Simple, Healthy Mexican

Most people don't associate Mexican food with being healthy, or at least I didn't.  When I think of Mexican food I think of fried, heavy, cheesy deliciousness that makes you feel a little less than delicious after your meal.  But when you think about it, a lot of the ingredients in Mexican cuisine are pretty good for you: avocado, beans, tomatoes, onions, peppers, corn-- all good.

I got the idea for this dish from Angela's savory oats.  It's so simple I feel silly giving you a recipe, so I'm not going to.  Basically, I just cooked up some brown rice, heated a can of black beans and mixed them with a little chili powder and hot red pepper flakes- sauteed onion and peppers would be a great addition here but I was in a rush (read: lazy).  Then, I cut up a ripe avocado, pulled out a jar of salsa, and broke up a few Mary's Crackers (a great addition for crunch).  I plated (bowled?) it neatly for some visual appeal but ended up mixing and combining it as I ate.  Another happy edition would be a generous dollop of Greek yogurt (aka healthy sour cream) but unfortunately, I was out and, as previously mentioned, lazy.  The picture below is from another time I made this using extra veggies and nutritional yeast.

As much as I enjoy cooking and appreciate complexity, sometimes I just crave simple food.  This just makes me feel nourished.