a simple {real food} recipe :: mexican stir fry and {batch cooking} black beans

It’s Mexican night! We love taco and fajita nights! Don’t you?! I’m going to show you a very CHEAP way to bring a powerfully flavorful dinner to your family!

This is one meal that I love to make with beans and rice to make my chicken for the week last. I skip out on a meat dinner once a week to help my budget in being able to have pastured chicken and grassfed beef. When you soak and/or sprout beans and rice properly they are incredibly nutritious and very tasty. The perfect protein, this combo makes for a very filling meal.

Because I batch cook beans and rice, this meal literally takes 20ish minutes to put together!

BATCH SOAKING AND COOKING BLACK BEANS:

My approach to beans usually includes soaking and cooking in big batches – that way I can store them in “can sized” portions for easy use in recipes. Soaking beans 24 hours and even going a couple days until they sprout a little will make them digest better and cook faster – you will not have the gassy effects from properly soaked and/or sprouted beans. Soaking and sprouting reduces the phytic acid that irritates the gut, and it will also make the nutrients in the beans more available to digest. Canned beans are fine if you are “not there yet” in wanting to go for the dry beans…but you most likely will have the gassy effects, they are more expensive, and I have yet to find a brand that doesn’t have cans lined with BPA that will leach into your beans. Even organic brands.

1. Cover a few cups of dry beans in warm filtered water in a large pot that has a lid – a good 3 inches of water above the beans.
2. Stir in 1/3 cup homemade whey or lemon juice and set in a warm place in your kitchen – in the winter I go for under the light in my oven. This will help the soaking process.
3. After 24 hours of soaking, drain and rinse your beans. I occasionally let them sit after soaking to sprout a little. This can take a day or 2 and I’ll rinse them every so often.
4. Return the beans to the big pot and cover with water or homemade chicken stock by 2-3 inches. I typically add at least a quart of stock and the rest water.
5. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. With the lid on, cook on low until beans are tender. Black beans take about 4-6 hours.
6. Whatever you don’t use in a recipe at that point you may freeze up to 6 months in your freezer. One can of beans in the store is about 1 ½ cups of beans – so I tend to freeze in 3 cup portions so I know I have 2 “cans” of beans for black beans. You can freeze in 1 ½ cup portions for 1 can if you wish.

And here is my Mexican Stir Fry! This amount fed my family of 4 for 2 nights! CHEAP!

MEXICAN STIR FRY

1 ½ – 2  cups soaked and cooked black beans (or 1 can)

2 cups soaked/sprouted cooked brown rice

3-4 TB friendly fat to cook in (butter, coconut oil, lard, tallow – temp will be too hot for olive oil)

½ onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 green peppers, chopped

1 jalepeno pepper, de-ribbed and chopped

1 large or 2 small tomatoes, seeds and juices scooped out and chopped.

1 TB chili powder

1 TB cumin

1 tsp paprika

½ tsp chipotle powder (optional if you don’t like the kick! But it is SO good!)

Sea salt and pepper to taste

Guacamole, sour cream, or raw cheese to top if desired

1. Saute the onion in your cooking fat for a few minutes. Add a pinch of sea salt to soften and slightly caramelize the onions.
2. Add the garlic and peppers and cook for a few minutes.
3. Add the tomatoes, beans, rice, and seasonings and cook through on medium for about 5-10 minutes.
4. Garnish with guacamole, sour cream, or raw cheese.

Kitchen Tips:

1. This obviously is delicious with ground beef or chicken. If I am doing this up without the beans and rice I will sometimes serve it in a sprouted tortilla.
2. This actually freezes really well – what a great make ahead meal or a great meal to bring to a new Mama!
3. Chop/prep everything the night before – it will only take 10 – 15 minutes to make once you get home from work! You could even put all the seasonings in a bowl or container ahead of time, although my way to quick meals like this is using palm-fulls and pinches and ditching measuring spoons 😉
4. Why do I skip out on the taco seasoning packets? Because they are full of MSG and unnecessary starches. Read THIS on how MSG can be on the label in hidden form.
5. If you missed my quick guacamole recipe, HERE it is!

YOUR TURN!

How often do you have Mexican Night at your house? What are your fav dishes? Let me know if you try batch cooking beans or rice for the first time! Let me know if you like the dinner if you try the stir fry too!

Next week is going to be so fun! We are doing a kitchen event full of fun recipes, kitchen tips with kids, and some fun giveaways! See you Monday!

This post was shared at Real Food Freaks Freaky Friday, and Too Many Jars in My Kitchen’s Fill Those Jars Friday!