Mexican Fiesta - Ole!

It was Saturday and B and I were gearing up to watch the epic game between 49ers and Packers (okay, epic for us because this was the playoffs and we were passionately supporting different teams)!

I started thinking about what snacks we had for game time and found that we actually had none to go with our beer and wine. Then, quite accidentally, I chanced upon these cans of black beans and I had an A-Ha! moment. Quickly found some other ingredients and made it a Fiesta Game Night!

Black Bean and Corn Salsa (serves 4)

Ingredients:
Canned Black Beans - 1 can, washed thoroughly to remove all the chemicals/sodium
Roasted Corn - frozen - 1 cup
Red Onions - finely chopped, 1/2 cup
Lime Juice - Juice of 1/2 lime
Cilantro -coarsely chopped
Salt, Pepper - to taste
Cumin Powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Extra Virgin Olive Oil - 1 tbsp

Method:

1. Rinse and wash the canned black beans and set aside in a bowl
2. Thaw the roasted corn in the microwave or room temperature and set aside
3. In a small pan, heat the olive oil. Add chopped onions and fry until golden brown. 
4. Add frozen corn and continue stirring.
5. After the mixture starts sweating, add black beans, cumin powder, turmeric powder and seasoning and stir for another  minute or two before removing pan from heat. 
6. Squeeze lime juice into the bowl and mix. Top with chopped cilantro and serve with chips. 

Spicy Pico de Gallo (Serves 4)

Ingredients:

Fresh tomatoes, diced - 4-5

Red Onions, chopped - 1/2 cup

Jalapeno pepper - diced - 1

Cilantro - finely chopped - 1/4 cup

Lime Juice - 1/4 cup

Salt, Pepper - to taste
Cumin Powder - 3/4 tsp

Method:

1. Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Garnish with a lime wedge and sprig of cilantro.

Tacos

As an extension of game night, we had leftovers, so we opted for Tacos for dinner. Really simple even if you are making everything from scratch. 

Ingredients:

Corn Tortillas - store bought

Black Bean Salsa (recipe above)

Pico de Gallo (recipe above)

Avocado - 1 - sliced into small strips or diced

Cotija or Feta Cheese - 1/3 cup

Method:

1. Heat corn tortillas on the pan. 
2. Add 1 tbsp of the black bean salsa, 1 tbsp of pico de gallo and a 1/4 of sliced avocado. 
3. Squeeze some fresh lime juice.
4. Sprinkle cotija or feta cheese on top (optional)
5. Serve with Mexican Rice (recipe below)

Mexican Rice (serves 3)

Ingredients:

White Rice - 1.5 cups

Fresh tomatoes, minced and pureed - 1/2 cup

Red Onions, chopped - 1/2 cup

Frozen peas and carrots - 1/2 cup

Salt, Pepper - to taste

Cumin Powder - 3/4 tsp
Fajita Seasoning - 1/2 tsp
Extra Virgin Olive Oil - 1 tbsp
Water - 1.5 cups

Method:

1. Heat olive oil in a sauce pan. 
2. Add chopped onions and fry until they start to sweat. 
3. Add rice and pan fry for 1-2 minutes.
4. Add the tomato puree and wait till the mixture comes to a boil.
5. Turn down the heat, add frozen peas and carrots and spices and stir well.
6. Add 1/2 cup water, cover and cook until rice is done. Keep stirring  and adding the rest of the water as required to prevent rice from getting burned. 
7. Remove and garnish with a sprig of cilantro

Sorry, no pictures! We were too hungry and excited about the game to pause and take pictures!! And of course, the best team won!!