As one of my favorite vegetarian, dairy and gluten free meals to make in college, this recipe is still a hit in my book. Being a broke college kid, you make do with what you have when trying to eat healthy on a budget. Which, by the way, is not at all easy to do. In fact, I had to apply for food stamps at one point! It is nearly impossible to live in poverty and eat well. For instance, dairy free butter is $6. Why. Not to mention, gluten free cookies cost a whopping $7!  I mean, how sad is it that we gluten intolerant girls can’t even enjoy some good ole cookies to cope with Aunt Flo, because they’re out of our price range? Sinful. Cruel. Mean.

I’m hopping off the soap box now, I apologize. Yes, this recipe was definitely within the price range. AND it made me enough to last the entire week. That’s better than McDonald’s. I even found ways to use the leftover beans in other dishes (post on my homemade chalupas tomorrow).

I hope you make this dish and enjoy it as much as I do! I am no longer a broke college kid (I’ve evolved into a broke adult), but I still love this oldie/goodie and will make it even when I get rich!

Ingredients

• 3 (14 oz.) cans of organic black beans
• 1 cup of brown rice (or 2, if you want massive leftovers)
• 1 (14 oz.) can of organic diced tomatoes
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1-2 TBS cumin
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• Optional toppings: organic corn chips, avocado, dairy free Daiya cheese, or pico de gallo

Instructions

1. For every 1 cup of rice, add 2 cups of water and set to boil in a saucepan. Once it is boiling, lower to simmer for 40-45 minutes, or until all liquid is gone.
2. Meanwhile, pour some olive oil in a medium stovetop pan, add onion and spices. Stir occasionally until onions are clear.
3. Add canned ingredients.
4. Stir occasionally while on simmer, taste testing periodically. If it is too bland, add more cumin, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. I usually add a TON of cumin because I love cumin. Let all the spices mix together until your rice is done (40-45 minutes).
5. I eat mine with the rice on bottom and chips on top for a solid crunch, so I highly recommend you add some corn chips to pair! And cheese. Dairy free Daiya Cheese is the way to go.

Easy peasy. Thank you for reading!