Quick Burrito Bowls

It's summer, and today is another scorcher here, so I'm looking for something that's quick to fix so it doesn't heat up the kitchen. Whatever it is better be as tasty as it is quick. I do like spicy food when it's hot ... somehow the spicy heat makes the high temperature more enjoyable. I think that a bowl would be just the ticket!

Ingredients:

1 package Seeds of Change Spanish Rice

1 cup Trader Joe's Corn and Chili Salsa

1 can low sodium black beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

1 cup guacamole (homemade or purchased)

1 lime or lemon, sliced

4 ounces cheese or vegan cheese shreds

4 Tbs peach or tomato salsa

Directions: 

Cook the Spanish rice according to package directions, by microwaving for 90 seconds. Add the red onion slices to the black beans in a medium saucepan, then heat over medium heat until hot. Get out 4 bowls. Add 1/4 of the Spanish rice, 1/4 cup corn salsa, 1/4 cup black beans, 1/4 cup guacamole and one lime slice to each bowl. Top the black beans with the cheese. Use the peach or tomato salsa as a dressing, and drizzle 1 tablespoon of the salsa over each bowl. Enjoy!

Serves 4

Stealthy Cooking Tip: Serve this with a green salad for a complete meal! Now, this is one quick and low heat way to have a summer lunch or dinner!

Quick Refrigerator Pickles

Once it gets hot, and I'm talking Sacramento 109F hot, I like my foods cold. Cold and crunchy. Enter pickles. As it's also cucumber picking time here (already?), I'm making some homemade pickles, quickly, today. They'll be fully ready to eat tomorrow, but I don't know if they'll last. It seems I always have a taste, then another taste, then another. You get the picture!

Ingredients: 

2 cups sliced cucumbers, about 3 or 4 pickling cucumbers, also called kirby cucumbers, or other small    cucumbers. You can slice them either vertically or crosswise.

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup white vinegar (actually, any kind of vinegar will work)

2 Tbs sugar

1 tsp salt

2 Tbs coarsely chopped fresh dill

1 Tbs peppercorns

2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced (optional)

1 Tbs mustard seeds (optional)

Directions: 

Place the water, vinegar, sugar, and salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and allow to cool. Pack the sliced cucumbers in a pint jar, along with the dill, peppercorns, garlic, and mustard seeds. Pour the cooled vinegar mixture over the cucumbers. If the vinegar mixture doesn't cover the cucumbers, just add enough additional vinegar to cover them. Seal the jar and refrigerate overnight. This will keep in the refrigerator for several weeks. 

Stealthy Cooking Tip: This is a good way to keep cucumbers when they ripe, and you can't use them all in salads. You can vary the taste of the pickles by changing up the type of vinegar, and adding garlic or green onions for flavor. In addition, you can quickly pickle many vegetables and keep them for several weeks in the refrigerator. My favorites to pickle are green beans, red onion, okra, and of course, pickles.