In my mind, nothing goes better with a Mexican meal (like chicken fajitas!) than Cilantro Lime Rice. If you’ve ever been to Chipotle, you know exactly what I’m talking about. Mike and I both love Chipotle burritos, and honestly, I think their rice is my favorite part of the burrito!  When I saw a recipe for cilantro lime rice on Buns In My Oven (check out this blog if you haven’t yet, Karly always cracks me up!), I knew it was only a matter of time before I would be making it.

I made it for the first time to serve with the chicken fajitas a few weeks ago, and have already made it a few times since then. Needless to say, this rice was a success. It holds its own as a stand alone side dish, it’s perfect served inside a taco or burrito, and it even tastes good with chips and salsa. Confession: that may have been my dinner tonight – chips, salsa, and cilantro lime rice. yum.

*Note: I’m giving you Karly’s instructions, but I just cooked the rice in my rice cooker with the water and half of the olive oil and added the other ingredients when it was done.

Cilantro Lime Rice

Ingredients:

1 cup extra long grain white rice
2 cups water
2 tbsp olive oil
1 lime
1/4 cup chopped cilantro (or more, to taste)
salt, to taste

Directions:

Combine the rice, water, and 1 tbsp of the olive oil in a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil and continue boiling over medium heat until the water just skims the top of the rice. Reduce heat to low, cover the pan, and continue cooking for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and keep covered for 5 more minutes. Transfer the rice to a large bowl and add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, the juice of the lime, and the cilantro. Mix well and salt to taste.

from Buns In My Oven

This is a great summer salad.  It’s fresh and unique, and the combination of summer vegetables is delicious. We had a family cookout last weekend and I was assigned a salad. Someone else was already bringing a veggie tray, so I knew I wanted something other than a traditional lettuce salad. I’m usually terrible with salad ideas, so I turned to twitter for suggestions. Maria came through once again with her recipe for sweet corn salad. This colorful salad was the perfect addition to our cookout and everyone seemed to really like it. It would be a great side dish to pretty much any summer meal, and it’s a great contribution to a potluck. Enjoy it while the summer produce is fresh and delicous!

Sweet Corn Salad

Ingredients:

3 ears sweet corn, husks removed
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1/4 red onion, chopped
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
1 small jalapeno, diced, seeds removed
Juice of 1 lime
4 oz fresh mozzarella cheese, cubed
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

In a large pot, bring water to a boil. Add the sweet corn to the boiling water and cook for 2-3 minutes. Remove from water and let cool. Remove the corn kernels with a knife and discard the ears.

In a large bowl, add the tomatoes, red pepper, red onion, cilantro, and jalapeno. Stir in the sweet corn. Add the juice of half of the lime, salt and pepper and stir again. Taste and adjust lime juice/seasonings as necessary Gently stir in the fresh mozzarella. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod

Unfortunately this post was not what I intended to share with you today. I had a post all written about a quintissential British dessert, complete with pictures of our time in London. Somehow, the pictures I took of my version of the dessert seem to have disappeared. This is unfortunate, but not terrible, as I now have a reason to make it again. Hopefully soon. 🙂

This dish, however, definitely deserves its own post. I’ve actually never had chimichangas before. I tend to avoid them because they always have some sort of beans in them, and I don’t really like beans at all. But then I saw this recipe and realized that if I made them myself, I could leave the beans out, and replace them with something yummy like peppers. It worked perfectly, and we had a delicious dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes. These wraps are hot, crispy, and cheesy, with just the slightest kick from the chipotle and cilantro. The flavor is delicious, and I purposely kept leftovers to reheat tomorrow. They’re easily adaptable, so feel free to change around the ingredients to what you like. Mike rated this version a 3.75 and I think it’s safe to say that these will be in our permanent rotation.

Oven Baked Chimichangas

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp canola oil
1 onion, chopped fine
1/2 red pepper, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1 1/2 cups cooked brown or white rice
2-3 cups diced, cooked chicken
1/4 tsp chipotle pepper (use more for more kick)
1 cup shredded cheddar or monterey jack cheese
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
Salt and Pepper
6 large burrito-size flour tortillas

Directions:

Place a rimmed baking sheet in the oven and heat the oven to 450 degrees. While the oven is heating, in a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium heat. Cook the onion and peppers until just soft, 3-4 minutes. Stir in the rice, chicken, chipotle, and salt and pepper and cook until the mixture is heated through, about 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cheese and cilantro. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

Stack the tortillas on a plate and cover with a damp paper towel. Microwave the tortillas until they are warm and pliable, about 30 seconds. Top each warm tortilla with some of the chicken mixture, leaving about a 2-inch border at the bottom of the tortilla. Fold in the sides and roll up the tortilla tightly. Brush the wrapped tortillas with the remaining oil and arrange them seam side down on the hot baking sheet that has been preheating in the oven. Bake until golden brown and crisp, about 8 to 10 minutes. Serve with sour cream and salsa.

from Mel's Kitchen Cafe