Ed and I had our parents over this past weekend to celebrate my mom’s birthday, and we served them up a Mexican feast—Spinach & Cheese Enchiladas with Green Chile Sour Cream Sauce (recipe available here), Black Bean Taquitos, grilled meats for those interested in that sort of thing, and this, the Best Mexican Beans & Rice you’ve ever eaten.

I’m being facetious, of course, but I do think these beans and rice are really, really good. They don’t require a ton of ingredients and you don’t need to be a pro chef to get these recipes right. They’re fairly healthy, as far as beans and rice go, and I snuck in extra veggies wherever I could (betcha didn’t know there was cauliflower in that rice, dad!).

The rice is traditional to the max with peas, cubed carrots and corn; this is exactly the sort of rice I like to chow down on at local Tex-Mex restaurants. While I normally go for black beans with Mexican dishes, I decided to give these slow cooker pinto beans a try. They’re loaded up with spices and have a really rich, deep flavor. Don’t let their less-than-stellar appearance fool you! Despite being a slow cooker recipe, though, these beans aren’t of the “set it and forget it camp.” You’ll want to stir them often, and I added a bit of additional vegetable broth every hour or so because the beans were soaking up the liquid like nobody’s business. You might be able to cook them on low for like 8-9 hours and achieve the same result, but just word to the wise.

INGREDIENTS - BEANS

• 2 bags dried pinto beans

• 1 large yellow onion, diced

• 1 green bell pepper, diced

• 1-14.5 oz. can crushed fire roasted tomatoes

• 6 garlic cloves, minced

• 4 T. cumin powder

• 4 T. chili powder

• 1/2 t. red pepper flakes

• 3 t. smoked paprika

• 1/2 a packet of taco seasoning

• 3 T. olive oil

• 2 bunches of fresh cilantro, chopped

• 6-8 c. vegetable broth

• Salt & pepper to taste

STEPS - BEANS

1) Rinse the beans and add them to the crock pot along with the cumin, chili powder, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper and olive oil. Mix thoroughly to coat.

2) Add the onion, garlic, bell pepper, tomatoes and half (one bunch) of the chopped cilantro. Add half of the taco seasoning packet and six cups of vegetable broth and stir well.

3) Set the crock pot on high for four hours. Stir well every half hour or so, and add additional vegetable broth as needed. Once you hit the fourth hour, I’d recommend turning on low for an additional hour, then setting to warm until you’re ready to eat.

4) Just before serving, stir in the second bunch of freshly chopped cilantro.

INGREDIENTS - RICE

• 1 1/2 c. basmati rice

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 large yellow onion, diced

• 3-4 large carrots, peeled and diced

• 1/2 bag of frozen peas

• 1/2 bag riced cauliflower

• 1 can fiesta corn

• 1 1/2 c. vegetable broth

• 8 oz. can tomato sauce

• 1 T. chili powder

• 1 T. cumin

• Salt & pepper to taste

STEPS - RICE

1) Heat some oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions become translucent.

2) Add the rice and cauliflower and cook, stirring frequently, until both are toasted and start to brown.

3) Stir in the tomato sauce and vegetable broth and bring to a simmer. Add the corn, carrots, peas, chili powder and cumin and season with salt and pepper to taste.

4) Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Simmer until rice is cooked through and the carrots are soft, about 40 minutes.