corn Archives • Serendipity by Sara Lynn

Remember when I promised you guys this recipe when I posted cilantro lime shredded chicken a couple weeks ago?

Well…here it is.

I did it.

*claps for you Sara*

This recipe is essentially a play on the burrito bowls from Qdoba, Chipotle, etc. etc. I’m normally a big fan of these places because I can get a decent fast-food meal without actually eating fast food.

Not that I don’t ever eat fast food, because I think we’re all guilty of doing that sometimes, but if I want to still feel good about myself at the end of the meal, I choose Qdoba (mostly because it’s on the way home).

Although, I’m still a little bitter that there are NO Cafe Rios in Reno. Whywhywhywhywhy??

I literally crave their pork barbacoa.

I’ve had dreams about it before.

Yeah. Really.

However, I still really love Qdoba and Chipotle.

One of my favorite nights from last semester actually happened in Qdoba. My friends and I randomly ended up there one night (probably way too late in the first place). Luckily for us Reno college kids, there’s a late night Qdoba stop approximately five minutes away from campus, so it’s always a no-brainer on where to go if nothing else is open or will let you in.

Anyways, we essentially ended up at Qdoba until 1 a.m. eating chips and salsa and laughing manically over each others’ weird family stories.

For the sake of privacy, I will not get too far into these family stories, but just know nothing is more fun than watching your friend practically choke on a burrito because she’s laughing so hard at a horrifying incident somebody experienced at Disneyland.

Trust me.

Ingredients

Cilantro Lime Chicken

Rice

1 1/2 c. brown rice

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 c. water

Zest of 1 lime

Juice of 1 lime

1/4 c. cilantro, chopped

Onion powder, to taste

1 chicken bouillon cube

Corn Avocado Salsa

1 c. corn

1/2 avocado, cubed

1/2 jalapeno, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

Lime juice, to taste

Salt and pepper, to taste

Toppings

Beans, cheese, salsa, tortilla strips, cilantro, lettuce, etc. etc.

For the rice: Heat about a tablespoon of cooking oil over medium heat. Add brown rice and coat in oil. Stir constantly until rice is browned (but not burnt!). Add garlic and saute until fragrant. Add water, lime zest, lime juice, onion powder, and chicken bouillon cube. Cover and cook for 45 minutes, or until water is absorbed. Add cilantro and more lime juice right before serving.

For the salsa: Heat oven to 350* F. Spread corn evenly on a greased baking sheet. Drizzle corn with a little olive oil and salt. Toss to coat. Roast for about 10 minutes, or until corn is slightly browned. Let corn cool for about 10 minutes.

Mix corn, avocado, jalapeno, garlic, lime juice, salt, and pepper. Adjust seasonings as needed.

To assemble: Place a couple scoops of rice in a bowl. Top with chicken, salsa, and other chosen toppings. Serves 4.

These could be made with beef, pork, seafood, etc. To change it up, you could add a bunch of salad ingredients and make it a burrito bowl salad. (Also, if you don’t want to roast the corn, you can make the salsa with plain corn).

I won’t tell.

Song of the Day: Forced to Love–Broken Social Scene

“Hey, Sara. Why are you taking pictures of that guacamole?”

“Errrrrrr, uhhhhhm, weeeeelllllllll…..”

I feel like that just summed up my life in two sentences.

That was a quote from one of my roommates. Sometimes it takes a while to openly admit that you’re a food blogger. Not that I’m ashamed. Just that it’s not something that just comes up all the time.

Until your roommate walks in, practically smacking you in the head with the front door while you “rap squat” with a camera pointing directly at a bowl of guac. Don’t know what the “rap squat” is? Check this out here. That should sum it up for you/give you a good laugh.

Anyways, yeah, guac. I’m pretty sure that I’m allergic to avocados considering I never feel all that great after eating them, but I don’t care. Because they’re worth it. Why are they so good?!

This guac has corn and black beans in it, like that really great salsa, except that it’s in guacamole! Yes, please and thank you.

But Sara, doesn’t regular guacamole have tomatoes and onions in it?

Uhm, don’t you have something better to do? Shouldn’t you be watching Netflix or something? I recommend It’s Always Sunny. (No, Netflix is not compensating me for that comment. But I am interested Netflix. Need a cute little redheaded spokesgirl? Sorry, was that conceited?).

But for real, the answer is yes. But I hate raw onions and I forgot tomatoes at the store. You may add them if you want. I just did not have the necessary ingredients with me. Sorry ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Let’s get started!

Ingredients:

1 avocado

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 lime, juiced

1/4 tsp. onion powder

Salt and pepper, to taste

4 drops Tobasco, or to taste

1/4 c. corn (fresh, frozen, canned, your choice)

1/4 c. black beans (I used canned. Make sure to drain and rinse!)

Cut your avocado in half, around the pit. Jam your knife into the pit and yank it out. Just twist a little, it’ll come out. Don’t cut your hand! You can do this guys.

Put the avocado in a good mashing bowl with your garlic, lime juice, onion powder, salt and pepper, and Tobasco.

Smash it with a fork!

Screw the fork, this is taking to long. Use a potato masher.

Oh yeah, I don’t have a potato masher.

The fork works.

Stir in black beans and corn!

Serve with these! They’re way healthier than regular corn chips and they’re way more delicious!

Again, not being compensated. Again, interested.

This should serve 4 regular, healthy sized portions. But we all know you’re going to eat half of it like me. Don’t be like me, kids. Do yourself a favor. Learn portion control.

You know what, avocados are really good for you, eat however much you want.

And let me know how that goes.

Tips:

1. To find a good avocado, take the little stem off. If it’s green, it’s ripe! If it’s creamy white/tan, it’s not ripe. If it’s dark brown or black, it’s bad!

2. To keep guacamole from going brown and goopy, cover it with water. Then just dump it out and stir whenever you want to eat it. Kind of sounds gross, but it’s not (it’s just water) and it’s better than brown clumpy guac. The reason it works is because food can’t oxidize in water! Yeah, science bitch! (Breaking Bad, anyone?)

XO Sara

Song of the Day: Honestly?–American Football

Tag: corn

Cilantro Lime Chicken Burrito Bowls

Black Bean and Corn Guacamole