from the month of July, Black Bean and Mushroom Bowls:
This month I surprised myself by the recipe that I chose as “the best thing I made this month”. I made it at the beginning of the month, and then again less than three weeks later. That NEVER happens in my house. I am always trying new recipes, and I like a lot of variety and not to eat the same thing all the time. But, this recipe is so delicious and satisfying and healthy that I wanted to have it again. The first time I cooked it for myself and my husband for dinner, I ate it that night and then the next FOUR days for lunch. And I am not a fan of leftovers - this was definitely an exception to that rule.
I might not have made this recipe at all, not being a big fan of black beans. But, I made this in burrito form (the original recipe that I adapted to get to the bowls) for one of my clients. One of the cardinal rules of being a chef is that you have to taste everything – to make sure the seasoning is right and everything tastes good. I was surprised when I LOVED the filling. Since there are also a lot of mushrooms in the dish, the texture of the beans (which is what I object to) was not overpowering.
This is an easy meatless meal that is a snap to put together. It takes one skillet and a rice cooker or saucepan. On its own it is even vegan (if you don’t add cheese and sour cream like I like to). Using purchased salsa as one of the ingredients adds a lot of flavor with a minimum of fuss, so it is perfect for a weeknight meal. (I like the Frontera Grill and Salpica salsas for this dish if you can find them in your grocery store.) When I made this dish this week for dinner, it took about 20 minutes start to finish. This recipe can also be adapted in lots of ways. For example, when I made it this week I didn’t have any red peppers on hand, so I used chopped baby carrots instead. Use your favorite vegetables, and enjoy this easy weeknight dinner! I think I’ll have the last of our leftovers for dinner tonight too.
Mushroom and Black Bean Bowls
Adapted from Bon Appétit, January 2003
Makes 4 generous servings
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium onions, sliced
2 red bell peppers, cut into strips
3 garlic cloves, minced
10 ounces crimini mushrooms, sliced
10 ounces button mushrooms, sliced
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
¾ cup purchased tomatillo salsa
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 cups cooked white or brown rice
Additional ingredients for garnishing (optional):
Reduced-fat Mexican Cheese Blend
Reduced-fat sour cream
Chopped Avocado
Chopped Tomato
Preparation:
Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add next 3 ingredients; sauté until onions are soft, about 8 minutes. Add mushrooms and sauté 5 minutes. Stir in chili powder. Sauté until juices evaporate, about 5 minutes. Add beans and salsa, sauté 3 minutes. Stir in cilantro and season with salt and pepper.
In each bowl, mound about ¾ cup rice and top with the mushroom mixture. Garnish as desired with cheese, sour cream, avocado and tomato. Enjoy your burrito-in-a-bowl!
Nourish Personal Chef + Catering provides customized meal services in the Chicago area, offering the convenience of ready-to-eat meals with the taste and nutrition of home-cooked food. We can save you hours each week that you would normally spend preparing meals and going out to eat! We use only the best and freshest ingredients to ensure that your meals are not only delicious, but also well balanced and healthy.
Our services are designed for busy people in all walks of life: professionals with no time to cook, families with children and hectic schedules, older adults who have special dietary requirements, athletes with specific nutritional needs, new parents, and those who just don't enjoy cooking but do enjoy good food! All meals are made just for you - based on your likes and dislikes - and special requests are always welcome.
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