Mexican Beef or Chicken Bowls

Mexican Beef or Chicken Bowls

Ingredients

1 pound lean ground beef (or beef-venison mix) OR 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite sized pieces
1 teaspoon each Kosher salt, cumin and Mexican oregano
1 cup white rice
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 large red bell pepper, diced (or combination of colors)
1 jalapeno, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons Kosher salt
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon Mexican oregano
1 tablespoon New Mexican chile powder
1 15-ounce can petite diced tomatoes in juices
3 cups water (or stock)
1 cup corn kernels cut fresh from one large ear (or sub frozen)
1 15-ounce can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
3 scallions, chopped
1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Suggested garnishes: salsa or hot sauce, Hatch chiles in season

Method

Heat large, deep skillet over medium high heat. Season the meat with 1 teaspoon each Kosher salt, cumin and Mexican oregano. Add to pan and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until cooked through. If using beef, break the meat up into chunks as it cooks. Using a slotted spoon, remove meat to a bowl, leaving the fat in the pan. Set chicken aside.

Reduce heat to medium and add rice, onion, bell pepper, jalapeno, garlic and 2 teaspoons Kosher salt. Saute for 4 to 5 minutes until the vegetables have begun to soften. Stir in the tablespoon each of cumin, Mexican oregano and New Mexican chile powder, then add the diced tomatoes and water, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.

Bring the rice mixture to a boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer for about 18 to 20 minutes, or until rice is completely cooked through. Check on it once or twice to make sure it's at a low simmer and the rice isn't sticking.

Once the rice is done, remove cover and stir in corn, beans, scallions, cilantro and reserved chicken or beef. Cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until everything is well combined and heated through.

Serve immediately with desired garnishes.

NOTES

With my well (WELL!)-documented love of one-pot dishes, I am a little flabbergasted that I did not yet have a Mexican-style one posted here. This corrects THAT oversight. Further, when by force of habit I Googled for what I thought I wanted to make, I discovered that no one else had a dish quite like this posted, either. So, this corrects the internet's oversight, too. HA.

Anyway, bottom line: it's a delicious, easy, one-pot, low-cal-yet-large-portion bowl of goodness. Great for dinner, great for leftovers, can easily be adjusted for spice and salt to your personal preference. Make it.