Carne Asada Bowls

It's my turn to cook dinner! As I was flipping through cookbooks and magazines, figuring out what to wow my family with, this recipe for Carne Asada Bowls jumped out at me. The recipe said it would only take 35 minutes, and while it took me much longer than that, I had a lot of fun creating it. Between the steak, vegetables, rice and beans, there is a lot to juggle to make it all come together. Luckily for my family, I managed - and only burnt the bottom of one pan in doing so. Below are the slightly modified recipes that I used!

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Carne Asada Bowls

ingredients ~

Cooking spray

1 (12- oz.) flank steak

3/4 tsp. kosher salt, divided

1/2 tsp. black pepper, divided

2 tsp. olive oil

3/4 cup chopped white onion

1/2 cup unsalted chicken stock

1 (15- oz.) can unsalted pinto beans, rinsed and drained

3 cups chopped romaine lettuce

1 1/2 cups chopped tomato

1 oz. tortilla chips

1 ripe avocado, thinly sliced

recipe ~

1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high. Coat pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle steak with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add steak to pan; cook 5 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Place steak on a cutting board; let stand 5 minutes. Cut across the grain into slices; cut slices into 3/4-inch pieces.

2. Add oil to pan; swirl. Add onion; sauté 2 minutes. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt, stock, and beans to pan; bring to a boil. Cook 4 minutes, scraping pan to loosen browned bits.

3. Divide lettuce among 4 shallow bowls. top evenly with bean mixture, steak, tomato, tortilla chips, and avocado. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

**serves 4

**in original recipe - queso fresco, lime wedges

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Cilantro Almond Pilaf

ingredients ~

1 Tbsp. unsalted butter

3 Tbsp. sliced almonds

1/4 tsp. ground coriander

1/4 tsp. ground turmeric

1 (8.8-oz.) pkg. precooked brown rice

1/3 cup unsalted chicken stock

1/4 tsp. kosher salt

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

recipe ~

1. Melt butter in a skillet over medium-high. Add almonds; cook 1 minute then add coriander, turmeric, and rice; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add stock and salt; bring to a simmer. Cover and cook 2 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.

**serves 4

**in original recipe - cilantro

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From Cooking Light (Jan/Feb 2017)