Donde estan mis pantalones

In honor of the upcoming holiday Cinco de Mayo, I'm going to post my first recipe....Fiesta Rice! I'm not 100% sure of the significance of this holiday (I think it marks the anniversary of Mexico's independence from Spain, but I'm too lazy to google it) but here in America, it's just another reason for people to go out and drink! Lucky for me I will be arriving in Naples this Cinco and get to see some of my favorite muchachas!

**Disclaimer** In no way, shape, or form are any of my recipes fancy. I like low maintenance cooking, food that is easy to prepare, tastes good, and is good for you! So consider yourself forewarned. Unfortunately I have been cooking solo this week, as my sous chef, a.k.a. the little creature who wanders into the kitchen looking for hand outs or anything that might have made it to the ground, is on holiday with his grandparents in the mountains.

So on to the food!!

Fiesta Rice
Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 10 min
Total Time: 25 min

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
2 teaspoons paprika
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 zucchini, quartered and sliced
1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
1 large tomato, seeded and diced
1/4 cup ketchup
2 cups cooked brown rice
1 15 oz can light red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large skillet with turmeric, garlic powder, cumin, coriander, and paprika. Add the green onions and the peppers; sauté 3-4 minutes over medium-high heat.
2. Add corn and tomatoes and sauté until tomatoes release their juices. Add ketchup and stir until mixed.
3. Add rice and beans and stir until heated thoroughly. Add black pepper to taste.
4. Eat, drink, and be merry!

Notes: I know, I was weirded out by the ketchup at first too, but it was really good! If you can't get past that, you could try tomato sauce instead. This would also be good with black beans or any other kind of beans. I ate a ton of black bean and corn salsa last week so I was kind of over them by this point. As with any recipes, feel free to substitute, add, or omit any ingredients you may or may not like. That's what I always do!

So enjoy any festivities you may be partaking in, I just hope you don't wake up on May 6th saying "Donde estan mis pantalones"? Until next time, adios amigos!