Mexican Rice & Guacamole

Ingredients:
1 tbsp. oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
1 jalepeno, diced
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1-2 dashes of cinnamon
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 cup of your favourite rice
2 cups of your favourite broth
1 can of beans, rinsed (black or kidney)
2 green onion stalks, finely sliced
1 medium tomato, diced
Juice and zest of 1 lime
3 tbsps. fresh cilantro, chopped
1 cup sharp cheese ( i.e. aged cheddar), grated
4 tbsp. Guacamole (recipe below)
4 tbsp. Sour cream

Guacamole:
2-3 ripe avocados, peeled
Juice and zest of of 1 lime
3 tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed or minced
Salt and pepper, to taste
In a medium bowl combine avocados and lime juice using a potato masher. Mash avocados until they are a smooth consistency.
Using a regular spoon, stir in cilantro, garlic and salt and pepper. Continue tasting until desired saltiness is reached. Cover and refrigerate until needed.

Directions:
In a medium saucepan, heat oil on medium and add in garlic and onions. Sauté 3-4 minutes. Add in bell pepper, jalepeno, rice and spices (paprika, chili, cumin, cayenne, salt, cinnamon and pepper) for 3-4 minutes or until rice is slightly golden brown. Add broth and bring to a boil. Once boiled, reduce heat to low and cover. Follow cooking time according to rice package. In the final 5 minutes of cooking add in beans and cover. Once rice is done, remove from heat but keep covered.

Salsa topping:
In a small bowl combine green onions, tomato, lime zest and juice of 1 lime and 3 tbsps. of cilantro. Stir and set aside.

Mexican Rice Assembly:
Place one large spoonful of rice mixture onto centre of the plate. Add 1/4 of the grated cheese. Top cheese with 1 tbsp. of guacamole. Top guacamole with 1 tbsp. of sour cream. Top sour cream with 1-2 tbsp. of fresh salsa. Enjoy!
Option: decorate plate with crushed tortilla or corn chips for extra crunch.