Mexican Skillet Meal

Browsing through my trusty sources while meal planning for the week, I came across this link. I liked the zucchini, I liked the bell pepper, I liked the black beans; this was a fantastic start. It reminded me a little bit of our favorite black-bean-casserole-turned-into-enchiladas dish. To make it more of a nutrient power-house, I decided to substitute the rice for quinoa, cut the cheese and add yellow corn.

Grocery List:

• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1-1/2 cups sliced zucchini, quartered lengthwise
• 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper 
• 1/2 cup sweet yellow corn
•  3/4 can (15 oz) organic black beans, drained, rinsed
•  3/4 can (14.5 oz) Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes with Garlic, undrained
• 1 cup quinoa
• 1/2 tsp. chili powder
• 1/2 tsp. cumin

Start by sauteing your bell pepper and zucchini in a skillet with the olive oil. Cover and let cook for about 10 minutes, until softened.

Add the black beans and the corn, let cook for about 5 minutes, stirring well.

Add the diced fire-roasted tomatoes - while you aren't using the entire can, you do want to get a good amount of the juice because it contains the garlic flavor and acts as a liquid base to keep the dish from becoming too try once you add in your grains.

Finally, add the quinoa, chili powder and cumin for the finishing touches. 

Mix together well, taste test and add whatever you feel you need: salt, pepper, additional chili powder or cumin.

When ready, dish it out onto a plate and serve with your choice of entree or just make this your meal. With plenty leftover, it was my lunch the remainder of the week.

 Served with a simple baked salsa chicken breast