Like so many other households with children, taco night is always a big hit in the Clark household, but to change things up from time to time, we love ‘Burrito Bowl Night’. Similar in concept to taco night in that everyone fixes their plates to taste, but a little more substantial in the fixings, which works out great for a house of hungry kids after a long day of school, practices etc…
One item that is a MUST at our home on ‘Burrito Bowl Night’ is my Cilantro-Lime Corn rice. It’s the perfect base for all your toppings! I also love it the next day with nothing more than some fresh slices of avocado, a healthy drizzle of Green Dragon hot sauce and an extra spritz of lime over top – YUMMM!!!
So if you’re looking to change things up a little, but still keep dinner quick and easy and have something that EVERYONE will agree on, try swapping out Taco Night for Burrito Bowl Night, and make sure this rice is on the menu!!! Something tells me a new tradition is about to start in many smarty homes ☺
P.S. After re-reading my post, it should totally be called, “I love trader Joe’s”… but that’s a blog for another day ;o)
As always, let’s get those ingredients ready!
Frozen or Fresh Corn, Cilantro, Garlic, Shallot (or small onion), Jalapeno, Limes, salt and pepper, Coconut Oil, and cooked Jasmine Rice.
To say that I love Trader Joe’s Organic Jasmine Rice is an understatement – it makes meals like this one crazy quick!!! 3 minutes in the microwave, and you’ve got about 2 C of perfectly cooked Jasmine Rice.
I’m a big fan of using as much of an ingredient as I can, so since I’m using the juice of the limes, I go ahead and zest one of them for an extra punch of lime flavor.
For two cups of rice, I use a small bunch of fresh cilantro (it’s about the size of my fist)…
Once I finely chop it, it gives me about a HEAP tablespoon, which is the perfect amount for this recipe.
As for the jalapeno, honestly, you can use as much or as little as you like. Because kids are eating it, I only use one and partly seed it, leaving just a little of the ribs. I promise it won’t be hot, but will give it a nice little kick. If you want a little more heat, just leave the ribs and seeds in.
Many of you ask me why I use shallots in so many of my recipes…2 main reasons: 1) I love the sweet and mild taste it gives so many dishes and 2) If a recipe calls for something like, “1/2 an onion”, It makes so much more sense to just use 1 whole shallot. One less thing I need to wrap up and put away ;o)
This recipe goes together really quickly (like minutes), so the best thing to do is get everything ready, and have it right there by the stove so you can just drop in the hot pan…
Can you use extra virgin olive oil to replace the Coconut Oil? Of course, BUT, I highly recommend using the coconut oil. It gives it this sweet, nutty flavor that can’t be duplicated. If you haven’t tried cooking with it, definitely pick up a jar the next time your at Trader Joes (I’ve done the research and compared prices, TJ Coconut Oil is the best bang for your buck).
It starts off solid, but in mere seconds, it will melt beautifully and with such a high smoke point, you have a better chance of not burning it if you do pick up the phone, help with a homework question…you get the point ;o)
Sauté the shallots in the coconut oil, over med heat until softened, about 2 to 3 minutes then…
Add the garlic, corn, jalapeno and season with salt and pepper to taste. Continue to cook for another 2 to 3 minutes just until the jalapeno begins to soften a bit and is bright green in color.
Then switching to a FORK, add the cooked rice and mix it all well, breaking up the rice (like in a slicing motion so it fluffs and separates and doesn’t clump). Once it’s all mixed through, lower the heat to the lowest setting and add the cilantro, zest and lime juice and adjust the seasoning if needed. I should say I almost ALWAYS add another sprinkling of salt at this point.
Serve alongside your favorite ‘burrito bowl’ fixings. We usually have pulled chicken, black beans, refried beans, slices of fresh avocado, different salsas or pico de gallo, limes, sour cream, fresh cilantro, shredded Monterey jack cheese and if I’m feeling really motivated, some cooked onions and peppers.
In case you’re wondering what that green drizzle is in the top picture, it’s this Green Dragon hot sauce from TJ’s – tangy…sweet…spicy…you will put it on EVERYTHING!!! Scrambled eggs never tasted so good!!! I still LOVE my Sriracha when I want flavor and heat on Asian inspired food, but when I want that extra oh so yummy kick to Latin inspired food, I reach for this bad boy! Enjoy! Xoxo
Cyn’s Burrito Bowl Rice
– 2 C Cooked Jasmine Rice (or 1 bag of TJ’s Organic Jasmine Rice, cooked
– small bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
– 2 limes (zest ONE and juice BOTH)
– 1 TBS Coconut Oil
– 1 large shallot or small onion, finely minced
– 1 to 2 garlic cloves, grated (or 1 to 1 Dorot garlic cubes)
– 1 fresh Jalapeno, partially seeded, minced
– ¾ C frozen and thawed sweet corn kernels
– Salt and Pepper to taste
