Vegetarian Black Bean Tacos

Vegetarian Black Bean Tacos

I'm loving my new culinary challenge of playing with as many vegetarian dishes as possible.  With the new trend of "Meatless Mondays," all-veggie entrees are popping up in more in restaurants, on the Internet and especially in my home. By the way, I'm missing meat less and less.

I always make a big batch of brown rice on Monday in the rice cooker.  It's easy to re-heat, it serves as a great side dish and gives texture to vegetarian entrees throughout the week.  This time it came in really handy to have these tacos on the table in less than 30 minutes. 

Vegetarian Black Bean Tacos

Prep Time: 10 minutes / Cook Time: 20 minutes / Servings: 4

Ingredients:

Vegetarian Black Bean Tacos

• 12 corn tortillas
• 15 oz. can of black beans
• 1 cup cooked brown rice
• 1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
• 4 scallions, chopped
• 1/4 cup chunky salsa
• 1/2 tbsp. smoked paprika
• 1/2 tbsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tbsp. chili powder 
• 1/2 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend
• 2 Roma tomatoes, chopped
• 3 lettuce, chopped
• salt and pepper to taste
• olive oil cooking spray

Steps:

1. Heat a large skillet to medium heat.  Spray with olive oil cooking spray and add the peppers and scallions.  Stir and cook for 2-3 minutes.  Add the black beans, brown rice, salsa, paprika, cumin, garlic powder and chili powder.  Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir until combined and simmering.  Cover and allow to simmer for about 10-15 minutes, until veggies are soft.  Adjust the seasoning if needed, stir and remove from heat.
2. Heat the tortillas on a gas stove or in the microwave for about 1 minute. 
3. To serve: Place three tortillas on a serving dish, spoon some of the bean mixture into the center of each of the tortillas.  Top with a sprinkle of cheese, some chopped tomato and lettuce.  Serve immediately.