Summer Shrimp Sauté with Rice and Beans

Tonight was one of those nights where I felt as if lifting my knife was equivalent to lifting 50 pounds.  I came home from work physically and mentally drained with no plan.. my mind was blank for the first time in a long time.  As I was reaching into the pantry to pull out some cheerios (my go-to lazy dinner) I decided to challenge myself and come up with a quick and much more nutrient dense dinner than eating a bowl of cereal and milk.  I walked out to my garden and collected a handful of basil, a few stalks of kale, a zucchini, and cherry tomatoes (have I mentioned how much I love summer!).  Then I looked into the freezer and found some shrimp and frozen corn.  I immediately thought of rice and beans.  This random concoction may seem a little strange but I was going for it!  I quickly diced up some onions and garlic and got started on the rice.  Lazily, I decided I would make a simple sauté of veggies and shrimp, however sometimes the most simple preparations are the tastiest.  There’s no better way to showcase fresh picked veggies than to toss in a little olive oil and season with herbs.  So without further ado.. here is one of the laziest meal-in-one bowls I think I’ve ever made!  This meal will serve two with some extras for lunch the next day.

Rice and Beans:

1 small onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 cup brown rice

2 cups water

1 15oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon salt and cumin

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/4 teaspoon chipotle powder

In a medium pot, drizzle olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan.  On medium heat add onion and garlic and cook until it just starts to brown.  Add rice and stir, cooking for about 3 minutes.  The add the water, beans, and spices.  Stir, bring to boil, cover and let cook for about 20 minutes or until liquid has been absorbed.

Shrimp Sauté:

about 20 pieces of peeled and deveined shrimp

1 clove garlic, minced

1 cup halved cherry tomatoes

1 cup corn

1 zucchini, grated

1 cup chopped kale

2 tablespoons chopped basil

Red pepper flakes

Salt and pepper

In a medium sauté pan, add olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan. On medium heat, cook garlic and add sprinkle of red pepper flakes.  Add the shrimp and cook until it just begins to get pink.  Add tomatoes, corn, zucchini, kale and basil.  Sauté for about 10 minutes or until extra liquid begins to absorb.  Season with salt and pepper.  Combine in bowl with rice and enjoy!