A better burrito bowl

This dish, inspired by a couple recipes in Rick Bayless' Mexican Everyday, is a pretty straight-up "chicken with rice and beans" recipe. What sets it apart, though, is the marinade I made from scratch the night before – my garlic and ginger chili paste, supplemented by a couple chipotle peppers to make it a bit smokier – and the spring garlic we picked up fresh at the Greenmarket. The dish actually ends up quite complex, with the rice al dente and the chicken tender as can be.

A BETTER BURRITO BOWL

2 tbsp olive oil
1 1/4 lbs chicken breast
chili paste, or chili powder, to taste
1 white onion
1 cup rice
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/3 cup spring garlic (or garlic, if you're not lucky enough to find the scapes)
1/4 cup cilantro

1. If using a paste as marinade, marinate the chicken in the fridge for 1-2 hrs.
2. Heat the oil in medium-large pot. Place the chicken in a single layer in the pot. When browned on one side (2-3 minutes), flip them over and cook the other side (2-3 minutes). Remove to a plate, leaving behind as much oil as you can.
3. And the spring garlic and rice to the pot. Stir for 2-3 minutes, until the rice becomes opaque.
4. Add the broth and some salt. Stir. When it comes to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and cover. Cook for about 10 mins.
5. Cube the chicken. Uncover the pot, and add the chicken and the beans. Re-cover and cook another 10-15 mins.
6. Uncover, and add the cilantro. Remove from heat, and re-cover, allowing it to cook in its own steam for 5-10 minutes.

Black bean cakes with strawberry salsa

When I was a vegetarian in high school, it was easy. I just ate pasta all the time, and shook things up once in a while with couscous or rice. What we're attempting here is different, even beyond the fact that we're certainly not giving up meat completely: refined grains might still feature as a side dish from time to time, but we're trying to avoid putting them at the center of the plate.

So, I've been scouring the internet for vegetable dishes that can star on their own, and one of the first I came across was this recipe for black bean cakes, which I modified slightly (see below). They use brown rice and an egg to bind them, and the result was almost like a veggie burger, but more complex and flavorful, with a surprisingly appealing texture.

It's strawberry season, so I searched for a way to incorporate some into our meal, with the idea that balsamic vinegar might tame the sweetness enough to pair them with the bean cakes. I found a recipe that called for balsamic strawberries, cherry tomatoes, and cilantro, and of course I was sold.



BLACK BEAN CAKES WITH BROWN RICE

Time: 40 minutes

1 cup cooked brown rice
1 15-ounce can black beans, drained
3 chopped scallions
1/2 bunch chopped cilantro
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 cloves minced garlic
salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 egg
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1. Combine cooked rice, beans, scallions, cilantro, cumin, red pepper flakes, garlic granules, salt, and pepper to taste in the bowl of a food processor. Process until combined. Add egg and continue to process until well combined. The mixture will be very soft. Transfer to a bowl.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Drop large spoonfuls of bean mixture into hot oil to form cakes.
3. Gently fry the cakes about 5 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Garnish with the remaining cilantro.

Yield: 4 servings (8 cakes)



BALSAMIC STRAWBERRY SALSA

Time: 5 minutes (with food processor, 15 without)

4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pint fresh strawberries
8 green onions, chopped
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro

Add all ingredients to food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped (absent a food processor, feel free just to chop everything by hand). Chill at least 1 hour.