Mexican Fried Rice

Aaaaaand, we're back!

Remind me never to combine graduation, moving, driving half way across the country, and food poisoning ever again. Needless to say, I'm glad the trip is over! But it's so nice to have Scott and Sassy home with us for good.

Sassy is always ready for dinner. 

Now that we're all here, it's time to get back in the kitchen. I wish I could take credit for this new dish, but it was all Scott's idea. We were planning dinner for my parents and had decided on fried rice. Scott stared off into space and said, "Could you make fried rice but with Mexican flavors?" Hmm. Well, why not? We decided to try it and this is the tasty result.

Notes: A homemade enchilada sauce would have been so much better, but it takes time and lots of ingredients. I tried to jazz up the canned version I bought, but I think I would have added even more spices. Green peppers would have been good, too, but Scott isn't a fan of bell pepper. I'm not sure what veggies might work in this dish, so if you decide to experiment let me know what you use. I would also add some toppers like maybe some sour cream or avocado. This is both a budget and pantry friendly meal.

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked brown rice
1 small onion
1 small bunch cilantro
1-2 ears of corn
1 15 oz. can small red beans (I used aduki)
1/4 cup of enchilada sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon cumin
A splash of water (to thin out the sauce)
Olive or vegetable oil
Salt
Pepper

Directions:

You'll want to do all your prep before you start heating up your pan. Start by removing the corn from the ear. It helps to stand the ear up on its end in a large bowl. Run your knife from top to bottom to strip the ear. The bowl will catch all the kernels. Dice your onion and chop your cilantro. Drain and rinse your beans. Set everything aside.

Pour the enchilada sauce in a small bowl or measuring cup. Whisk in the brown sugar, water, and cumin. Set aside.

Assemble all your ingredients next to the stove. Add about 2-3 tablespoons of oil to a high-sided skillet (I don't have a wok). Heat it on high. When the oil starts to ripple, smoke, and disappear a bit, add your onion. Season with salt and pepper. Stir the onion for about 2 minutes until it's tender and starting to brown. Make a space in the middle and then add the corn. Stir it together with the onion for about 1 minute. Again, make a space in the middle and add the beans. Stir them together with the onion and corn for about 1 minute. Make another space in the middle and add the rice. Stir the rice with everything and season with salt and pepper. Then pour the sauce over the all the ingredients. Stir everything together for about 2 more minutes. If the dish starts to look too dry, add just a splash of water.

When it's all done, remove the dish from the heat and stir in the cilantro. Enjoy!