Black Bean Party Dip

Happy New Year!  I hope you had an amazing Christmas with family, friends and lots of great food.  For the record, I did NOT eat vegan over the holidays.  I enjoyed it all (in moderation, of course), and came out the other end ready to kick off a healthy new year.  Sometimes it takes a little indulgence to remind me why I care.  Healthy food makes me feel bright, happy and energetic and it has definitely taken a couple weeks to get that feeling back.  So here I am: bright, energetic and pumped up to discover new ways to make healthy food delicious!

Since I planned to blog away during the whole Christmas season (and didn't...), I have lots of fun recipes ready to post.  This one is a staple in our family.  My sister-in-law invented it around a year ago and it has been at almost every event I can think of since!  Not only is it delicious, it is packed with protein and fiber (and probably tons of other good nutrients that we aren't even aware of).  This reliable dip ensures that you will have something healthy to munch on and share.  To top it all off, it's insanely easy to make!

Ingredients:

1 cup organic short-grain brown rice

1 can/2 cups organic black beans, drained

1 avocado

1-2 cups Pico de Gallo

Multigrain or Organic Corn Chips

Directions:
1. Cook the rice according to the package directions.  To make the rice extra sticky, I cook it in my rice cooker.  When it says it's done, I add another cup of water and cook it again.

**If you don't have enough time to cook the rice, a brown rice bowl cooked in the microwave will work perfectly!  I only use the microwave when absolutely neccesary though as studies have shown microwaved foods to be less beneficial than their cooked counterparts.

2. Cut the avocado into small chunks.

3. Mix rice, drained black beans and avocado in a bowl.

4. Add strained Pico de Gallo a half-cup at a time until the dip is the consistency and taste that you want it to be.

5. Taste the dip...a few times, just to be sure it's ready.

I love this dip with multigrain chips, but most people seem to prefer corn tortilla chips.  Either option is gluten-free and delicious!  Enjoy!

Today's Ingredients:

Lundberg Organic Short-Grain Brown Rice - Costco

                    -or-

Organic Brown Rice Bowl - Trader Joe's

Avocado - anywhere, but I prefer buying them at Costco

Organic Canned Black Beans - Fred Meyer

"Food Should Taste Good" Multigrain Chips (gluten-free too!) - Costco

Rojo's Pico de Gallo - Costco

**some of the ingredients in this Pico de Gallo aren't that great, so I am currently looking for a better brand