Last Minute Dinner Sorted: Cook Mexican Beef and Beans Tonight

Welcome to Dinner Sorted: Last Minute, a new daily edition of our weekly Dinner Sorted meal planner. Every day of the week, we offer you a recipe for a simple and tasty dinner that will please your family without blowing your mind.

Today, sweet corn and seasonal (and relatively cheap) avocado are the fresh stars of this flavorful dish, which makes the most of ingredients from the cupboard.

Adjust the chili to suit your family’s tastes, use your oldest and saddest tomato for salsa, and delight the troops with a nutritious meal that’s on the table in 30 minutes.

Mexican Beef and Bean Bowl

By Olivia Andrews

For 4 people

Ingredients

300 g brown rice (replace with white)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

2 teaspoons ground cumin

A handful of finely chopped coriander roots, stems and leaves

400g ground beef

400 g crushed tomatoes

400g tin black beans, rinsed, drained

1-2 long green chillies, seeded, finely chopped

1 ear of corn, kernels removed

Juice of 1 lime

1 tomato, seeded, cut into 1cm dice

1 small cos lettuce, quartered lengthwise

1 ripe avocado, halved, thinly sliced

Method

For the rice and chilli:

1. Set rice cooking to your preferred method.

2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion, garlic, smoked paprika, cumin, coriander roots and stems for 2 minutes until beginning to soften.

3. Add the ground beef and cook for another 5 minutes until browned. Season with salt.

4. Add the tomatoes, beans and half the chili and cook for another 8-10 minutes to allow the flavors to infuse. Reduce heat to low and simmer until ready to serve, stirring occasionally.

For the salsa and to serve:

1. Put corn, remaining chili and lime juice in a bowl. Let sit for 5 minutes to allow the lime juice to “cook” the corn and chili.

2. Add the tomato and cilantro leaves and stir to combine. Taste and season with salt.

3. Divide the rice into bowls. Top with the hash mixture, cos, avocado and corn salsa.

More last minute dinners:

Coconut Chicken Curry with Cashews and Cilantro, by Ginny Grant.

Full recipe HERE